Till Death Do They Part

Finally. Netflix decided to settle down with someone worthwhile. The union of TiVo and Netflix in October 2008 came as good news to many and now, as of December 2008, Netflix subscribers can enjoy the honeymoon. The new dynamic duo has teamed up to bring streaming shows and movies to TiVo owners' TV screens. This make Netflix¹s attempt to move their online streaming video from computer screen to TV screen a success.

So, here’s how it works: users logon to their Netflix account like normal and pick out the movies and TV shows they want to watch. Then, those selections are automatically available for them to choose from on their TV. This means that you can browse through the library of more than 12, 000 movies and TV episodes at http://www.netflix.com, add them to your Netflix instant queue, and then watch them on TV with just a click of the TiVo remote.

This is, however, not the first time Netflix and TiVo have come together. In 2004, Netflix and TiVo worked together to develop a prototype Internet film-delivery service. This project fell through due to licensing and technology issues, but perhaps that strike out was a good thing since this new union between Netflix and TiVo is a homerun. Netflix now has 8.7 million subscribers and TiVo has about 3.6 million people in it’s user base. Suddenly, performing at Madison Square Garden doesn’t seem so huge. The hard part – bringing these two together – is over and now they just need to make sure their audience is entertained. I’m sure with the plethora of movie and TV selections, no one will utter the words ‘there’s nothing on TV…’

Like many of us trying to find the right person to make that lasting union, Netflix has tried other methods of reaching their TV goal. Netflix tried to launch it’s own set-top box called the Roku in May 2008. The $99 device, which streamed content from subscribers’ accounts to their TV, fell flat. The last thing we need is another box atop the TV as wires strangle every last each of space. So, Netflix decided to take a different path and in July 2008, Netflix and Microsoft made an announcement that the Xbox 360 would gain Netflix streaming capabilities for free (outside your monthly Netflix subscription).

So, now that you have both Xbox 360 and TiVo can stream your Netflix ‘watch instantly’ feature, which one should you choose? As far as video quality, Xbox 360 and TiVo are tied. The visual quality in each box’s rendering capability makes it impossible to tell the difference between the two. As far as navigation, you’re probably better with TiVo since it allows you to fast forward and rewind through the entire movie where the Xbox 360 does not allow you to do so in all titles. Only some HD titles allow you to do so and SD titles allow you to seek by way of thumbnail pictures. This really isn’t that big of a deal, but I suppose I’d have a slight preference for TiVo over Xbox 360. But that’s also probably considering that I have no other need for an Xbox.