If you instantly watch movies and TV shows from Netflix on your PS3, here is the news you’ve been waiting for: starting Monday, October 18 you’ll be able to instantly watch movies and TV shows without inserting an instant streaming disc into your console.
In addition to eliminating the disc, there is a new user interface that brings a much richer and faster browsing experience, content search directly on the device, and dramatic improvements in how fast playback starts.
There is even more good news for PS3 owners: starting on Monday you’ll be able to instantly watch some movies and TV shows in 1080i 1080p high definition, listen to Dolby 5.1 channel surround sound, and view an increasing portion of our content library with subtitles. This will bring the home theater experience right to your living room and make instantly watching movies even more enjoyable. Here’s a news release from Netflix and Dolby with details.
Check out these improvements and continue to enjoy watching TV shows and movies streamed from Netflix.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EARLIER VERSION? this morning I downloaded the Netflix app and I really liked it. exactly like the video. Then, came home this afternoon, put netflix and it was a totally different version. Now I totally hate it!!!
I call false Advertisement! Call the BBB.
I dont seem to see any videos available in HD so far. Also a lot of what I see on there is available on DVD only and not for streaming. Hopefully this changes fast or I’m canceling.
What’s with all the hate? What I have on my PS3 is exactly what was shown in the video. No problems whatsoever. Watch all sorts of stuff tonight. Love the new interface.
Peabodyman, I am curious about your statement. There are multiple posts about how the interface changed in appearance. I downloaded the app, having not seen the video, I thought it was an ugly interface. Heck, it cuts the video title boxes on the far right, in half. So I watched the video that is posted here.
I noticed one thing. The interface in the video is not the interface that is on my console. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure that out. So, I tried to use the disc-based version to compare (only had it for a week – never used it), but it just told me to download the app.
I’m not saying that the app isn’t functional. I started a couple of videos trying to figure out how I’m supposed to tell which ones are in HD or not. It doesn’t seem that there is a way to do that yet. So you CAN use it to watch Netflix, but not pleasantly. With the other options I have tried, PS3 has the least intuitive interface.
I just expected more from a Sony/Netflix partnership. I don’t know video you were watching Peabodyman. If you could post a link to the vid you watched, I would like to check it out.
They have subtitles now? Netflix just got 10x more awesome! :D
Just checked.
Still not un-lamed. Where is the awesome netflix app that I first saw?
Unable to get the no disc netflix to work on the PS3.
I have been using the disc since the start of the year with no problems. Yesterday, I checked the “what’s new” and all that was there was 3 rows of games and 1 row of recently used.
I assumed that I probably needed to update the software version which I did to 3.50. The “what’s up” is still the same plus now the PS3 doesn’t recognize my netflix disc. I can find in BD utilities but can access it. My activation settings show that for my video/games settings that video gives a unavailable in your country/region. I live in TX and bought the console at a local Target. Can anyone help with this problem. Much appreciated.
Mine looks just like it does in the video. The only thing I can’t figure out is how to get subtitles to work. Also like how when your browsing through some of the vides, a brief clip from the movie will actually play. Loving it so far
@neweller77 – dude I am having the same problem. There is no where to update or refresh ‘whats new’ and the disc won’t work either! Someone please help!!
Just spent an hour and a half on the phone with Sony troubleshooting my problem, with no solution. Tried everything, restoring, reformatting, all the network troubleshoots. Anyone got a solution would be a god at this point.
@neweller77 & religulous1 –
I think I was just having the same or similar problem. After a couple of restarts it now seems to work. (I had to restart the unit manually as there was no forced or even prompted restart action.)
I know it doesn’t sound like a fix, but give it a try.
Mine looks exactly like this, too. There are only 4 things I can think of why yours may look different:
1. Your Internet Connection. Maybe they made a solution for people who don’t need all the fancy bells and whistles in their app to make it run faster?
2. Your PS3. Are you guys who have the version that doesn’t look like the one in this video running on an older PS3? I know some people with older PS3s were having a problem running the app, so maybe that’s what the patched it with?
3. I’m a PlayStation Plus member. Maybe this cool application is meant for Plus members, and the other less visually appealing application is for non-Plus members?
4. The kind of TV you use? Maybe they made a low-res or non-HDTV or a version optimised by 4:3 TVs?
Other than that, I don’t know what to tell you? I’ve even had my app search for updates, etc. and restart, and it’s still running on the interface used in the video above.
