Netflix CEO joins Microsoft board
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Mar 27th 2007 at 10:15PM }
Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings, the man who changed the way America rents movies, joined the board of directors at Microsoft. There is no further announcement beyond this simple, but possibly monumental, change to the Microsoft board. Microsoft has been getting into video downloads with Xbox Live, now combine that with the brand power and ethos of simplicity behind Netflix, and you've got yourself, well, we don't know ... but it brings us one step closer to an all-in-one box for our television.If Netflix service were incorporated into the Xbox 360, it would change the way we rent movies once again, and be a Halo-level killer app. for the console. As long as the Xbox 360 continues growing its potential, but doesn't lose sight of its gaming core, we'll be fine. We cross our fingers for a Netflix related announcement before 2008. Consumers rejoice, this could lead to good things.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Haloaded @ Mar 27th 2007 11:10PM
Apparently there will be two announcements over the next 48 hours from Microsoft relating to the Xbox 360. It is a little too soon to think that they may have a deal with Netflix, but it would be sweet if something is already in the works.
http://on10.net/Blogs/larry/breaking-two-exclusives-in-two-days
Ryan J. @ Mar 27th 2007 10:24PM
This could be REALLY big...
Kcx2233 @ Mar 27th 2007 10:28PM
another reason the 360 elite is definetely comin out
JesseJames @ Mar 27th 2007 10:37PM
This is nowhere near as juicy as Apple and Sony being chummy chummy with apple having more sony content available on Itunes.
OSX on a Sony Vaio or PS3 IS COMING SOON!!!! Apple Itunes access is free, Sony Playstation Network free;
Will playstation home be able to access the Itunes music store for music and movies as well as Sony Connect?
Myeh! Netflix and Microsoft; that just makes netflix more wack. In fact, I'll celebrate this news by opening up an account at Blockbuster.
TravistyOJ @ Mar 27th 2007 10:50PM
Gimme a Netflix blade!
jake @ Mar 28th 2007 6:53PM
this could be huge imagine the possiblity of a monthly subscriton to download every movie on netflix to watch whenever you want instantly streaming an hd movie to your harddrive all for only one monthly fee instead of paying 3-8$ for a one time rental this could be the most impresive step towards eliminating all hard media except for hardcore nonadaptive sonyfanboys
J8675309 @ Mar 27th 2007 11:00PM
Netflix rocks,
that is all.
Measure @ Mar 27th 2007 11:06PM
Netflix blade? Yeah, that would be all well and good, but I'd rather have a Gamefly blade. I'm sure MS would much rather have my 22 bucks a month than let me keep sending it to a third party.
Just let me download and delete my games instead of mailing them and letting me return them.
Killer @ Mar 27th 2007 11:10PM
Jeesejames. The content isn't going to free, so what does a free network mean for any of that? NOTHING God, the itunes store is free to access on pc, you have to pay for the damn songs. You also forget how apple works, no matter what they love them royalty fees. Steve Jobs has to make money somehow, (besides the ipod) Oh yea, the HOME thing for apple seems like the perfect place for the fees that apple likes to do.
Back, to the reason why I wrote a comment.
The netflix seems like a brillent move, because microsoft doesn't have to rely on the movie stuidos themselves, all they have to do is use netflix, In other words all of sony's movies can come to the video marketplace, making HD content more abundent and pretty much every movie out there. Just imagine, Casino Royale in HD on the 360 marketplace. Kinda makes the format war seem pointless. I see great things from this little move. I give them props on this one. I rarely do that.
ez054098 @ Mar 28th 2007 12:22AM
@JesseJames
You do that and have fun with the late fees.
JesseJames @ Mar 27th 2007 11:19PM
See how many movie studios will pull out when their bottom line is being cut into. Sony and all the other backers of blu ray can easily pull out.
The potential for 100,000,000 blu ray players out there can not be overlooked by ANY movie studio!
You also have the cable and satellite companies (IN EVERY HOME)with their pay per view offerings and deals with the movie studios.
NO ONE LIKES THEIR BOTTOM LINE CUT INTO! This could be the worst move Netflix ever made!
Looks like someone needs to email these companies to let them know about this blog post.
BYE BYE NETFLIX!
bootsielon @ Mar 27th 2007 11:20PM
Sony will never support it. On the other hand, all studios (except sony) will probably support both platforms. Guess which consumers will buy: The one with all content, or the one that lacks some of the content?
bootsielon @ Mar 27th 2007 11:20PM
Oh, and good luck to all those HDMI-less Xbox 360 users (myself included).
