Netflix to offer movie downloads through set top box

Netflix to offer movie downloads through set top box
Popular online film rental service Netflix is planning to introduce a proprietary set-top box with an Internet connection capable of downloading movies overnight, according to the company's Vice President of original programming, Eric Besner.

Speaking promisingly at an Independent Film & Television Alliance production conference in Beverly Hills, Besner said the business model for the service, which could launch as early as this year, is currently being worked out, however it is likely the subscription service would be offered in return for the subscription fee members pay for conventional DVD rentals at the moment.



The concept would be that users could add movies they want to watch to their rental queue online much like they do now, except those movies would then be conveniently downloaded to the boxes overnight rather than shipped through the mail.

He also added that the set-top box is just one of the Internet plans Netflix is working on.

Source
Variety.com

Written by: Ben Reid @ 20 Jun 2006 15:03
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  • 35 comments

  • limelight

    Good idea, lets hope the box and service doesnt get jacked up in price.

    20.6.2006 15:10 #1

  • Mik3h

    Wonder what the size of HDD inside it would be.. and you would probably be able to FTP to it to transfer over the movies.. (or people will find a way round into doing this!)

    -Mike

    20.6.2006 15:28 #2

  • philipman

    Overnight, that is not fast at all. I can get a movie in less than 30 minutes.... from other places.

    20.6.2006 15:53 #3

  • Spenman91

    i think it would be nice if you could see the actual speed of the download like i wish you could see tha speed when you download stuff on market place from xbl only because i know its faster than downloading anything on my pc and i wish i could see the difference

    20.6.2006 17:26 #4

  • Spenman91

    also i wonder how high the quality will be i think it would be cool if you could chose a quality level

    20.6.2006 17:44 #5

  • DVDBack23

    definetely wont be the same quality as the dvd rips available elsewhere...

    20.6.2006 18:46 #6

  • gogochar

    All I can hope for is a)No DRM (at least none that can't be hacked), b)Very fast downloads, and c)killer quality (we are downloading the DVD after all!

    20.6.2006 18:47 #7

  • Spenman91

    it should be good quality if it takes all night to download atleast if it downloads atleast around brodband speed

    20.6.2006 19:02 #8

  • diabolos

    Ok people stop wishing. Of course there will be DRM, but I bet the quality will make up for it. If this service is to replace there mail service I would expect that the downloadable file will be more like a DVD disc images that contains the high-res movie and special features, not just a low res DivX moves!

    Has anyone ever heard of MovieBeam? Thats what it sounds like to me.

    MovieBeam...
    http://www.moviebeam.com/opencms/opencms/Pages/

    Ced

    20.6.2006 20:16 #9

  • damo_red

    i suppose this will be in the US way before it is in the UK.

    id sooner put a dvd disk into the player though,

    21.6.2006 01:47 #10

  • jziman

    Woo Hoo it looks like they are now working on a way to throttle the download so you can only get one movie a week just like there mail service.

    21.6.2006 12:54 #11

  • ZippyDSM

    Blah boardband is not in the aera and I am startign to like thier mail service....

    21.6.2006 22:26 #12

  • ZippyG

    The reason thy do it overnight is most likely to keep bandwidth charges low for themselves. I use netflix now and it's a pretty good service. I can see them doing something like charging more per month for a service that delivers the movies to the STB faster than overnight.

    22.6.2006 19:01 #13

  • FredBun

    Doesnt sound right to me, I mean after you download what are you limited to, watching the movie on the computer screen and other computer limitations, no thanks, I like the old way, put in a disc in any room with any dvd player I chose, so no thanks.

    23.6.2006 13:58 #14

  • rav0

    Quote:Originally posted by FredBun
    Doesnt sound right to me, I mean after you download what are you limited to, watching the movie on the computer screen and other computer limitations, no thanks, I like the old way, put in a disc in any room with any dvd player I chose, so no thanks.    Your jumble of words starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop doesn't make a comprehensible sentence at all. Also, why are you mentioning computer limitations (what are they?), when the article isn't about using a computer? The article is about a set-top box.

    http://rav0.be/

    23.6.2006 21:18 #15

  • ZippyDSM

    rav0
    He probly thinks the Set top box connects to teh computer *L*
    Hell I did to for acoule days but they realy mean is a "CABLE BOX" for netflix that runs off boarndband.

    they should break the service up into 3 tears basic is like what the DVD rental is and takes roughly a day for stuff to download to it,Silver would be 10 hours at a ost of 20 more,and gold would be limited only by your connection at 30-50 more at least this way you have a choice,even paying 5$-10 more tog et the moive ASAP is not such a bad ieda...but a even better thought would be just to stream the content you give your movie choices pay for it and then if a movie is not on the main severs it will take 2-48 hours for it to show up otherwise you can browes the content like cable or sat to your monthly limit or so,anyone seen the higher qauilty stuff on youtube and other streamign sites? hell it can be done HD is only 2-5 times more in data!