UPDATE: STILL NOT FIXED!!! My Netflix App still hasn’t been un-lamed / re-awesomed.
@312
1. My PS3 has crazy fast wireless connection through my cable company.
2. I have the slim.
3. I’ma Plus member.
4. I have a new Sony Bravia LED.
So what gives?!?
Also, I KNOW my PS3 can run it like it does in the video…because it DID the morning I downloaded the app.
And now it doesn’t.
I’m trying to use the Netflix app with no success. I was able to download the netflix app, and logged into PSN, and then was prompted for my Netflix email/password.
After entering my info, I get the following error: “Watching movies on this device is not supported.”
I don’t know why I’m getting that error, or how I can fix it. My PS3 is a non-slim PS3 bought in the US (and used in the US) about 2 years ago.
I think the interface is a lot better! The streaming had one hiccup for me two nights ago, but I have seen that once or twice before with the disk. Everything is faster except the initial load time for Netflix to start up.
I only have one complaint and this is that I now have to sign in to the PSN network. I do not mind if this shows everyone on my friend list what I am watching, or even if it eventually broadcasts what I am watching to Facebook. What I do mind is seeing all of the sign-on/off messages while I am watching something on Netflix.
Very annoying.
Yes, I can turn notifications off every time I use Netflix but that is another bother to me.
Yes, I can use my girlfriend’s account but I also do not believe that I should have to do this either.
Since there are these ‘work arounds’, I doubt the current behaviour will be changed. I guess that I will be forced either to leave my notifications off or to use Debbi’s account.
I am still annoyed.
A volume control on the new version is badly needed. The volume on the non-disc is low and, unlike the disc version, there doesn’t seem to be any way to increase it.
Otherwise, very nice application!
It”s freakin great. I love the new lay out! Great job!
@neweller and all others that tried to help me: My play station network account was set to a country other than US, it was on united arab emirates. All videos and the netflix app were not available because the PS network didn’t think I could have it. Remedy: reformatted so I could set up a brand new network account with US as country.
Goodluck all, and thanks for the advice.
I have been using the DISC for a week with no problems so today Oct 21 I download the new instant option provided by Netflix. For two hours I have been trying to get a movie and the same reply over and over again . Can not connect at this time try again later. Netflix you goofed. bet you did not realize the traffic you where going to have and now you CANT HANDLE IT! And I can not go back to the Disc cause its trash now ? So no movies no nothing.
Guys, my Netflix channel stop working a fe hours ago…. i can open the app, then start loading the “connecting to Netflix” and the “Retrieving titles” and then it say a message that they cannot connect to my netflix account with a retry button… but anytime i retry never works, only happens the same…. anyone with the same problem?
Is there a way for the ps3 to instantly sign us out of psn once we load a movie on netflix. The same way how it does when we insert a blu ray movie. It ruins the movie when people names keep popping up in the right hand corner while watching a movie instantly on netflix. The 1080p HD is beautiful by the way.
The NEW user inter face for Netflix streaming is crap. It would seem that all the new features could have been added WITHOUT changing the SIMPLE/EASY TO USE/WONDERFUL Menu that was on the disc. Why did programmers not clear the screen when quitting Netflix, whatever is on screen when you press the playstation button stays in the background when the PS3 returns to the XMB. Also the stupid little menu for Search, Instant Queue and etc. that is stuck on the side of the screen just dims into the back ground when you press enter on a choice. Take this example, on the disc when you wanted to quit netflix all you did was press the 0 or back button then the PS3 defaulted to yes on the question “do you want to quit netflix” and all you had to do was press enter not so now, no,no,no you have to press the playstation button then it goes to the XMB with the previous screen dim in the background where you have to hunt the quit icon. Press enter on the quit icon and you go to the question “do you want to quit Netflix” with the No highlighted, so you have to highlight yes and press enter. This is taking something that is not broken and trying to FIX it. DID NO ONE CHECK THIS NEW APPLICATION before it was distributed for download?
@321
Seems like the whole of Netflix was down for a while. Even their website was down.
Also, my Netflix App STILL hasn’t reverted back to it’s original awesomeness…
:(
…I am loving the 1080p output, though, and am about to hook up my surround sound system.
Will we be able to share movies like other consoles….
