I know a few people out there who have taken the plunge and canceled their cable, now relying on Netflix as their main source for entertainment. Now that Netflix has a streaming-only plan, there are sure to be more people going in this direction. With that in mind, here are 4 quick tips to get the most out of your Netflix subscription.
1. Follow @queuenoodle to get automated updates on Netflix instant movies that are about to expire. The one problem with instant streaming on Netflix is that that movies can and do expire. Queuenoodle's tweets even include star ratings so you know which movies to skip.
2. Hack your Netflix queue to upgrade your disk plan for free. We covered this recently on how to upgrade your disc plan for free using a method that is completely legal by Netflix's terms of services.
3. Useful keyboard shortcuts while watching instant on your computer:
- Space – Toggle Play/Pause
- Enter – Toggle Play/Pause
- PgUp – Play
- PgDn – Pause
- F – Full-screen
- Esc – Exit full-screen
- Shift+Left arrow – Rewind
- Shift+Right arrow – Fast Forward
In full-screen mode:
- Ctrl+Shift+Alt+M – Menu<
- Ctrl+Shift+Alt+C – Codes; frame rate plus other info
- Ctrl+Shift+Alt+D – Display A/V Stats on-screen
- Ctrl+Shift+Alt+L - Logging window
- Ctrl+Shift+Alt+P – Player Info
- Ctrl+Shift+Alt+S – Stream bit rate and manual rate selection
4. Netflix Remote Control Secrets: Tech of the Hub came up with these tips for watching Netflix on your Apple TV:
- While watching a show or movie, hit the up arrow twice on the remote. A TiVo-like channel banner will be displayed. This banner displays a thumbnail of the show, description and rating.
- Clicking the remote's down arrow displays a progress bar with hash marks added in. It breaks up the program into twenty sections of equal length. For a regular US TV show, it results in a skip of two minutes and a few seconds. For a two hour movie, it's a six minute skip. By hitting the left or right arrows on the remote, one can jump between the increments. Very convenient as a quick way to get to your favorite scene.
- Holding down the "Menu" button on the remote exits from any portion of the Netflix player and returns to the top ATV menu.
(Top Image: Flickr member Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar licensed for use under Creative Commons.)
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A lot of people might not know, if you have a wii, ps3, or xbox 360, you can stream netflix with all of these devices. just download the app, channel, program for it.
my biggest tip, just get a great device to play it on your tv. I used the wii for awhile. It was ok since it was all I had, and i love using the wiimote to point at the screen etc to select movies, type on searches etc. I recently got the samsung bd-6500c blu ray player. I miss the wiimote but everything else is great. Plus you can stream HD (ps3 and xbox do this too) which looks great.
My tip is to check out www.instantwatcher.com for all things Netflix streaming. They'll tell you what's new, what's old, what's popular, what's highly rated...and the information is searchable in some really interesting and flexible ways. I check it daily.
I tried the keyboard shortcuts - they didn't work for me. I'm using a PC w/Windows XP.
1. I have a Roku player and I love it. (Same concept as @jmorey's comment above, different option.) Video quality same as DVD (which I did not find streaming videos on computer), functional remote, very fast navigation through Watch Instantly queue. Can't recommend highly enough if you don't want to get a dual-purpose machine (Wii, DVD player with that capability, etc.).
2. FeedFlix is an app with both free and pay versions (I think the annual fee is like $9) that allows you to get max value out of your Netflix subscription. The free version can download your Netflix data once/week (pay version has instant-update frequency + more functionality) and it'll show, among other data, your cost per movie with DVD only and including WI movies and how it compares with other users. Great app avail on web.
On a slightly related note - can the ever-helpful and knowledgeable AT community help me with this? - I want to be able to watch Netflix streaming, Hulu etc on a decent flat screen monitor rather than a TV. Is that possible? I just don't want to have a TV b/c it makes me lazy :)
I watch Netflix on the Wii via the Netflix channel. It really couldn't be easier. I still get the DVDs because their choices for instant viewing is still pretty limited.
I think the best way to get the most out of the subscription is to actually watch the movies. How many of us know someone that cancelled their membership because they didn't like the hassle of being on a schedule to watch a movie? My dad hated having to deal with a queue that may not match up with what he wanted to see at a particular moment. I think the watch instant option is helping those people but until they get the entire catalog (including new releases) there are still going to be people that think it's a waste of money because they don't watch the movies.
I agree with Kittie... would love a good suggestion about how to easily watch net-streamed video on a large flat panel monitor (not tv). I guess I'm looking for a simple, functional & aesthetic option.
Kittie- right now, I have a large monitor on my desk. I place my Macbook next to the monitor, connect it to the monitor and some speakers, and then stream Netflix or put in a DVD. It's ok, but I feel like there are a lot of wires, and it's not the ideal setup. I'd like to get a larger monitor (maybe wall-mounted?) and be able to watch from my couch, rather than my desk chair :)
I watch those things on my 27' iMac and my office space is in my bedroom. True, I bought it for legitimate work reasons (lots of real estate for photoshop etc). I enjoy watching my shows and movies on it in bed.
Yes, Beachychic, you are so right! - it's not that you can't watch streamed video on a monitor, you just can't do so wirelessly or nicely, or for more than one person!! Help us, AT techy people!
The answer is to get an external player to do netflix/hulu. Now here is the big problem, Hulu+ is relatively new so finding a player that does it AND netflix might be tricky. I personally love my Samsung Bluray player because they have been good about updating it with new streaming clients, and it has a similar Netflix UI to the PS3 which is the best UI out there next to the xbox360's. It lacks Hulu+ support at the moment though.
I would keep a lookout on something like the Western Digital TV Live or the roku. Both are very small which makes them easy to tuck away.
As far as hooking them up just get an HDMI to DVI converter if your monitor lacks an HDMI input.
Why is QueueNoodle getting so much press? It's been around for a little over a week and has an incomplete list of expirations. (I can see at least 4 more on my list that they haven't tweeted)