Sony gets Netflix streaming...for Bravia HDTVs

Ever since Netflix video streaming came to the Xbox 360, Microsoft has been touting it as a major advantage over its competing consoles. However, recent months have seen rumors of the DVD mail-rental company's online arm coming to both the Wii and PlayStation 3.Today, Sony announced that it has...

Ever since Netflix video streaming came to the Xbox 360, Microsoft has been touting it as a major advantage over its competing consoles. However, recent months have seen rumors of the DVD mail-rental company's online arm coming to both the Wii and PlayStation 3.

Today, Sony announced that it has struck a deal with Netflix to enable streaming its some of its high-end electronic devices. Unfortunately for many gamers, the contraptions in question do not include the PS3, but rather a range of the company's high-end Bravia HDTVs. According to a report on GameSpot sister site CNET, the XBR9 series, Z5100 series, and W5100 series of Bravias will all be updated with Netflix streaming software this fall. Other Sony HDTVs can access the service by buying the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link for about $200--or just pay $99.99 for a Roku set-top video player.

Speaking with GameSpot, Sony declined to directly comment on the prospect of Netflix streaming on the PS3. Instead, a rep offered the following blanket statement on the console's non-gaming entertainment capabilities:

We are always looking for ways to enhance our video entertainment offerings through PlayStation 3. Currently, our video download service, available through the PlayStation store, boasts over 1,900 movies and 9,000 TV episodes, making it a leader in the field. We have established content partnerships with industry leaders such as MTV, Comedy Central, Spike TV, Starz, Showtime, NBC, Universal Pictures, Nickelodeon and VH1. All of this is in addition to PS3's Blu-ray movie playback capabilities, streaming video capabilities through PS3's built in Internet browser, and its full suite of game offerings makes PS3 the ultimate entertainment machine for the home.

121 Comments

  • Clive-Owen

    Posted Jul 15, 2009 3:55 am GMT

    sony rocks,

  • Clive-Owen

    Posted Jul 15, 2009 3:49 am GMT

    sony rocks,

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Jul 14, 2009 10:52 pm GMT

    Sony and Samsung use the same screens, its simply the firmware that seperates the two, in addition to Sony 'Fine Tuning' their units to work better with other Sony products.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Jul 14, 2009 4:40 pm GMT

    Samsung is doing the same thing now, except with Blockbuster online streaming on their HDTVs, and their TVs are beter

    Sony better be careful or Samsung might undermine Sony and ask Blockbuster not to allow Blockbuster streaming on the PS3, and Blockbuster might actually listen since Samsungs are selling much better than Sony HDTVs

  • linkspetdragon

    Posted Jul 13, 2009 3:28 pm GMT

    Feryl: that was already addressed in that Microsoft has essentially the same thing with movies to download through its Video Marketplace. To that you emphasized that Sony has its own studio. Its studio has no bearing whatsoever.

    terpriders: I'm confused, are you talking only about Netflix's instant watch service? Because for disk rentals you can rent new releases and blu-ray. 99% of the disks I get from Netflix anymore are blu-ray...which happen to also be new releases. I dig Netflix over going to the video store because if you watch a lot of movies, you actually save money paying $17/mo for 3 rentals and free instant view over renting the same number of movies each month. Granted, if you only watch a few movies here or there, renting from the video store is cheaper.

    For me the instant watch service is just a bonus...but it is still nice to watch those movies on my TV rather than have to sit at the computer. It would be nice, though, to be able to do this through my PS3 so I could drop my gold membership. Netflix is about the only thing my gold membership has been good for lately as most of my buddies play online games on PS3 instead of 360.

  • Glade_Gnarr

    Posted Jul 13, 2009 12:59 pm GMT

    Holly crap! Since when can you update your TV?

  • shammo99

    Posted Jul 13, 2009 7:51 am GMT

    Australia - nothing. Come on.. get ya act together Sony and release a PS3 streaming app. IF Xbox can do it, u can.. Just stop being LAZY!

  • feryl06

    Posted Jul 13, 2009 5:01 am GMT

    linkspetdragon---I am referring to the fact that SONY and Netflix are both doing the rental/streaming services and nothing else. They are both similar products that in business terms, you do not place under one roof. Yea, Sony makes movies and they offer other studio films, but still, it's a streaming rental device that Sony wants its consumer to use, NOT someone else's streaming device. Just think why they would want competition with their profit?

  • Beastcake

    Posted Jul 12, 2009 6:28 pm GMT

    Yeah, who can afford a Bravia?