Don’t know what to tell you guys. I have the first released model PS3, and an ancient SD tv. My Netflix App looks just like the one in the video. My only complaint is that I can’t press triangle to get the playback menu that lets you adjust volume, etc.
fonz35959: just hold down the PS button for two seconds instead of pressing it.
it’s the same app . im not a plus member , been using netflix since it went discless …. the app shown in the video is what i got .
Yea…
…it STILL hasn’t reverted back to what it’s like in the video. It’s still showing up as this freak gimped version.
ALSO…it’s gotten slower and LAGGY the past couple days.
What’s going on here, Greg???
Lovely. The streaming disc now no longer works on my PS3. If I try to install the Netflix app, I can’t because I’m required to first do a firmware update. And if I do that, I lose my OtherOS. Nice move, Sony, you are now not only subtracting value from your own products, you’re doing it to third-party services as well.
It only does everything except what you paid for.
I used Bravia Sync with my PS3 in order to take advantage and use only 1 remote. Now with this update I can get into the new Netflix on my PS3, but I cannot get OUT using my Bravia remote. Is there a way to configure a button to exit out of the Netflix app???? I’ll keep the PS3 controller by my side for now, but I’d like to continue using 1 remote.
PLEASE FIX THIS BUG!!!
….BTW… is there a another place I should be logging this complait or will this blog be read by someone at Sony and/or Netflix who cares?
Thanks DVD_Sandwich I found that by pressing the PS button for 2 seconds I can quit without going to the icon. Thanks for the info.
Hey why are many so excited about the new interface. I have a 52 inch sony and can’t even read the movie titles they are so small. It is hard to tell which movie you have highlighted there are border boxes around many movies that appear just like the border used to highlight. Think about this people, why didn’t they leave the MAIN MENU exactly like the one on the disc. The highlighted movie got bigger and was easy to read. They could have kept the main menu and still added all the features they have now. Wouldn’t MOST of you rather have that than the screen so cluttered like now. I liked the tabs at the top of the screen rather than the stupid little bar menu that only dims and stays in the back ground. Wouldn’t you much rather have ONLY the highlighted tab items on screen then if you wanted to search or whatever then you simply pressed the up arrow until you got to the tabs then go to the tab desired. I have complained 4 or 5 times to Netflix about this and also to Sony, so come on help me out here, I know MOST of you would rather have the old Main Menu. Please remember I am NOT talking about returning ALL the way to the disc App, just the very first menu, (what i call Main Menu)
The disk interface was better. The only thing I didn’t like about it was how the pause and fastforward/rewind screens looked and worked and that wasn’t changed. :( I also didn’t like having the recently seen menu with no way to remove it.
The new version has places where you cannot see the whole movie description and no way to view it. Another extreme problem is that some foreign films with subtitles cut off the subtitles at the bottom so you only see part of them. The picture is up converted to fit the screen which causes poor quality and looses the subtitles! I tried changing the screen aspect but that option is no longer available – only full screen mode. I deleting the program and going back to the disc but that wasn’t allowed either :( I am not happy with this new interface!!!! Give me the streaming disc back until this can be improved. Loose the “recently seen” section or at least move it to the bottom or give me a setting to remove it. User setting s would be a real plus.
With the Disc based netflix app I used to be able to use my US based proxy server to watch netflix. With this new app, apparently it checks more a-la Hulu and no longer allows me to watch netflix from outside the US.
Anyone else having this problem?
I just ordered a new router to set up a full time VPN to my US based machine, hopefully this should take care of it again.
To: starg88
You said “Loose the “recently seen” section or at least move it to the bottom or give me a setting to remove it”. How about the Disc interface with the Tabs at the top of the screen, ALL tabs EXCEPT the one you had highlighted were off the screen and at the top and when you loaded the program it defaulted to the Instant Queue or at lest to the last tab chosen I forget which. Wasn’t that a lot better setup than defaulting to the recently seen list? Also how about the search function, notice that you have to select the movie before you will know if it is instant streaming or a DVD, why not have the search so that it only searches for INSTANT STREAMING. I don’t want to add a DVD to my queue BECAUSE heck you CAN’T see your DVD queue from this interface anyway. If I were a programmer (and I have been) I would be ashamed to dim a bar menu and put it in the back ground and leave it on screen as they are doing.