Adam @ Mar 28th 2007 2:12AM
That's all well & good, but from my experience, Netflix, well, sucks. Okay, they're not all bad, but I left them for Blockbuster Online, and I haven't looked back. Much better service, and with BB's "Total Access", returning online rentals to the store for free rentals (including new releases) doubles my movie rentals.
This would be a great thing for Microsoft & Netflix, no doubt, but for people like me who no longer support Netflix -- it's not so good. Maybe Sony will get with Blockbuster... never know.
Killer @ Mar 27th 2007 11:35PM
JeeseJames, you forget money controls movies. Now seeing that less the 5% of the population are actually (fighting/know about) BR and HD DVD. It wouldn't be a smart thing to pull out of the biggest movie rental company. Seeing that 95% of the population still rent normal DVDs. Also Jeese, I want to point out this is AMERICA, competition is LEGAL. The Hd format population is sooo small. Movie studios bucks aren't in the format fully(unless your sony because your ass is riding on it), 98% of the profit from movie sales in stores are normal dvds.
@bootsielon
I know what you mean with the HDMI, but hey studies have shown and I have even seen it, 1080i and 1080p really aren't all that different to the human eye.
Killer @ Mar 27th 2007 11:41PM
Also do you realize Jeese, that 100,000,000 bluerays for the world is a really small number (world population 6 billion or so.) If your talking about America, damn when did the masses start caring about the format war. oh wait, they haven't! Stop drinking the sony koolaid. It can help you see the world for the way it is.
SpasticColon @ Mar 27th 2007 11:50PM
That's spooky. From a Nov. 2006 post that I made:
"I love my xbox 360 but think that the Video Marketplace is going to bomb. While the idea is fantastic, the implementation is horrible. Finding movies using the xbox dashboard is horrid- it certainly does not seem scalable. Browsing 42 movies online is fine, but what happens when that number exceeds 100? It would only make sense if you knew exactly which movie you were searching for. If you wanted to just browse for movies, good luck. If they had something like Netflix- that would be a different story."
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/24/video-marketplace-hurting-microsoft-aware/
JesseJames @ Mar 28th 2007 12:16AM
@ Killer:
There is/are lots of money to be made with over 100,000,000 blu ray players that also happen to play DVDs in the market place or 100,000,000 consoles that have a free network to take advantage of for music and movie downloads.
Microsoft can't touch that!
Forget about it if Apple and Sony continue to chum around! Apple's Music and movie downloads are earth shattering! If Sony taps this market it will absolutley be a force to be reckoned with.
All Microsoft has to show for potential is the sales of it's original xbox (24 million) and only 10 million xbox 360s. Combined for 34 million it's only one fourth of total PS2 sales over 115,000,000
and 1/3 of PS One Sales @ 102,000,000. These are numbers that gaming, movie or music companies cannot ignore!
The 360 is going nowhere just like it's predecessor who died miserably against the ps2. 24 million to ps2s 111+ million.
Sony will be the determinant in where this market goes. 220,000,000 in console sales is a great number to throw at anyone!
Measure @ Mar 28th 2007 12:31AM
Problem with a Netflix blade is that Netflix doesn't own any digital distribution rights. They found this out back in '05 when they signed a deal with TiVo. They ended up not being able to do anything, and now TiVo signed a new deal with Amazon, which does have some digital distribution rights.
So a Netflix dashboard blade is unlikely to materialize.
ez054098 @ Mar 28th 2007 12:36AM
@Measure
That information is completely false.
Mephistopheles @ Mar 28th 2007 6:24PM
Killer-app? They are making an application? How do you substantiate this claim?
atsui @ Mar 28th 2007 5:06AM
"Sony will be the determinant in where this market goes. 220,000,000 in console sales is a great number to throw at anyone!"
Companies have done great on a product, and then on latter products flopped. Sega anyone?
JesseJames @ Mar 28th 2007 10:48AM
Let me make a correction:
Sony has sold 240,000,000+ consoles and handhelds!
Microsoft 33,000,000 ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny Hundo @ Mar 29th 2007 1:54AM
The only way this news excites me is that it may be the beginning of NetFlix offering games alongside movies.
What ALL of you have missed is that Netflix is not in a partnership with Microsoft. The FOUNDER of Netflix (who is a smart guy) - joined the board of Microsoft. All that means is that he is there to help guide the company with a collection of his peers. Look around at some of the board of directors at any large tech company and you'll be astounded at the cross pollination...
Most likely he is joining the board due to his media distribution experience - and experience dealing with the studios.
Netflix already does digital distribution via their site. I recently watched Jackass... Maybe its a beta feature - but a buddy definitely has his account with access to it. (Mine doesn't as I do the 4 dvd's a month plan).
Anyway - all I hope is that Netflix starts doing games.
-Hundo