Netflix Streaming Via Wii Coming Really Soon

26.03.2010
It's no secret that has been gearing up to via the console, but now it appears the launch is near. Netflix today announced that it has shipped instant-streaming discs to some of members for testing. "Their feedback will ensure that we deliver a great experience to everyone when we launch," writes company spokesperson Jessie Becker on .

Wii owners need a broadband connection, a $9 or higher Netflix unlimited plan, and an instant-streaming disc to watch thousands of movies and TV episodes via the Internet. They can order a free disc at the .

Console Catch-Up

Some critics have knocked the Wii's streaming capabilities, which admittedly don't compare favorably with newer, more advanced living-room hardware. For starters, the Wii requires a Netflix disc, unlike the of Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and other devices. And as Matt Peckham from PCWorld's Blog points out, the Wii doesn't do either:

"Nintendo's little-console-that-could, for all its game-related kudos, is strictly locked at 480p, the high-end spec for standard-definition TVs (sometimes called EDTV or "enhanced definition"). That amounts to just 640 by 480 (or 720 x 480, wide) lines of resolution in NTSC-based countries like the US. Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation, by comparison, run at 720p or 1080p, i.e. 1280 by 720 and 1920 x 1080 lines of resolution, respectively."

Good Enough for Now