Hello and welcome to the official Netflix Blog! We the blog authors are various members of the Netflix team. We're also rabid movie fans. We hope this will be a great forum for us to talk about what we are doing, and for you to tell us what you think.
Millions of Netflix members use Nintendo’s Wii system to watch movies and TV shows. Nintendo products are popular with our members and today we are happy to announce that Netflix is available on Wii U!
The Netflix experience on the Wii U system was designed to take advantage of the console’s unique two-screen experience with up to 1080p HDTV and the Wii U GamePad for the best browsing and viewing experience.
When browsing, movies and TV shows and detailed information are shown on both the TV and GamePad so everyone in the room can see all of the TV shows and movies available.
Scrolling or browsing is shown both on the TV and GamePad. All traditional controls are accessible on the GamePad such as play, episode selection, rating capability, and add to queue. Key functions like Play are accessible by both touching the screen or using the buttons on the GamePad. At the bottom of the screen is the primary navigation which provides access to Search and Netflix Just for Kids.
The Netflix playback experience is unique on the Wii U as the TV show or movie is presented in high-definition (when playing an HD title on an HDTV with appropriate connections) while play controls (play/pause/stop, episode selection, play scrubber) and title information are available on the GamePad.
Exploring the show is very easy with GamePad and is reflected on the TV as you move across the timeline.
Another unique feature is the ability to play video on the GamePad for a personal viewing experience. In the main playback experience simply tap the play on GamePad button and playback switches to the GamePad with sound through the speakers on the GamePad or the headphone jack. You can easily switch back to playing on TV.
Accessible from the main navigation, Netflix search on Wii U has a full keyboard on the GamePad for easy text entry. All search interactions and results are presented on the TV in real-time. Results for TV shows, movies, actors, and directors are available.
Netflix Just for Kids is available from the main navigation. This enters the Just for Kids section with our character-based navigation and Kids “safe” search experience. The Kids experience is also presented in a coordinated way between the GamePad and the TV.
Netflix is available today on the Wii U home screen with the Wii U launch in the US and Canada. Netflix members can sign-in for full access. If you are not yet a Netflix member, you can learn more and sign-up for a free trial right on the Wii U.
Enjoy!
Chris
Chris Jaffe is Director of Product Innovation at Netflix where he leads our work on game consoles and mobile phones.
My two sons love watching shows they find in the Just for Kids section on Netflix. As a busy parent, I love that they can find great stuff to watch without my help. Now, we have made it even easier for youngsters to use this great section by making it available on Wii.
When you launch the Netflix app on Wii you can choose the Just for Kids section, letting the kids browse without worrying if they will come across content not intended for young viewers. Visit the Just for Kids section in the Netflix Wii app and you’ll find a world of TV shows and movies suitable for children 12 and under. With unlimited instant viewing my sons can watch as much Phineas and Ferb or Johnny Test as they want, without being interrupted by commercials.
David
David Watson is director of product innovation at Netflix, responsible for our family and kids stuff.
Jessie Becker here from Marketing and we’re thrilled to let you know that we are now shipping instant streaming discs for the Wii to ALL members who want one today! If you didn’t reserve a disc already, click here and we will ship you an instant streaming disc so you can instantly watch TV episodes and movies streamed from Netflix via your Wii console. All you need is a Netflix unlimited plan starting at $8.99 a month, a Wii console and a broadband Internet connection. What is the first movie you are going to instantly watch via Wii?
Jessie Becker here from Marketing and we’ve got some great news to share. We are in the final phase of getting ready for the launch of streaming to Wii. Today, we shipped out instant streaming discs for the Wii to some of our Netflix members. Their feedback will ensure that we deliver a great experience to everyone when we launch. Instantly watching movies and TV episodes from Netflix via Wii will be available soon at no additional cost – all you need is a Netflix unlimited plan starting at $8.99 a month, a Wii console and a broadband Internet connection. If you have reserved your disc already, you don’t need to do anything - we will send you an email as soon as we ship the disc. If you haven’t, reserve your disc today at www.netflix.com/Wii and stay tuned for a launch announcement!
This is Greg Peters, VP of product development at Netflix and we’ve got good news for fans of the Wii! We are excited to announce that you will soon be able to instantly watch movies and TV episodes on your TV via your Wii console. The Wii is about to join the ever expanding roster of Netflix ready devices that allow Netflix members on any unlimited plan to be able to stream movies and TV episodes whenever they want, as much as they want, all included in their current subscription. If you are a Netflix member, have a broadband Internet connection and a Nintendo Wii then you will be able to instantly watch thousands of movies and TV episodes starting this spring on your Wii!
