A $99, No-Frills Player from Netflix

Seeing is believing with the video-rental company's foray into hardware, in partnership with set-top box maker Roku

by Cliff Edwards

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Movies delivered to your set; excellent picture quality

The Bad: No high-definition choices; few new releases

The Bottom Line: An excellent low-cost video download service

Reader Reviews

As I watched the first few minutes of a TV program on the new $99 Netflix Player, I grew worried that the DVD rental service had gotten something horribly wrong with this foray into Internet video downloads.

The player, Netflix's (NFLX) first stab at consumer hardware, was designed in partnership with set-top box maker Roku. I had fired up the first episode of Sleeper Cell, a cable series about terrorists plotting on American soil, and watched the first minute in dismay. The picture was so grainy it made me wonder how both companies could be confidently predicting they would compete with the likes of Apple (AAPL), TiVo (TIVO), and Vudu, whose elegant video-streaming boxes have been on the market for some time.

After that first minute, though, I became a believer. The box stopped the stream for about a minute as it optimized the picture based on my Internet connection and setup, then came back with a picture so crisp and clear that I practically cheered. The video looks to be about DVD-quality, though it may have been helped somewhat by a new Samsung high-definition television that does a decent job of up-converting images to the set's native 1080p resolution.

Setup Is Quick and Simple

After about a week with the Netflix Player, I came away convinced that despite certain flaws, this device is the first to deliver a truly enjoyable digital download experience with none of the preconditions and expense that have discouraged consumers from embracing these products.

Upon taking the remarkably compact device out of its box, setup was quick and simple. With your purchase, you get a component cable with red, white, and yellow connectors that works well with older analog televisions. I used a spare HD multimedia, or HDMI, cable to connect the box to the HDTV.

To use the service, you need a relatively fast broadband service. You can connect the box to the Internet using either your Wi-Fi wireless router or an Ethernet cable. I recommend the hard-wired connection to avoid the occasional wireless interference, which is no big deal with Web browsing but can easily mar a video.

You Must Subscribe to Netflix's Movie Plan

Anyone familiar with Netflix will be familiar with the player's on-screen menu, which mimics the company's Web site in graphics and design. You need to activate the box via the TV with a five-digit code that you get from your account on the Web site. While the download service is free, you must subscribe to one of Netflix's unlimited movie-rental plans, which begin at $9 a month.

To get started, you go to the Web site on your computer and choose the movies and TV shows you'd like to watch, placing them in your "Instant Watch" queue. Netflix has thoughtfully upgraded its site to let you search for content that is available for download, narrowing significantly the list of more than 100,000 titles currently on offer for mail-order rental. You can even search for a particular genre, such as action or comedy.

Back on the TV, you simply press the home key to reach your list using a compact nine-button remote control that borrows a page of simplicity from Apple. You use left and right buttons to scroll through the DVD cover art. To refresh your memory about why you chose a particular title, you can press the select button and view a story synopsis, the leading actors, director, film rating, and running time. Using the up and down arrows, you can rate the video or remove it from your queue.