    23.6.2006 21:25 #16

  • FredBun

    Please don't give me that jargin about spelling, I'm not writing or trying to sell a book here, I wish my life was so dull that I had to worry about how people spell, anyway, yes there is a box involved, there are also other ways of doing it also, but either way I think the limitations of doing it the way they might propose far outway doing it the old way.

    23.6.2006 21:30 #17

  • Spenman91

    no offence but im pretty sure he wasnt criticizing your spelling i think he was saying that your sentence didnt make alot of since (which it doesnt) lol sorry

    24.6.2006 09:50 #18

  • ZippyDSM

    I understood what he said fine,he means that sicne he thinks its computer only it would blow becuse it limtis it to only the computer.

    LOL


    I have a brain...I think......

    Windows Vister
    I dub thee vister untill thee can prove thyself.

    I aint the brightest bulb around but I can feel my way in the dark...

    I fuzzy braind mew =0_o=

    FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
    "Music And Film Industry Association of America.."

    24.6.2006 12:37 #19

  • FredBun

    Thank You zippy, my God, first it was the spelling, now the sentence didn't make any sense, I quess since you were the only guy that got what I said makes you a genius, I wont even say what that makes the others, anyway, if I remember correctly this thread is suppose to be about netflix downloads and not spelling B's, so, is this little paragraph clear enough.

    24.6.2006 21:06 #20

  • ZippyDSM

    FredBun
    more like sicne my mind is so used ot incoherance I can translate for normal people sometiems :P

    I have a brain...I think......

    Windows Vister
    I dub thee vister untill thee can prove thyself.

    I aint the brightest bulb around but I can feel my way in the dark...

    I fuzzy braind mew =0_o=

    FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
    "Music And Film Industry Association of America.."

    25.6.2006 02:47 #21

  • FredBun

    lol, good one zippy, thanks again, anyway, I hope companies like netflix or others never ram that kinda idea down our throats, as long as we have an option to chose either way that's ok I mean, it seems lately we are losing so many, e.g. like this window vista thats suppose to come out, I hear we wont even be able to copy anything, and I'm not talking about pirating, anybody that does it for profit that is wrong, but I always backup my own store bought movies and music cd's etc, especially with kids in the house media tends to disappear or scratched, and you hear oh it wasnt us dad, yeah right, but to get back to the point, some of these new idea's that they are waving at us I wonder if there more like handcuffs than options.

    25.6.2006 08:25 #22

  • ZippyDSM

    FredBun
    Vista is going to lock down video and audio for DRM stuff only.
    thats the basic turth of vista at least thats the basic form of retail "locks" that will be on it god knows what else they try and sell us wiht it...
    a step or 2 above it would be DRM 3d video we ahve to protect the gameing indtry and all you knw thos nasty emluators and other non ceritifed 3D programs will have to go *L*

    and then lets jsut remove ALL non certified programs all togather! who cares if you own it are not we are protecting the coperations by handicaping our new OS.

    I have a brain...I think......

    Windows Vister
    I dub thee vister untill thee can prove thyself.

    I aint the brightest bulb around but I can feel my way in the dark...

    I fuzzy braind mew =0_o=

    FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
    "Music And Film Industry Association of America.."

