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I got the Netflix Instant disc in the mail. It's actually a rather cool set up. You just pop the disc in and it loads up an easy to navigate menu first listing your instant queue and then showing new releases (for the instant playback) and then breaks out films by genre, though only lists up to 100 for each genre. You have to activate the disc when you first get it. When you pop it in it displays a code. You have to jump on to the computer, go to Netflix and type that code in. Once you do that the PS3 then immediately jumps to the queue.

Picture quality is okay, much better than I was expecting. I'm annoyed at the 1.33:1 presentations I've come across so far: they're stretched out to fill the screen. Currently I'm getting caught up on Law and Order Criminal Intent. It thankfully breaks out each season by episode and also saves your progress (though I assume that's done server side.) I'm loving it so far but hope they fix the 1.33:1 issue at some point. If I recall it was always presented correctly on my computer.

And yes, you have to use the disc each time, but you get to keep it. It came in a regular red envelope though states in BIG LETTERS to not send it back to Netflix. (And the disc is a Blu-ray disc.)

cdnchris wrote:I'm annoyed at the 1.33:1 presentations I've come across so far: they're stretched out to fill the screen. Currently I'm getting caught up on Law and Order Criminal Intent. It thankfully breaks out each season by episode and also saves your progress (though I assume that's done server side.) I'm loving it so far but hope they fix the 1.33:1 issue at some point. If I recall it was always presented correctly on my computer.

I had the same problem with my Insignia BD player's netflix streaming, but I just had to go into settings and change my display type to "16x9 pillarbox" (a confusing setting for a display, but whatever…). Maybe there's something similar on your PS3?

Kiss Me Deadly ends 11/14, but you'd probably be better off with the DVD—in fact, I don't know why I don't own it. It looks open-matted from the original 1.66, and the playback was the jerkiest I've seen, although this could have been a one-time issue. Are the Starzplay titles generally the worst?

Overall, I've really been enjoying the Instant Viewing feature of my new Blu-ray player (used it more than I've played Blu-rays, especially since my girlfriend and I are catching up on 30 Rock S3 and they have it in HD). Being able to skip the whole laptop connection process makes it much more accessible.) The main complaint would be that the quality varies rather drastically. Anyway, quality seems to vary drastically from title to title, but that might be a discussion for the straight-up "Netflix" thread.

I was excited to see The Awful Truth available in HD (it's not otherwise out on HD, as far as I can tell), but then the audio went more and more out of synch and I had to turn it off after a few minutes. I reported it a week or two ago, so I'll have to try it again and see if they fixed it.

I've noticed several Criterion titles are scheduled to be available soon on Netflix Instant Viewing. These are just the ones currently in my queue:

Grey Gardens
Branded to Kill
Ballad of a Soldier

Here's a few more:

A Nos Amours
Children of Paradise
Eyes Without a Face

Hopefully those look better than Boudu Saved from Drowning—a terribly zoomed transfer (hacked-off heads!) from shitty materials.

Metropolitan is available, but I haven't looked yet.

Yeah, I am loving this streaming disc. I have had the same experience as Chris, but I have been nice catching up on Law & Order SVU. I can't get into CI, because I don't like the lead.

Cash Flagg wrote:

swo17 wrote:Carol Reed's Odd Man Out, which is unavailable on DVD

Though there is a R2 Network disc available.

Odd Man Out will be the…uh…odd film out on Netflix streaming next week 11/22, so get it while you can.

Quite a lot is happening on watch instantly these days!

Recently out:
Solo con tu Pareja
The Thin Blue Line
Monsoon Wedding
Almost all of Hitchcock's 30s films
Kazaam

Coming Soon:
Wings of Desire
Knife in the Water
Beauty and the Beast
Spirit of the Beehive
Pickpocket
Rashomon

I really should make one of those lists with hundreds of films on it- in order to track this better. I wonder if some deal was made- that suddenly we are hit with quite a few titles.

In addition to everything mentioned in the last few posts, a ton of Criterions are now listed as "Coming Soon" under Watch Instantly. Here's what I haven't seen brought up...

La Bete Humaine
Closely Watched Trains
Cria Cuervos
Elevator to the Gallows
Le Corbeau
Hearts and Minds
Hidden Fortress
I Vitelloni
Ikiru
The Lower Depths
Mala Noche
Mon Oncle
My Life as a Dog
Onibaba
Overlord
Ratcatcher
Sanjuro
Shoot the Piano Player
Sisters

The Headless Woman, which is out on DVD on December 15th, is also Coming Soon.

Also found under "Coming Soon" are:

Eyes Without a Face
Grey Gardens
Harlan County USA
Z

I'm surprised there hasn't been a news release trumpeting this. This is a LOT of titles. I wonder how long they'll be available.

Archers of Loaf wrote:In addition to everything mentioned in the last few posts, a ton of Criterions are now listed as "Coming Soon" under Watch Instantly. Here's what I haven't seen brought up...

La Bete Humaine
Closely Watched Trains
Cria Cuervos
Elevator to the Gallows
Le Corbeau
Hearts and Minds
Hidden Fortress
I Vitelloni
Ikiru
The Lower Depths
Mala Noche
Mon Oncle
My Life as a Dog
Onibaba
Overlord
Ratcatcher
Sanjuro
Shoot the Piano Player
Sisters

The Headless Woman, which is out on DVD on December 15th, is also Coming Soon.

High and Low from Kurosawa as well. and Children of Paradise, Cleo from 5 to 7, and Man Bites Dog. If they keep this up, I might drop down to two-at-a-time instead of my three.

I can't find the "coming soon" section, where is it?

There isn't one, technically. But if a film in your queue is available or is soon going to be available, it will indicate this in your queue. You might also try here.

There's also an RSS feed from Netflix for new-to-instant-watch titles:

http://www.netflix.com/NewWatchInstantlyRSS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and new on DVD:

http://rss.netflix.com/NewReleasesRSS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If a film is "available until" a date, does it go through the end of that date, or is it gone when the clock strikes midnight and the date changes?

Basically, I'm wondering if I need to watch Les Voleurs tomorrow or if I need to do it today.

In my experience, I've found that if it says a film is available until a certain day, you had better finish watching it the day before.

Assayas's Summer Hours, which we know is forthcoming from Criterion, will be available for instant viewing on 12/20/09.

Another great one on the way: Kore-eda's Still Walking will be available for instant viewing on 12/24/09.

It looks like Che and Gomorrah will be available for instant viewing on 12/20 with a gaggle of Criterion titles available starting 12/21, which you see here: http://www.streamingsoon.com.

I don't know if this is listed anywhere else on the forum but does anyone have a list of Criterion and Eclipse films currently screening on Netflix instant? I have been trying to create my own but I thought maybe this would be something useful for others in the community.

EDIT: I think I may have found what I was looking for.

To Sleep With Anger is now available via instant watch... a great, great film.

Oh man, everyone jump on that and then join in on the conversation here

Thank god, I started an account just to watch this.