Netflix Review

Further to yesterday’s post I have now had time to sign up for the free trial account with Netflix as I own an Apple TV 2 and this is one of the devices which natively supports Netflix streaming.

So, is it any good? Well, the short answer is ‘yes’. There were fears that it would be lacking in content and whilst it’s not as bountiful as the shelves of your nearest HMV store, there is still plenty on there to entertain.

The sign up process is very straightforward as you would expect. I opted to sign up with my Facebook user account, just to make life easier and after putting in my credit card details the account was all set up and working. Netflix do not charge you for the first month but will start to take payments if you forget to cancel your account within the first 30 days.

So, I selected Netflix on my Apple TV menu, entered my login details and within seconds I had a wealth of media content to choose from. The menu system is in line with the default Apple way of doing things and as such made it really easy to search by genre and type.

The original setup procedure also asks you what type of thing you like to watch in a short questionnaire so that it can then make suggestions every time you launch Netflix.

I was pleased to see a good mixture of old and new content. For example, you can watch the first 4 series of Doctor Who but you also have access to the entire run of The Young One’s from way back in the 80’s.

There really is something for everyone on Netflix and I have to make a special point that it really does cater for children very well, it even categorises the different age ranges.

I have heard that some people experienced problems with buffering during playback but this didn’t seem to affect me whilst I streamed the film Starship Troopers to my HD TV.

So, is Netflix the future of home entertainment? It’s too soon to know but it has made a blistering start.

Netflix Online Film Rentals

The popular US based on-demand media streaming service Netflix is now being made available in the UK. Subscribers can pay only £5.99 per month for unlimited access to the entire Netflix catalogue which includes a variety of popular film and TV content, all streamed via the internet to a number of different devices.

Netflix are offering a one month free trial if customers link the service to their Facebook profile and the content is delivered in either standard or high definition. The HD films need a connection speed of at least 5Mbp/s so as to avoid buffering whilst the standard definition content requires only 2Mbp/s. A 90 minute film in HD uses approximately 3.5GB of data allowance.

The TV shows and films can be simply streamed via the internet to a desktop computer or anything with a web browser and it is also compatible with the WII, PS3, Apple TV, XBOX 360 and a number of tablet / smart phone devices.

In recent years the average price for an online movie rental has been between £3 and £4 and even then the content is only available for 48 hours. With Netflix the content is always available which means that you only have to watch 2 movies and the service has paid for itself.

Major media providers such as BBC, 4oD, Disney UK, MGM, Paramount, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, 20^th Century Fox to name but a few have all signed up to Netflix and are currently providing content.

The exciting new development is further proof that now, more than ever it is important to have a fast, reliable internet connection. Why not give us a call on 0113 2946699 to discuss your requirements and look at ways of making sure you have the best internet connection to meet your needs.