  • lhscouchmonster

    Posted Jul 12, 2009 5:08 pm GMT

    red box costs a buck

  • terpriders

    Posted Jul 12, 2009 3:02 pm GMT

    Netflix does not offer new releases or blue-ray video. Why would I want a service that has older movies that I most likely own or won't watch? Downloading full HD takes up bandwith and time. It is easier to just rent a blur-ray movie, but many people want the convience of staying at home I guess.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Jul 12, 2009 1:24 pm GMT

    That's all very well Mr Company Rep but over here in the UK we have nothing like our US brothers. Not a single movie on our PSN whereas XBL has plenty. Talk your way out of that one you arrogant twit.

  • edscma

    Posted Jul 12, 2009 8:45 am GMT

    Well XeonForce i have both 360 an Ps3 on psn you can rent about 4 movies with a 24 hour viewing window for about $16 But on 360 with netflix u can instantly watch about 5,000 movies and have movies come in the mail for $16. I currently have 265 movies an tv show in my netflix instant que anything from Barney an wall-e for my kids C.S.I an law an order for my wife and movies like Hancock an heros for me some in HD then u also have rental purchases from xbox live also.

  • jrabbit99

    Posted Jul 12, 2009 7:38 am GMT

    we want PS3 not a Bravia

  • Petercairns

    Posted Jul 11, 2009 7:30 pm GMT

    Not for the Wii!!!!

  • Petercairns

    Posted Jul 11, 2009 7:30 pm GMT

    NOOOOOOO!!!

  • DFBTG

    Posted Jul 11, 2009 7:49 am GMT

    Well that kinda blows. I honestly wasn't even aware that you couldn't stream netflix movies through the PS3 until I tried last night (and as such, I ended up playing the Bomberman demo for a few hours). I do hope that soon the PS3 can stream netflix. Then again, isn't possible to install an OS that is compatible/allows a web browser that is to installed? Granted I think that's too much time and effort (and space), but that's just me. However, at least they're attempting to take a chunk out of MS. How well it'll work though...

  • linkspetdragon

    Posted Jul 11, 2009 6:45 am GMT

    feryl: Your Pizza Hut/Dominos analogy makes no sense whatsoever. Netflix and Sony Pictures are apples and oranges. They just don't do the same thing at all. Sony Pictures produces movies. Netflix is a DVD/video rental company.

    Even if your logic is that Sony doesn't want to offer rentals of other studios' movies, that logic is flawed. Unless you are trying to tell me that all movies available for download on PSN are Sony Pictures films. Which they're not.

    XeonForce: why? because with netflix you can pay a low rate to rent as many dvd/bluray as you want as well as stream tons of great movies over the net. renting movies from PSN gets expensive quick if you watch a lot of movies.

  • gnrlstuart

    Posted Jul 11, 2009 5:29 am GMT

    does anyone have enough bandwidth to stream uncompressed 1080p? thats why ps3 has blu ray, because its quicker, easier, and technically robust.

  • anzelm

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 10:25 pm GMT

    Will the video downloading service via psn ever hit Europe????

  • XeonForce posted Jul 10, 2009 8:33 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    XeonForce

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 8:33 pm GMT (hide)

    I can already buy and rent movies on PSN, why do I need Netflix?

  • feryl06 posted Jul 10, 2009 3:37 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    feryl06

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 3:37 pm GMT (hide)

    Hey THCGamer, MS DOES NOT OWN MOVIE STUDIOS---that's the BIG difference between MS and Sony. MS promotes netflix cause they don't have a movie/tv streaming device, on the other hand, SONY has their own brand/division of movies/tv. Imagine for a moment if the PS3 was Pizza Hut and it opened up a restaurant and it set up a corner space for Dominos Pizza (netflix). It just wouldn't make sense for the PS3 to have a competing streaming media device in its home. MS, like I said, doesn't have one so they readily promote netflix. Hope that clears it up for ya.

  • sobleck

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 3:25 pm GMT

    I stream HD stuff through the ps3 media browser, but here in the uk i don't even have the PS3 download service, so that pisses me off. I wouldn't mind netflix either, i'll have to check to see if that works on my browser, but then again if they fo something like they did with yourtube to make navigation easier that would be pretty cool also.

