Netflix Support Discussion Thread

[Catmambo]

Hi

Just thought I would offer a bit of clarity around the Netflix discussion threads that keep popping up.

• Is Netflix coming to Sony devices?

Hopefully, no date confirmed as yet, but as you'd expect, we'd like to launch it on Sony Entertainment Network/BRAVIA Internet Video as soon as we can.

• Which devices will it be compatible with and will it be backported?

Not clear yet. We look to backport all services to as many devices as possible, but its not always technical possible to do. Whilst it is available on US devices at present, its not yet clear if Netflix would want to re-use the old interface or launch with a new interface, which makes things much harder to backport.

Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer below - mindful there are areas I cannot discuss with NDA's in place etc..

Thanks

Message was edited by: Catmambo

Message was edited by: Catmambo

[deanyork]

I still think two more weeks or more is still way too long for something vaguely hinted at. we all just want simple straight forward english plain answers to this growing pile of angry sony product customers who lets face it feel ripped off already by now any way. !!!  give us all answers and right now as we demand it so make it happen now to make amends or carry on loosing customers daily to your rival companies!!! We are not being dramatic or asking for blood are we so make our products do what they are designed to flaming well do!! and dont ignore us either with silence like cowards from your ivory empire towers built by our money to put you there!!  so grow some large ones and answer us straight.... what say any one else on here? ...

[wylddog]

i too am very very disappointed in sony with regards to this. surely since the sonyt tv's in the us already have this software it would be a simple case of porting it over to the eu versions? i bought this so called 'smart' tv so that i wouldnt have to keep using tons of stand alone players but now i can see that i wasted my money. god i wish i had saved a few hundred quid and bought just a normal tv and then gone out and used the saved money to buy a roku. im now even looking into subscribing to xbox live gold so i can simply do it on my xbox. while i have no real issues using a hdni cable anbd streaming it to my tv it does pose a problem when my daughter wants to watch cartoons on netflix (which she has now become accustomed to) and i want to play star wars online. get it together sony cmon

[dearg1]

SONY EXECUTIVES PLEASE READ

I remember a time in the not too distant past when family and friends would think I was mad at the premium price I had paid but also be envious and jealous of my collection of Sony AV equipment including topline DVD players , the excellent Trinitron TV,s ( 3 of them ) Home Cinema , minidisc players , VCR's , the list goes on .

Then Sony was probably the biggest and one of the most respected High Tech companies in the world , but alas complacency set in , hardware quality went down the toilet , I know I bought the disastrous KDL 40 W4500 TV for almost €1500 which is now used as a 3rd TV in a spare bedroom as it is almost unwatchable and I couldn't sell it even if I tried.  Then Sony became so obsessed with restricting their own customers that legitamately purchased their products from actually using them freely by inflicting the likes of the horrendous Sonicstage and DRM etc that they completely took their eye off the ball and allowed the likes of Samsung and Apple steal most of their TV and portable music player business , it is no wonder that Sony is now only a fraction of the size it was just a few short years ago , you appear to be fighting the tide  but unless you row in with what YOUR Customers actually want the same tide will drown you .

Now we have the latest saga of Sony's so called Smart TV services ahere onc e again you fail to give people want THEY want . I recently bought 2 Bluray players in the mistaken belief that maybe you had awoken from your slumber and what do I find , you give obscure services like Golflink, Billabong and that "Detective" channel. I live in Ireland , where is RTE, Lovefilm, Netflix ( yes that Netflix ) services , it has come to the stage where Sony is fast becoming a digital version of The Emperors New Clothes except nobody is laughing anymore.

As a lifelong fan of Sony and as sorry as I am to say it I have now made the concious decision as I am sure many others have not to purchase any more Sony products until you get your act act together. Please sort yourselves out both in the TV hardware reliability area and in the area of Smart services before you go the way of Betamax yourselves

[deanyork]

Well said... very well said. like the netflix points i mentioned in my posts sony need to remember WE Sony customers put you where you are! And like i said we not asking for blood.. just simply keep up with your rivals who find all this simple practice and respect their customers!! Sony...do the maths!!

[Catmambo]

Hi Dearg1

Just to clarify a few points here.Regrettably Ireland has very few TVOD aggregators & operators compared to the UK and as the market is much smaller,  its less attractive for service operators to launch into.

I think I mentioned in another thread that our own Video Unlimited will be launching in Ireland in 2H.

Lovefilm don't operate in the Republic of Ireland - http://www.lovefilm.com/visitor/home_noservice.html As they are a separate company to Sony, we have no control over the territories in which they operate.

RTE - Discussions have been ongoing with RTE for a fair while - you'll note we were the first platform to launch TV3 almost a year ago now. RTE are still trying to decide on what platforms to launch at the moment, but we'd love to work with them on delivering a service. I'm not sure if RTE are on other manufacturers devices already, but I suspect not.

Netlfix - As mentioned already, this is very much work in progress and we should have more clarity around devices and launch timings very shortly, however I genuinly appreciate your frustration.

Thanks

[caspermccormack]

No TV3 on SMP-N200!!

[Catmambo]

Should be, no reason why it wouldn't be there.. Have you updated the firmware? Maybe try doing that and re-setting the device and it should pop.

Thanks

[psiops]

my frustration needs more than understanding, my sony loyalty is about to completely leave me , i used to by all my gear from sony i had a playstion sony tv sony dvd sonyerricson mobile (i know before anybody points it out:)) now i have samsung mobile samsung tv ok i still have psp but didnt buy the ps vita after poor showing in japan mabe in the future , now i am thinking of getting a samsung blu ray allshare and netflix  leave sony far behind ,i will give it 14 days from today if no real news from sony about netflix back to the shop it goes.

[Colosolo]

It's really frustrating for the consumer to have to purchase different products for services.

Youvue is in the pipeline which I believe incorporates all ondemand UK channels (not films) so the nearest product that meets this currently is BT Vision and Virgin.

I don't want to have to flick between different products, it should be simple.

Btw Lovefilm is not that great, really disaapointed. I get more up to date films choices on BT Vision. I hope Netflix has more choice with current releases.

But I really hope the ambition from Sony  is to have a package of all the free ondemand channels - ITV, BBC, 4OD and Five within regions that have rights.  Plus a decent movies on demand service.

[Meemio]

I totally agree re. all the free on demand channels and switching between products. I currently watch LoveFilm on my Blu Ray (streaming or discs), Netflix on my Wii and 4OD on my laptop...!

By the by, I'm on a package with LoveFilm that sends out discs and includes streaming - if ever we want anything really new we have to get it on disc as opposed to streaming. I'm also currently using Netflix on a trial basis but have found their movie choice less current. They do however have some cracking TV shows that we're catching up on season by season (on the Wii..!)

If Sony don't sort something out soon and start meeting the demands of their customers it's inevitable we will go elsewhere - this thread is such a tiny percentage of those that have been annoyed enough to voice their opinion.

I was looking in to Google TV yesterday and guess what, it streams Netflix on.. wait for it.. either a Sony TV or a Sony Blu Ray player.