I know that they have tried to satisfy a lot of customers by adding new functions etc. BUT they could have done ALL THIS and still left the beginning menu the same. None of this can be done until a movie is selected anyway,therefore leaving the old Menu wouldn’t affect any new functions. BTW the only way that I can tell WHICH movie I have highlighted is by the little arrow at the bottom center of the movie that is highlighted. I can’t for the life of me understand why the programmer wanted to change the beginning/main menu when they had the most wonderful user friendly and easy to read menu that you could want, maneuvering in your instant queue is no faster than on the disc and a lot less readable and user friendly. I sure hope they go back to the original beginning menu, it looks like they would have the programming code for this menu somewhere and wouldn’t have to write new code. Come on Netflix I bet not that many people complained about the Menu anyway, I bet it was additions and other functions that customers wanted and NOT THE MENU CHANGED. I hope Greg Peters READS THIS.
Anyone able to get Dolby Digital to work? Is there any way to find out what titles have it? So far, none of the titles I’ve tried (admittedly not many) have had it.
We bought a PS3 on 10/21, and weren’t aware that there even was a disc-only version of Netflix.
Unfortunately, I’ve been plagued by problems getting Netflix to consistently load. Sometimes it loads (takes maybe 15-20 seconds), other times it tells me “We’re unable to connect you to Netflix, please try again”, and sometimes it freezes the entire PS3 on the Netflix loading banner (PS buttons on controllers and remotes won’t even respond), forcing me to power off the PS3. Each of these results occurs about 33% of the time.
Wish I could find some help for this. The URL provided by the Netflix failure to connect banner is rediculously unhelpful, as in “check to make sure the cable is plugged in, if that is okay, then call Sony”.
I think they’re still ironing out the kinks.
My Netflix still hasn’t come back to it’s original version :(
but the speediny loading and fast-forward/rewind times are back :)
*speedy
The only problem I have with it that on my ps3 I have mulitple users but only my account is setup on the PSN. So if my kids go to netflix on their user id it locks up my entire ps3, instead of exiting as it says it is going to it locks the machine.
Very frustrating and all you can do at that point it power it off. By the way when are we going to get Last.fm integrated into the dashboard, please :)
@fonz
I have to disagree about the menu. The disc based menu was plain annoying, very slow to switch between the 75 movies in each list, and had that 75 movie limit. You couldn’t read the full part of the tabs on top, and it seemed very unpolished.
There are some annoying things about this one, of course, but overall it’s much more streamlined and faster.
To resume play on the ps3, you need to hit back, or the circle button and then quit the app or turn the system off. If you just quit the app or turn the system off the Netflix app will not save you playback position.
do you have to have a netflix account to use this feature
To explosneer:
You may be right about the 75 movie limit I never had that many in queue. The tabs may have be out of sight but all you had to do was arrow up, and mine was as fast as the new menus and much simpler. I don’t see what is so all fired great about the cluttered mess on screen now. There are some good things in the new interface. Movies load more than twice as fast and like others I love the new fast forward and reverse, but give me the old main menu any day.
I’ve been without netflix since I installed the new version. When it will boot up (and at times it won’t and at times locks up my console,) all I can do is scroll through the initial menu on the left hand side. Pressing “x” will toggle me to the next page for a little longer than a nano-second and return me to the initial screen. I have talked to netflix several times. The second time they tried to push me off on sony (I do have to wonder why MY PS3… 9 months old bought in the good old USA.) The third time they admitted a problem and claim that it will be fixed within a month. I have tried system restore etc. I’ve had netflix for all of a month and loved the streaming. What a bummmer.
My UI doesn’t look like the one in the video. It *did* first thing on that Monday morning, then netflix switched it out from under me and gave me a crappy/clunky interface that they’re apparently still beta testing.
How do I get the interface from the video back? Is this ever going to be an option or am I stuck with a crappier version because Netflix didn’t spend enough on their testing cycles?
Seriously Sony, get Netflix in line!
I wasnt aware about anything with the ps3 and netflixs. I just my internet back after not having for a few months. I saw the download for it when I was installing my updates and I wasn’t able to get a connection once it was installed. It stays on the same screening forever and finally after a few min it says unable to connect. I have a friend thats been using netflix for sometime now and they told me I needed a disk. So I come on here and find out that this app I just downloaded came out on the 18th! So is that why I can’t use it?? Is anyone else getting this problem how the hell do I fix it?