I got my Netflix streaming disk for the Wii on Friday. I had a chance to mess around with it over the weekend, so I thought I'd share my observations.
The setup is incredibly easy, you put the disk in your Wii, and Launch it from the Menu. The first time it starts up it gives you an activation code. Then you just log into your Netflix account and go to the "Instantly on Your TV" button. Type in the code on your TV screen. Done. It's impossible to put into words how easy it is. My simple description actually makes it seem more difficult than it is.
I have a 1.5Mbps DSL connection, and I have my Wii hooked up to my TV via component cables. My TV is a 42 inch Sharp LCD. The Wii can only output in 480p resolution, so you are never going to get Hi Def from it; like you would from a Roku, PS3, or Xbox. None of the streaming options have any better sound quality than just stereo.
I watched a few different things to try and get the best overview. Bolt, Big Fan, and Neverwhere. The reason why I picked these was I was trying to get a good variety of video quality from the original source. "Bolt" definitely looked the worst. Grainy, and even though I only watched 30 minutes, I would have been disappointed (it's a bad movie anyway) in the quality. Grainy, and really pixelated during action scenes.
"Big Fan" was ok. I would compare it to the quality you might see from a VCR. Not great, but watchable.
"Neverwhere" looked just as good as it does from DVD. That show has the lowest original source quality. It's a standard definition TV show that originally aired in 1996.
The choices available from Netflix are decent, and include lots of kids TV shows and movies. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" looks pretty good.
There you have it. My incredibly UN-scientific analysis.
To Sum Up, I really don't think there is any reason that anyone with a Wii and a Netflix membership should not get one of these disks, and fill up there "Watch Instantly Queue". It's easy, and it lets you watch something while you and your significant other are trying to find a time to watch that Netflix movie that's laying on your entertainment center, gathering dust.
