In the battle of next-gen consoles, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 scored two big points in the brilliance column in 2008 in my book. First, the company teamed up with Netflix via Xbox Live to deliver movies and TV shows directly to users’ television sets. Then it dropped the price on its arcade version to a sweet $199.
If you’re wondering why I’m just writing about all of this, it’s because of the point Microsoft didn’t score in the brilliance column. Our second Xbox pretty much bit the bullet of death in 2008. You know, that flashing red light of doom that so many complain about. Well, we got it again. This, of course, meant we couldn’t take part in the Netflix service via the Xbox until we picked up a new console. This we did for Christmas after the price drop.
Now, let me tell you, this service boosts the Xbox’s functionality to a whole new level. Not only can you play games, chat with friends, watch disk-based movies, but now you can instantly watch tons of Netflix selections right away.
Having fallen behind on “Heroes,” we’ve been catching up on that thanks to the new service. So far, I have to say I’m impressed. The set up is fairly easy to tackle and the video quality has been fantastic on our system. My only complaint is with Netflix itself. The watch instant selection – the one that Xbox users can access – does leave a lot to be desired. It is, however, getting better all the time.
Don’t get me wrong, the Wii is a fun little machine. The PS3 has incredible video quality. But, the Xbox 360 is the machine that’s irreplaceable in my house. Its overall appeal has only gotten better with and the bang for the buck is amazing.
Good job Microsoft!
The Netflix site has a bunch of information on how you can get the 360 setup working on your system.
Related:
Xbox 360 Disc Replacement Plan Is Weak
Labels: microsoft, netflix, ps3, Wii, xbox 360
