Netflix - Wii ....anyone using this? Tell me about it...

[stevenpensacola]

We've recently discussed dropping our cable/telephone service and keeping only the high speed internet...there are so many cable channels that we really don't watch.

Is there anyone who has Nextflix and uses their Wii to download movies/shows/etc?

How do you like it?

How well does it work?

Would you consider it a suitable "replacement" for cable/satellite TV?

Channels we mainly watch are Discovery, TLC, TV Land, Travel, and History, Food Network.

We've been considering ROKU but wondered if Netflix through Wii would be adequate?

Would the Wii serve the same basic function as the ROKU converter?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge...

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Not too familiar with ROKU, but I will say that we love streaming through the Wii. Obviously the biggest hindrance is that the Wii does not do full HD, so if you're looking for HD streaming, the ROKU-HD player would be better.

We have the fastest FiOS package for internet and the wireless connection for the Wii has never given us a problem. The streams load super fast and they never skip or stutter.

The only thing I don't like about Netflix's streaming service is that there are very few titles available to queue on the "Wii Menu." You need to logon to the Netflix website to see ALL of the available titles, add them to your instant queue from there, and then go on to the Wii to watch them.

Streaming with the Wii has changed our television habits greatly, and we have saved a lot of money by trimming off part of our FiOS TV package because of this.

 

[marcyinPA]

We have had it for a few months now, and we really enjoy it. I would not give up our satellite though. We watch a lot of network shows (ABC, NBC,CBS..) that you can't get on Netflix. Well, you can, but once the seasons are way over.

It works well for us, because we have the lowest tier of DISH network available, so we don't get a lot of the channels that you get. We've been watching the TLC shows, like Cake Boss and Hoarders, on Netflix. You won't find any Food Network shows on Netflix. It is somewhat limited....

My kids actually watch it more than my DH and I do. They've been watching a lot of older movies...80's stuff, etc....that they've never seen. And of course, we watch the seasons of the shows we don't get via our DISH.

To me, it's a good supplement to our DISH (which we only pay $26 a month for) without paying tons of money. We didn't want to pay the next level of DISH...too $$.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

We LOVE it. In fact, we use the Wii to stream Netflix WAY more than we do to rent DVD's. I have had a dvd for about 2 months that I need to return (lost the envelope), but I don't feel like I'm wasting our subscription. I have discovered a ton of tv shows I would have never watched otherwise. Arrested Development (my favorite), Dead Like Me, 30 Rock (which I have always watched on tv, but I love being able to watch the reruns), The IT Crowd etc. I plan on starting Dexter soon...if anyone can recommend it, I would probably start sooner than later. DD16 has become obsessed with Friday Night Lights and One Tree Hill.

Honestly, getting DVDs are just a bonus to us, we feel like our payment goes to all streaming.

 

[robinb]

Hi there! I am thinking very hard about doing this very thing.

AFAIK, the Wii box serves the same function as the RUKU box so if you have a Wii you don't need a RUKU box. You can also stream HULU on your TV through your Wii by subscribing to a company called PlayOn TV: http://www.playon.tv/playon. We don't have Netflix yet (I know ... *gasp*) so I am thinking about going the PlayOn/Hulu route right now.

There is one more website that I think will be valuable. It's called Clicker.com (http://www.clicker.com/) and it's an internet channel guide. Type in a show name and it will tell you where to find the show (Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, etc).

An article about steaming TV instead of cable/satellite is in the September issue of Wired magazine.

 

[golfgal]

Netflix streaming through the Wii will not replace TV. It is mostly movies and tv series that are available. It is possible that you can stream Netflix through your computer to your tv and watch episodes of some shows online. You will want to check this out to see if the shows you like do this.

I LOVE Netflix streaming but it isn't a substitute for tv if you want to watch tv shows.

 

[joviroxx]

We have it and use it a lot but like others have said, it does not replace normal TV watching.

Besides all the things mentioned, one other thing is that not ALL movies are available to instantly watch or stream. The newer releases are DVD only. So if you are looking to get new release movies, you will not be able to stream them.

 

[cristit14]

We have both streaming thru the Wii and a Roku box. My husband decided that if he ever wanted to be able to stream anything we needed a 2nd system for our bedroom tv. We do the streaming much more than DVD rentals also. I wouldn't say it would replace tv though. I have been watching series that I had never seen before though. I got hooked on Friday Night Lights and my husband got hooked on Nip Tuck. He has also been watching a lot of documentaries on it. I don't see a difference between the Wii and the Roku. They both seem to work about the same for us. We don't have a HD tv though so that might be a difference.

 

[mtemm]

we have it streaming thru the wii and love it! for me, it could easily replace regular tv viewing since I don't often watch shows that are actually on now, for some reason we tend to get caught up with series that have been out for a while. currently dh is hooked on friday night lights. I just finished weeds, we just finished house (which sadly does NOT stream). My son loves man vs wild. we are still on the 3 discs out at a time program, too, although honestly we stream more than watch the dvds. its nice to have them for more current releases, or shows like house that don't streams.

the one thing that stops us from getting rid of cable altogether is sports. if it wasn't for dh and sports, it would be GONE.

