Having first revolutionized the way people rent movies, (to ‘Netflix’ something is becoming as much a verb as to ‘Google’ it) the company is now aiming to change the way we watch, well frankly everything. The ultimate goal of Netflix is to have the entirety of video broadcast media viewable online at any time. Yes, that goal is a long ways off and it seems that at least two thirds of Netflix’s instant viewing library is devoted to bad horror movies and straight-to-video releases. There’s still hours and hours of things worth seeing from funny independent films to a growing number of TV shows who are making their newest episodes available for streaming soon after they air. My only home computer is good enough for email and updating my ipod, but it doesn’t have the chops to stream video, so I’m left with two options, one of which may seem heinous. Yes, I admit it PlanetXbox360 readers, I own a PS3. Primarily it was because at the time I picked up a high-def TV Blu-ray had just won the format war and it was the best player for the money on the market.
The Xbox 360 still has my heart (the original Xbox was the first console I’d bought since the SNES) but I admit to being a fan of Uncharted. Netflix streaming has been available for the 360 for some time now and PS3 streaming is new to the scene, having begun in November of 2009. The question posed here of course is which one (if any) is superior? First there’s one big question in this age of DLC and micro transactions: how much do they cost? This is one place where the PS3 has an edge, because it’s free. Simply log into your Netflix account and request a disc and they mail it to you for no extra cost, it doesn’t count as one of your rental discs either. The Xbox 360 add-on is also free but you must be a Gold member on Xbox LIVE to use it (as well as paying the monthly Netflix membership expense). From initial appearances it might seem like the PS3 is in the lead, but once you settle down to actually use the software the 360 version starts to shine. I wouldn’t go so far as to call the PS3’s application sluggish, but scrolling and navigating through menus and selection screens takes just a hair long enough that navigating around when you’re trying to decide what to watch is a hassle. My biggest gripe with the PS3 version is they don’t have a fast scroll where you can watch your queue slide by.
They allow you to skip forward five or ten films at a time, but when you know your queue well enough to recognize film covers the fast-scroll is preferable for deciding what to watch. There’s also a simple issue of convenience to be considered: the PS3 software comes on a disc, not one you plug in and install and send back. You keep the disc. Every time you want to watch something you have to dig out that disc and stick it in. If you are a particularly cluttered person or prone to leaving a disc sitting out in the open, you might find this feature a huge hassle. For me the number one biggest issue is that the Xbox 360 works with my universal remote. Being able to hit one button and control the playback, volume, etc with little effort is wonderful. There are infrared receivers you can buy for the PS3 to work with most smart remotes, but they’re generally in the $50-60 range. Ultimately the PS3 version is better suited to those with a limited budget, but the cost of Xbox LIVE and the one-time fee are low, especially if you’re a frequent movie/TV watcher. Not having to wait for the next disc to watch the next episode of your favorite show is a wonderful feature and the quicker load time of the Xbox 360 adds up.
