As expected, TiVo has gone ahead and flipped the switch on their much anticipated Netflix partnership! Starting today, Series 3 & TiVo HD (XL) customers can now watch Netflix’s Watch Instantly content on their DVR.
I had a couple of minutes this morning to try it out and, I have to say that I’m extremely impressed. Being able to watch a movie instantly on your DVR is great. I plan on putting together a video later today but, for now, here’s the press release along with a couple of screenshots I was able to grab.
Thanks TiVo! I really do appreciate this update!
ALVISO, Calif. – December 8, 2008 — After announcing a groundbreaking partnership in October with Netflix Inc., TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced that subscribers to both Netflix and TiVo® Series3, TiVo HD, or TiVo HD XL can now access thousands of movies and TV episodes instantly streamed from Netflix directly to their TVs.
The service is being offered at no additional charge to customers who subscribe to both services. This morning subscribers can browse through an expanding library of more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes at www.netflix.com, add them to their Netflix instant Queue, and then watch them on TV with just a click of the TiVo remote. The library includes titles from every genre, with a modest selection of HD content available as well. Both standard and HD titles are expected to grow in the weeks and months ahead.
“With so much talk focusing on the economy these days, this partnership makes more sense than ever because it brings people more movies at home, offering substantially more entertainment options than cable or satellite,” said Tara Maitra, GM and Vice President of Content Services at TiVo Inc. “TiVo offers consumers everything they need from just one box. Not only great content from Netflix, but also movies from The Walt Disney Studios and Amazon, music from Rhapsody, videos from YouTube and even pictures from Picasa Web Albums and Photobucket. And that’s all in addition to TiVo’s core functionality that made us a favorite in the first place. It adds up to a one-of-a-kind value.”
“Netflix offers an unbeatable combination of convenience, selection, and value, which now extends to TiVo customers,” said Netflix Chief Marketing Officer Leslie Kilgore. This partnership is a win-win-win for Netflix, TiVo, and consumers alike.”
Movies are streamed from Netflix through TiVo DVRs via wired or wireless broadband connection and a Netflix Queue-based user interface. Members visit the Netflix Web site to add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those choices will automatically be displayed on subscribers’ TVs and are available to watch instantly through the TiVo service. With the TiVo remote control users can browse their instant Queue, make selections right on the TV screen, as well as read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they have the option of pausing, fast-forwarding, rewinding and re-starting whenever they wish.
For more information on how to have movies instantly streamed from Netflix via your TiVo DVR visit www.tivo.com/netflix
Note that the quality of the video is a lot better that what’s shown in these screenshots. I use my Slingbox in order to take screenshots of my TiVo. This is what’s introducing the compression artifacts.
We still have a Series 2 which from the looks of things will not be able to take advantage of this feature. The hard drive on our Series 2 has been acting up lately and we’d be discussing replacing it. Now that this feature is live, we will definitely be upgrading our TiVo to take advantage. I’m REALLY excited about this feature!
I tried to get netflix on my Tivo HD last night without any success. Is this only available for Tivo HD XL customers?
No, it’s available for Series3, TiVo HD & TiVo HD XL. Do you see the option in the “Video On Demand” menu? Also, does your TiVo have software version 11?
Interesting news. Please let us know what you think of the quality of the video. I had looked into the Roku but read that they were having quality issues.
So at this point I’m sticking to the netflix “receive by mail; rip; send back by mail” and watch the video when we get a chance.
@Doug – I think that Netflix has fixed the quality issues the Roku box (and Xbox 360) users were experiencing.
That’s also my understanding. Checkout this blog post on the official netflix blog:
http://blog.netflix.com/2008/12/streaming-performance.html
Neat! Bummer! We have a series 2 running version 9.3 or so, with lifetime service. I see a video on demand menu – I can rent from Amazon or Disney, but no Netflix connection.
Maybe some day… or maybe a Roku box. Cheaper than a series 3 upgrade plus service!
I just attempted watching one of the movies on my list. The quality was pretty good, I was using the TiVo wireless adapter, but the movie ended up crashing twice, and would either bring me back to the home screen or the video on demand menu. The interface is also ugly, it’s the psuedo-tivo interface that is used in other third party applications such as the one used to navigate through podcasts. Navigating through the list of movies has a slight delay which is annoying.
My TiVo HD is getting the Netflix. I watched a movie last night and here are my comments.
1) Activation was easy, TiVo gives you a code and sign into your Netflix account on a computer and activate Netflix on your TiVo.
2) After activating I selecting the “video on demand” option was unresponsive. When I selected the TiVo beeped and the screen flashed and then nothing happened. I rebooted the TiVo (which takes forever) and it worked
3) Navigating though the Netflix menu on the TiVo is a bit sluggish, causing you to mash keys and hope you land on the correct option.
4) Quality as good, I would compare it to standard definition on a high definition TV. (No HD or up conversion) but sound and video were acceptable.
5) During a 2 hour movie I was booted back to the TiVo main screen twice, which is really annoying, the only saving grace is that when I reconnected and started the movie again it picked up right where I left off.
6) I did not experience any video or audio lag.
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