    25.6.2006 08:46 #23

  • FredBun

    Yeah, I hear you zippy, the whole scheme sucks I know, I didnt know what DRM was even tough I have heard about it many times, I clicked on it since it was highlited on your thread, I kinda did understand some, and some not, the explanation was a little confusing, maybe not to computer savvy folks but to us knobs or newbies, meaning me, whatever we non savvy computer users are called these days, sometime computer lingo is a little far fitched to people like me but thats ok,I learn a little more each day, but it says you can copy once, but not make a copy of a copy, or you cant put it in a file, whatever, all I car about is making a backup of my store bought stuff just to have one backup for future use especially if you got kids like I said before, and if vista wont let me do that than screw them, the problem I worry about is what other option is there, I heard somebody said go to linux, I think linux is way out of my league sad to say.
    I also wonder, does netflix maybe, just maybe, looking into this on-line viewing because they want to stamp out people that copy there rentals and this new system might put an end to it, who knows, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but I don't put past anything or anybody anymore, especially these music and movie mogels, I did read once by there own admission that they lose 5 to 7 percent of there sales because of pirating, and I don't disagree with them there, I to agree pirating for profit is wrong, but to prevent a copy for personal use is wrong also, so in other words about thier 5 to 7 percent, so somebody like Steven Spielberg or a music guy, instead of them making maybe 10 mill a year they will only get 9.3, oh boo hoo, I feel so bad for them.
    The sad thing I think is, we the small guy that do things for our own personel use don't cost them anything at all, but, we are the ones that are starting to lose all our rights, its the high end pirates that cost them all the money, and do you think that all these new schemes that they are starting to throw at us like vista etc. are gonna stop the pirates, hell no, they will get around anything those guys can throw at them, they will always have the money and know how on how to bypass anything, and thats the biggest shame of it all, we the little guy who doesnt have the means and know how to just make one little backup copy for ourselfs, so again, what is really up netflix sleeve or any of the other big mogels for that matter.

    25.6.2006 15:09 #24

  • rick5446

    I suppose if U had a TV Card U could connect it to your Computer..Or put a DVD Recorder between it & the TV

    25.6.2006 15:14 #25

  • Spenman91

    FredBun sorry about that lol now that i re read that i understood it was late and i was about to fall asleep so i was kinda out of it.....and rick5446 yea i suppose that would work but i tried the same thing with directv pay per views and a dvd recorder and some kind of coppy protection would shut down my recorder everytime i tried to record a movie i ordered so i dont know if that will be a similar issue with this thing or not....hope not though

    25.6.2006 15:37 #26

  • rick5446

    Spenman91..Depends what capture card U have on your Computer To-date I've had know problems with the ATI All in Wonder 9000 Pro
    Don't know that much about set top units as I don't use them to limited

    25.6.2006 16:06 #27

  • Spenman91

    yea i wouldnt use them either if my computer was good enought to use a video capture card

    25.6.2006 17:20 #28

  • likwidst8

    I definitely think that this has some interesting ramifications, if nothing else. I'd like to see something like this for Gaming Consoles.

    Now, I'm aware of gamefly.com, but I'm talking about downloading directly to some sort of (mythical) device that would be able to communicate directly with said consoles (possibly by redirecting the system to read from the box instead of a disc)...maybe with the option to pay per game as opposed to a monthly fee.

    With that sort of system in place, you would be able to choose how long you want to rent a game for and pay an according price...I dunno...I think that may be sweet. <reaches into pocket and pulls out 2 cents and tosses it into the middle of the circle>

    And there you have it :)

    5.7.2006 19:29 #29

  • alafossb

    you never know...Netflix might do what Apple and other companies plan to do in the future and do the movie downloads via torrents. Not sure if that's a smart idea or not though.

    |alafoss|

    "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone."

    5.7.2006 19:50 #30

  • vudoo

    I think Downloadable movies for rent is a great idea. Only if they can cheapen the price so its not as high as Pay Per View and they make all movies avail for rent as those on the DvD releases. However I see nothing wrong with just Downloading the movies to your computer in the first place.

    I don't care for Bit Torrent. I've tried it and its way too complicated to use with a router. However if they were to use a Gnutilla type system or a version of Fast Track where its only for the paid customers then it would be very good.

    Yes you can't record DvD's, On Demand movies through a DvD recorder because of CGMS-A. However if you have an older capture card you may pull it off or maybe a video camera with the composite inputs and the old hi8 tape. Tnen you could re record it to your DvD recorder when done and it may remove the CGMS-A. Haven't tried it.

    19.7.2006 12:51 #31

  • alafossb

    im curious to see how it comes out. depending how they do the downloading and how well it is..i don't want my internet freezing up and going slow for 24 hours while i download a movie -.- that'd be lame.

    19.7.2006 14:09 #32

  • likwidst8

    hehe, unless you find a way to fxp from your netflix box to a rooted server somewheres, lol :)

    19.7.2006 14:36 #33

  • ZippyDSM

    likwidst8

    *sings*
    *somewheerreeeee overrr the netowrk I'll get by copying and storeing stuff I find its mine all mine*


    0_o

    ..........
    my brain is evil >>

    19.7.2006 16:04 #34

  • likwidst8

    Ha! Sweet! 10/10 :)

    20.7.2006 19:33 #35

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