It’s a new age. Gone are the days when you went to your favorite video store and rented six movies to get that free one. Now with Nintendo joining the streaming video revolution it’s even easier to watch films, your favorite television shows and even workout from your favorite spot.
Although you have to send away for the disc, once it arrives the set-up is quick and painless. Yes in order to access Netflix on your Wii console you need to physically put the disc into the machine. This is barely a minor irritant since there are a plethora of features that make up for it. For instance, you’ve just watched season three of Torchwood and have a hankering for more sci-fi like fare. Just direct your Wii remote to the arrows on the screen and you will find 21 suggestions that you may be interested in. These are not shows that you have added to your instant queue from your computer, rather these programs are a representation of what you may be interested in based on what you’ve recently seen. And that doesn’t just go for television, it’s for anything that you have recently viewed. To make your choice of viewing accurate once you revisit Netflix on your trusty computer, it will ask you to rate what you saw. Then it will generate the 21 choices once you return for more viewing pleasure.
There are also the new arrivals categories. Each one whether it be film or animation will give you 75 choices. It’s a venerable buffet of documentaries, television shows and films that you may never have heard of, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Viewing quality is nearly seamless. As long as your internet is up your show will play. And if you have a 60-inch high-definition television, then it’s even better. One way to test this theory is to play a DVD of your favorite show, then switch to the instant queue. You’ll find that the sound is richer and the picture is clearer.
For those of you who like to work out and your computer isn’t in the ideal place where you can follow the moves, then the Netflix on the Wii will be your best friend. It’s great for trying out yoga or whatever you’re into, instead of having to wait two days for a disc.
It isn’t perfect. If a movie is under several categories you may not like the choices. In that case you can always go back to Netflix and rate them “not interested.†You won’t see it recommended again.
Overall if you already have a Wii and a Netflix account then this is the ideal situation for you. We must remember that there are still people out there who use dial-up and Nintendo knows their audience. So if you already have an X-Box 360 and you’re over-pained to walk two feet to put a disc in a slot, then this isn’t for you. However, if you have both, then order the disc and compare the features between the two. After all the disc is free if you already have an account.
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