 

[Pigeon]

We love it. We don't have or want cable though, and don't watch a ton of TV in general. But I do watch some of the old TV shows and movies.

 

[Nik's Mom]

We love streaming movies through netflix on the Wii. We use it quite a bit on the weekends. The kids watch old cartoons and I like to watch documentaries or tv shows. Dh doesn't use it very much. We have a mid range speed modem and have no problems streaming.

For us, netflix streaming would not cause us to cancel our satelite service. For one thing, we watch a lot of sports. Also, there are several shows that we like to watch and don't want to wait for it to show up on netflix.

 

[CoP Luv]

We stream through our Blu-ray and our Wii.

Not all tv shows or movies are available for instant streaming. Also, you only may be able to stream TV shows that are already released on DVD which could be months after they actually air on TV.

 

[richmo]

We use the Wii-Netflix combo as well, and it works fine.

However, the Wii is not hi-def, so any content you stream from Netflix will not be hi-def. That's where the Roku box would come in...since it is hi-def. Or, maybe better yet, if you have hi-def, get a Netflix capable Blu-Ray player.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Looks like Friday Night Lights has gained some new fans by being available for streaming. I forgot, but another show I discovered was "Party Down". It was on Showtime, which we don't have and I had never heard of it. I just gave it a try because Jane Lynch was in it (I adore her). It only lasted 2 seasons, but it was really funny.

I honestly could probably do away with cable if it was just me. I get all my news online. The sports would be a problem. And we have some shows we will not miss that are on our DVR. I couldn't miss House and DH couldn't miss American Pickers or Pawn Stars.

BUT, if it came down to where money was tight and we needed to cancel cable, I would do that before I cancelled internet or Netflix.

 

[MushyMushy]

We could totally do that! We have Netflix hooked up to XBox and watch a ton of movies and shows on it. You could also hook your computer up to the television and watch full-length shows on some of the networks' websites. So you can end up getting a good mix of older shows from Netflix and more recent shows from the network sites.

One thing you'll need to check into is how much bandwidth your internet company allows you. I'm not sure how much we are allowed, but ever since we've been streaming shows through Netflix, our bandwidth usage has jumped from using like 1% of our allowed bandwidth to more than 50%.

 

[Dancind]

I will recommend Dexter! Very riveting show. Problem though, once you start watching it you can't stop.

Watched the first 2 or 3 seasons on Netflix (can't remember how many there are), then we had to buy the latest season through Amazon On Demand. That was through the Roku too.

Now I have to go check out the Roku HD.

 

[BellvilleDad]

The only thing I don't like about Netflix's streaming service is that there are very few titles available to queue on the "Wii Menu." You need to logon to the Netflix website to see ALL of the available titles, add them to your instant queue from there, and then go on to the Wii to watch them.

I agree with this. I wish they had a search function for the Wii. That said, Netflix and Wii have captured all of my spare time. I'm a scifi fan, and I spend my time watching old movies and TV shows.

I love it!

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I will recommend Dexter! Very riveting show. Problem though, once you start watching it you can't stop.

Thank you! I'm on my third go round of Arrested Development in about 5 weeks (I think). I need to move on. I will give Dexter a try tonight! After 30 Rock, of course.

 

[Miniefan]

Not too familiar with ROKU, but I will say that we love streaming through the Wii. Obviously the biggest hindrance is that the Wii does not do full HD, so if you're looking for HD streaming, the ROKU-HD player would be better.

We have the fastest FiOS package for internet and the wireless connection for the Wii has never given us a problem. The streams load super fast and they never skip or stutter.

The only thing I don't like about Netflix's streaming service is that there are very few titles available to queue on the "Wii Menu." You need to logon to the Netflix website to see ALL of the available titles, add them to your instant queue from there, and then go on to the Wii to watch them.

Streaming with the Wii has changed our television habits greatly, and we have saved a lot of money by trimming off part of our FiOS TV package because of this.

Thanks for mentioning this- I remember before I ordered the disk from Netflix thinking wow there are so many instant titles and then we we recieved the disc and started using it, I was like wait a minute I know there are more choices than these. Thanks for the tip. We also use netflix on my son's PS3, but the same problem- not very many titles.

Kim

 

[MushyMushy]

Thank you! I'm on my third go round of Arrested Development in about 5 weeks (I think). I need to move on. I will give Dexter a try tonight! After 30 Rock, of course.

I just started watching Arrested Development and 30 Rock on there. Also, My Name Is Earl.

I'm trying to think of what else we have on there... 24, Prison Break (love that one!), Family Guy, Futurama, and Monty Python. For some reason I never seem to catch the really good shows when they first come out. Like, I didn't start watching Lost until season 4. It's nice because I'll be able to watch them when I want rather than waiting a week for a new show.