Netflix comes to Windows Media Center

Starting tomorrow, Windows Media Center users who are also Netflix members will gain access to more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix directly within Windows Media Center on their PCs.

Using the two together is easy and convenient. In Windows Media Center, a new Netflix tile will appear under “TV + Movies”. To stream movies and TV shows from Netflix, just click on the new Netflix tile and login with your Netflix account.

Netflix Tile in WMC UI

You will be able to search the entire Netflix library right from Windows Media Center, and manage both your Instant and DVD Queues. Windows Media Center will also take advantage of Netflix’s “recommended” categories.

 Netflix UX in WMC_Movies

Here is a short video of Netflix in action in Windows Media Center:


Netflix in Windows Media Center

And here is another really neat video walk-through of Netflix in Windows Media Center:


Getting Netflix in Windows Media Center

You can also use your Windows Media Center remote to navigate the player controls and queues for Netflix in Windows Media Center too!

Netflix in Windows Media Center is powered by Silverlight.

If you also have an Xbox LIVE Gold membership and have been streaming Netflix movies and TV episodes to your Xbox 360, this offering will work for you as well.

Netflix in Windows Media Center currently will work only for Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate users today.

This is very cool stuff. You may remember back in March, we launched the Windows Media Center Sports Channel, which offers a variety of interactive sports content including from CBSSports.com, FOX Sports and MSNBC.com. Now more than ever, Windows Media Center offers a great entertainment experience.

UPDATE 5/20: Netflix in Windows Media Center works for Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate users in the U.S. only and does not support Extenders for Windows Media Center.

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Comments

  1. TedHoward
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 12:33AM  

    I had to read from http://www.techflash.com before I could figure out if this was supported on Extenders. It's not. Please add this incredibly important limitation in this post.

    Is TechFlash correct that this is a hamstrung feature because of the Microsoft tax to support Xbox LIVE Gold's subscription numbers? If there's any truth to that, I hope there's a litebulb thread about it.

  2. loopyoyo
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 12:50AM  

    Brandon,

    does the initial rollout include windows 7 media center? also, are you guys ever gonna add the remote media experience feature into mce?

  3. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 1:08AM  

    loopyoyo, today's announcement applies to Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate users currently.

  4. CompactDistance
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 2:29AM  

    Can I be the first to guess this is US-only?

  5. smehaffie
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 7:10AM  

    You really need to get the support for Win7 released.  You have thousands of people who have run the beta since it was release who are now running the RC.  This would be a great time to get this out to the public to make sure any issue wiht Win7 are fixed before the final version of Win7 is released.  When can we expect Win7 support?

  6. smehaffie
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 7:13AM  

    You really need to get a this released for Win7.  You have tons of people who have been testing the beta since it was released and are now running Win7 RC.  This is the perfect time to get this out to those user, and get any issues running under Win7 fixed before Win7 is officially released.

    When can we expect a release of this that runs under Win7?

  7. mattyk1822
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 9:15AM  

    Is this feature available via extenders? (other than xbox)  There should have been something mentioned about this in your post.

  8. SoundForSound
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 10:48AM  

    Failure to support Extenders makes this useless.  This is what separates MS from greatness, the lack of compatibility across products and neutering others from shining.  Netflix Extender support should be a no brainer.  Same deal with the Sports Channel shipping without Extender support - what a waste and a great way to limit the market.  Crap - if they want to pimp Netflix on 360 to push Gold Memberships, just make that a requirement.  i.e. Require your XBox Gold ID and Netflix ID to use Netflix on an Extender, but do not kill the exerience that my wife would want - MCE as a one stop shop.

  9. jfh2112
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 8:07PM  

    I agree completely with SoundForSound - this is useless without Extender support. I'll be honest, I don't give a damn about XBox LIVE, and I'm not going to pay for it. I have a Netflix account, but I'm not going to rent a streaming box, which is essentially how Netflix + LIVE works. I have a Vista Media Center, and I want to stream Netflix from it to my XBox 360. But if I can't, I don't see the point in continuing my Netflix subscription *or* upgrading my MC to Win7; you can keep it.

  10. newscientist2000
    Posted on: May 20, 2009 at 9:43PM  

    Wow great news, I know a lot of people are mad for the failure to support extenders with this initial rollout, however this is a step in the right direction and should be applauded.

    For to long cable companies in the US have had a monopoly on how people get entertainment, this is a step towards breaking that monopoly which is a good thing as it will create a more competitive marketplace.  That should in turn lead to better products and/or a better price.

    What would be really helpfull here is if the law would clearly allow people to shift media/stream media they have paid for within their own households without DRM and licensing having to approve every step of the way look at HDMI... overkill for a standard really does my computer have to be authorised to talk with my monitor!..yes aparently.

    Apparently all Netflix partner devices need to be licensed according to this article which shows how big companies like Sony are trying to slow down the inevitable move to streamed content:

    www.gamesindustry.biz/.../nxe-loses-sony-netflix-titles

    How silly all of this is, surely the Xbox is a computer, an Extender is a computer, the PC is a computer, my phone is a computer... as a consumer all thats important to me is that I can pay for a movie or other form of entertainment and that its easy for me to watch in within my own house wherever I want to, on whatever device I want to.

    Hopefully this is a step in that direction, no doubt even supporting the Xbox 360 as a Netflix extender cost Microsoft some money, so Im grateful for that.

    Hopefully the whole industry will wake up and realise that the consumer wants entertainment and wants it on multiple devices without getting fleeced in the process.

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  1. Posted by: Netflix comes to Windows Media Center - By Egidijus Baranauskas - Post - Windows, Technology, Computers, Software News - WinSoftNews on May 20, 2009 at 12:31AM

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