Impressions: Netflix On Wii

When I got back form PAX I found a nice little surprise for me waiting in the mail box, a little disc from Netflix to try out their online streaming content through the eyes (and remote) of the Wii. Realizing that not everyone who requested a disc has received one, I figured I'd take a few and tell you what's in store for you when you get the free disc in the near future. Now this isn't the first time I've been able repurpose a popular piece of electronics to browse Netflix's instant queue. I've got the little application on my 360, the streaming disc for PS3, and even my little Tivo box can connect to their servers.

So how do Wiiflix stand up to the PS360flix? In all honesty, not that bad with all things considered. Let's just leave "HD" outside of this discussion. The Wii can't do it, and the majority of Netflix's streaming content isn't. Of the small portion of stuff that is HD is only available if you've got a good connection. What you'll see on the Wii is pretty good. It's not absolutely perfect, as you'll see a slight drop in image quality from the 360 and PS3 if you're looking for something to complain about, but depending on what you're watching it's not going to be all that noticeable.

The thing that sets this incarnation of the instant queue apart from the others is the interface and control. While I personally found the 360's functional and the PS3 experience to be too slow and clunky to be usable, I think the Wii's remote is the best input device for something like this because... well... it's shaped like a TV remote. Using the d-pad and remote's cursor to pick out titles, explore suggestions and rate content couldn't be easier or more intuitive. The pointer comes in especially handy when fast forwarding and rewinding. In addition to using methods similar to the 360 and PS3 version, you're able to point, click, and drag a marker along a timeline like you would a movie on a PC. I don't know about you, but I find myself clicking around quite a bit before setting down on something to watch, so this stuff is big factor for me.

All in all, it's another platform to enjoy Netflix's increasingly awesome streaming content. HD purists aren't going to be impressed, but the Wii software is pretty impressive and there was quite a bit of thought going into how it would best work with the hardware. Any Wii owner should check it out. As if people didn't have enough good reasons to try out Netflix, they've just added one more.