Bob, Barney, Thomas and Angelina are back in Canada (after a very short absence)

I know you missed some of your favorite kids' characters while they were away from Netflix in Canada for a few days but now they're back. As we were renewing our license to stream Thomas and Friends, Barney, Bob the Builder and Angelina Ballerina they went away for a few days. All's well now because we've renewed those shows so you can watch them again right now.

I'm Jason Ropell, Vice President of Content at Netflix and I apologize that these shows went away without warning. I hope that over the last few days you and your family were able to enjoy some of the wide variety of other great kids' TV shows and movies on Netflix. But I do know what it's like when your kids can't find their favorite show, so I'm happy to say if Bob, or Barney, or Thomas , or Angelina are your kid's favorite…they are back!

Holding Out For A Hero: New Films In Canada

When Bonnie Tyler sang about holding out for a hero, she could have been referring to any one of the stars featured in our upcoming movies in April and May.  Over the coming weeks, the mutants of “X-Men: First Class,” the robots of “Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon,” the Norse-folk of “Thor,” and the shield-holder of “Captain America” will all be making their Netflix debuts in Canada.  The fighting bear of “Kung Fu Panda II”, the jouster of “A Knight’s Tale”,  the pilot of “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” and the spies of “Charlie’s Angels” will also be joining us this Spring.  So enjoy the kicks, explosions, and broken lances … and know that you won’t have to hold out for a hero for much longer. 

Erik Barmack, Director of Content

TEDTalks Collections On Netflix

The most significant and remarkable adventurers, thinkers, leaders, artists, performers, icons and educators have been gathering every year since 1984 and challenging one another to share the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less.  Hand-curated collections of these masterful, inspiring and thought-provoking TEDTalks are now available to our global streaming members.

The initial offering of Netflix TEDTalks Shows include:

Beasts, Bugs & Bio-wilderment Beauty & Fashion: Beneath the Skin Deep Building Wonder Chew On This Crime & Punishment Cyber Awe Defying Disease Icons It's (Not Just) a Guy Thing Power Shift Sex, Secrets & Love Smart Laughs Space Trek Video & Photo Mojo

Enjoy!

Lisa Lisa Nishimura, VP content acquisition for independent studios

Netflix "Just for Kids" Now on PlayStation 3

I'm very happy to announce the latest release of Netflix "Just for Kids," now on the PlayStation 3. Whether you are a kid in age or a kid at heart, you will love our new section on the PS3, designed specifically for kids with content appropriate for those 12 and under.

Parents and caregivers, you can unleash your kids in this section of Netflix and not worry about titles that could be inappropriate. Our "Just for Kids" section was such a hit on the Web site, Nintendo Wii and Apple TV, that we have now added it to PS3.

Since we first launched "Just for Kids" as a dedicated section on Netflix.com in August of 2011, Netflix members have watched more than one billion hours of kids titles. That's a lot, considering that all of those hours are commercial free, as always on Netflix.

We hope you and your kids really enjoy Just for Kids on PS3 and stay tuned for more Just for Kids news.

David

David Watson is director of product innovation at Netflix, responsible for our family and kids innovations.

New Netflix Support Site

Netflix members, we are excited to announce the recent launch of the New Netflix Support Site   This will be the definitive source for finding answers to frequently asked questions and resolutions to known issues.

For example, let's say you are having Silverlight problems, but aren't exactly sure what to ask.  You can simply type in 'silverlight' and be presented with a result set that can then be narrowed down.

Or, simply use Google and then go directly to the resulting article on our site.  The example below is a more targeted query.

Clicking on the top result will take you directly to the answer,  Connect Apple Mobile Device to your Netflix Account

In the upcoming weeks and months, we will continue to add to and update this Knowledge Base, as well as provide a simple mechanism for feedback on article relevance.

-- Mike D. Kail,  Vice President of IT Operations

Integrated iTunes Sign Up & 1080p HD On Apple TV

We’re always looking for ways to make the Netflix experience simpler and better. Starting today, you can sign-up for Netflix directly on your Apple TV and pay via your iTunes account. Plus, with the new third generation Apple TV, you’ll also be able to watch thousands of hours of great movies and television streaming on Netflix in 1080p high definition and with room-filling Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

Now, with a software update on your Apple TV, this seamless sign up and billing experience extends to the second generation Apple TV. The new sign up and payment experience on Apple TV is available wherever Netflix is, including in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Bill

Bill Holmes is vice president of business development at Netflix

Inspiring. Joyful. Furry & Red…

We are excited to bring "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” to our US members. Click and instantly watch to explore the fascinating true story of a boy’s destiny to become the voice of the world’s most lovable Muppet. Look out for more great documentaries to be available soon on Netflix.

Lisa Nishimura, VP Independent Content