  • discjockey14

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 2:46 pm GMT

    Netflix instant queue is great! We can start with the timeless classic Shrooms. Who doesn't enjoy your classic low budget horror movie that's too good to make it to the movie theater and where does it end up? Right in your instant queue! That's just one of the many movies you've never heard that'll be available to you on Netflix, instantly! Not to mention the history channel, you can watch documentary, after documentary, after documentary, after documentary of your favorite... well documentary of... history... Well I'm sure there's someone out there that likes history... somewhere... Oh and the quality is amazing*! *amazing quality only for programs in HD (Shrooms happens to be the only movie in HD right now) and if you're internet connection is equal to that of T1 (or faster)

  • TheTHCGamer

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 1:40 pm GMT

    @feryl06 so does microsoft you can order movies from LIVE and you also have the option of using neftlix. quit making excuses sony just needs to get there act together and implement features like netflix for there PS3 consunmers. its just going to give people another reason to be happy with there PS3 purchase. i love my PS3 but having features like netflix is only going to help with the online PS3 experience.

  • Arkady_Husky

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 1:22 pm GMT

    Makes sense. The PS3 is far from 'high-end'.

  • Icehearted

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 1:09 pm GMT

    ...and without having to pay for a gold subscription. I like where this is going.

  • Kleeyook

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 12:25 pm GMT

    Don't care! I won't use it anyway. I bought my PS3 for gaming purpose only.

  • joevit

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 9:30 am GMT

    @ps3loverr. LOL. like they should have used a better video card, more ram, and lower the tag. But best buy has a good deal going on. you get MGS4 and KillZone 2 with a 80 gig PS3. Sounds like a good deal to me.

  • bowlingotter

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 9:27 am GMT

    @tony382 Completely agree. When buying my last TV, it only took a glance to realize that I didn't want a Sony, even after I was pretty sure I didn't want one when researching specs ahead of time.

    This is just another wrong step.

  • pablo091377

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 9:13 am GMT

    Once again... I bought my PS3 to play games not to watch movies. MS can have all the cutesy casual minded crap that they want. Especially since MS has announced that they are devloping retail ads for other companies that will be integrated into the gaming experience (ie ads during load times etc.) I have never been more comfortable with my decision to purchase a PS3. Enjoy your ads and netflix... maybe they can even incorporate a toaster while they are at it... perhaps even a drink dispenser

  • squidracerX

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 8:56 am GMT

    Netflix will show up on PS3 sooner or later, but I wouldn't use it anyway, I don't watch the free Netflix on my computer now, so I doubt i would on my PS3 either. i certainly don't download their movies on PSN, I buy hard copy DVD or play downloaded DiVX on my usb thumbdrive.

  • klugenbeel

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 8:48 am GMT

    MS is not going to let Netflix make it to the other consoles. MS doesn't sell TV's so they could careless about this.

  • gotflow

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 8:37 am GMT

    hell noooo, there way to $$$....who will get a Bravia for this ? when I can buy a $199 360 and have it instanly.....Sony just doesn't get 1 right.....

  • zero_cool098

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 8:25 am GMT

    its funny how this news is titled. It is also very unproffesional

  • bigmouthkid

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 8:23 am GMT

    great news.

  • haed34

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 7:55 am GMT

    PlayOn for all your console streaming needs. It does have some bugs from time to time at least for me. But still totally worth it.

  • Dead_or_Alive

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 7:24 am GMT

    Come on Sony, Microsoft needs some competition so they can get better too!

  • Poppy425

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 7:19 am GMT

    I have been watching Netflix on my PS3 for months now.. And Hulu. Just use Media streaming software on your PC.. I use Playon .. it was 40 bucks and works great.. There are other programs like Orb to stream media to the PS3 too.. Don't have to wait for Sony to make a deal.

  • slice_of_cheese

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 7:17 am GMT

    ps3 sucks? i think different

  • division_9

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 7:16 am GMT

    @Rhystic1

    Not low enough to be forgotten or acceptable.

  • fl4rty

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 7:11 am GMT

    @cl0ud
    i think your confusing quality with value for money

  • Cl0ud

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 6:53 am GMT

    yeah ps3 sucks. they wont get netflix.. sonys tv's were the best for a long time also the most expensive, honestly all their hardware usually costs the most but WAS considered the best. this is no longer true but like people say samsung is probably the best now. LG is catching up quick for a newer company. i dont kno if the venture thing is true but it doesnt change the fact that statisitcs show samsung selling better now and of being better quality

  • noheartsniper

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 6:49 am GMT

    this sucks even though i live in canada and i dont get movies or tv shows.... but i guess thats the way life goes

  • jon46410

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 6:07 am GMT

    U know this is all BS, Also I wana know who is stupid enough to buy/rent from the PSN network. Each show/movie has an additional price, sure if u watch 1 or 2 a month but Netflix is the better deal. I have a 360 and use my netflix allot but I still want to see it for PS3 and Wii.

  • bit77

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 6:00 am GMT

    For those of you who don´t know, Samsung and Sony produce their TVs together through a joint venture. So the panels are exactly the same. The only difference is design and the software.

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