I received an email from Netflix this morning indicating that because I was a Netflix member I could now download unlimited movies from their website. Interesting. What was even more interesting was that this would be in addition to the movies I already received via mail. I have the 3 DVD subscription to the service paying $16.99 a month.

What really interested me was how good would the service be? Could a broadband connection really play movies well? What about software? What would needed to be installed?

I went to the Netflix site and learned that my Firefox browser was a no-no and that I would need to use Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher. I also needed to upgrade my Media Player to version 11, needed some added security updates and also the Netflix software of some kind. After installing and getting the updates I was ready to proceed. I should also note that I have a cable connection at 3MB and was also using my laptop in my living room via a wireless connection. My wife wanted to watch the new American Idol and quite frankly I can’t take the BS of watching any more untalented singers. So it was a good time to try streaming video from Netflix.

I tried Letters From Iwo Jima, The Good German & The Italian Job. All of the movies played perfectly. There were no hiccups of any kind. Here are the system requirements needed:

System requirements:

• Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher, or Windows Vista
• Internet Explorer version 6 or higher
• Windows Media Player version 11 (DRM version 5145) or later
• An active broadband connection to the Internet
• 1.0 GHz processor
• 512 MB RAM
• 3 GB free hard disk drive space

This is the future of media rental. No waiting in long lines. No disappointment because a new release is not available. No waiting for DVD in the mail. Plus no DVD’s that are damaged and can’t be played. I really like this type of service and will be using it in the future.

Commenst welcome.

[tags]netflix, dvd, rentals, download, streaming, video, media player, software, service,  [/tags]