Nintendo 3DS Update Includes Netflix Streaming

[coolkirb]

If my future job involves heavy travel, I could actually see this as being useful.
While I know that several new phones/blackberries/etc carry similar features, I prefer to spare my phone's battery for business reasons (I've been burned before by abusing my phone's battery when on call. Trust me, it sucks).

Beyond that, I'm still going to have to give this an overwhelming

Spoiler: Meh

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

.

3DS has poor battery life. Maybe they should have said "Watch half a movie on your 3DS now and the other half after you recharge it".

Does it now? What's the current average battery life?

3-5 hours for a 3DS game. That would be with the 3D turned on I imagine. For Netflix the 3D would not be on but the Wi-Fi would.

well my 3ds lasts about 6-10 hours but I invested in Nyko's amazing battery, though I will say I think nintedo should have just made it the extra 1.5cm thikers in the first place to double the battery life, otherwise I am happy with my 3ds

 

[Epona]

If my future job involves heavy travel, I could actually see this as being useful.
While I know that several new phones/blackberries/etc carry similar features, I prefer to spare my phone's battery for business reasons (I've been burned before by abusing my phone's battery when on call. Trust me, it sucks).

Beyond that, I'm still going to have to give this an overwhelming

Spoiler: Meh

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

.

3DS has poor battery life. Maybe they should have said "Watch half a movie on your 3DS now and the other half after you recharge it".

Are most movies six hours long?

No. It was sort of a joke but really, the battery life on the 3DS is a joke making it less than ideal as media player.

 

[the spud]

I hope nobody tries to watch lawrence of arabia on that thing. Also, does this mean you will be able to watch movies, say, in the car? or are you required to stream it?

 

[TraumaHound]

While I could see the Netflix application having limited use in your home, it will be awesome to watch a show here or there while traveling or sipping an espresso at your local coffee shop - provided you can pilfer some free wireless internet. If the shop doesn't offer it for free, you can always hack into the local Starbucks network.

Not for nothin' but the WiFi at Starbucks is free and has been for years (granted, it's only been about a year that we've offered it without the ridiculous hoops we once required to access it.) No hacking necessary.

That said, I think the technology offered is cool but with the plethora of devices able to stream videos, be it cellphones or netbooks/laptops, I just don't see this as all that useful since it'd unlikely that one would be hanging out in a coffee shop with just a 3DS and not a laptop or some other hooked-up device that would offer the same functionality but in a better capacity (larger screens/longer battery lives/4G streaming vs wifi-tethered, etc.)

 

[samsonguy920]

Cool as this sounds, I am sure every optometrist in the country just got the googlywooglies over the money that Nintendo and Netflix is about to make for them.
There is no way I am ever going to watch a movie or tv show on a screen that small.
What is it with this sudden desire to put movies on a tiny screen? Give me the technology to project crystal clear video on my wall without thinking I should be wearing old 3d glasses for it.

 

[samsonguy920]

If my future job involves heavy travel, I could actually see this as being useful.
While I know that several new phones/blackberries/etc carry similar features, I prefer to spare my phone's battery for business reasons (I've been burned before by abusing my phone's battery when on call. Trust me, it sucks).

Beyond that, I'm still going to have to give this an overwhelming

Spoiler: Meh

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

.

3DS has poor battery life. Maybe they should have said "Watch half a movie on your 3DS now and the other half after you recharge it".

Does it now? What's the current average battery life?

3-5 hours for a 3DS game. That would be with the 3D turned on I imagine. For Netflix the 3D would not be on but the Wi-Fi would.

I bet WiFi sucks more power than the 3D-migraine-o-vision.

 

[Epona]

If my future job involves heavy travel, I could actually see this as being useful.
While I know that several new phones/blackberries/etc carry similar features, I prefer to spare my phone's battery for business reasons (I've been burned before by abusing my phone's battery when on call. Trust me, it sucks).

Beyond that, I'm still going to have to give this an overwhelming

Spoiler: Meh

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

.

3DS has poor battery life. Maybe they should have said "Watch half a movie on your 3DS now and the other half after you recharge it".

Does it now? What's the current average battery life?

3-5 hours for a 3DS game. That would be with the 3D turned on I imagine. For Netflix the 3D would not be on but the Wi-Fi would.

I bet WiFi sucks more power than the 3D-migraine-o-vision.

Yes, on the DS Wi-Fi would drain the battery pretty fast.

 

[Epona]

I hope nobody tries to watch lawrence of arabia on that thing. Also, does this mean you will be able to watch movies, say, in the car? or are you required to stream it?

You have to stream it, there is no way the MPAA would allow Netflix to save a movie to your SD card. So really, this seems pretty useless.

 

[Lillowh]

It's kinda cool but, whats the point watching it on eye-strain-o-vision when you need to be by a wireless connection?

 

[reciprocal]

If there's no video player then I will be sorely disappointed (yet again). Didn't the PSP come WITH a video player?

And for the love of technology, upgrade the browser because as it stands my cheapo android phone does a much better job with crappier specs. Alt tabbing, opening pictures in a window at sizes larger than 1MB and allowing us to save pictures in formats other than JPG.

I was real happy to get the 3DS but I'm still waiting for my faith to be justified.

 

[Double A]

In this day and age, that's like saying your system has the capability to play games.

 

[Treblaine]

But the 3DS screen in 2D move is the same resolution as a PSP screen and the same size too. That's not very conductive to good viewing quality, and if it is, it does beg the question to Sony why weren't they the first ones to do this on PSP? PSP has the screen and it has already demonstrated video streaming capability from the PS3 to PSP via the internet.

Kudos for Nintendo, but Sony has has no excuse.

But not that I care that much, netflix isn't available in the UK. I'm just worried at how this indicates Sony's eye is again not on the ball when it comes to providing network content.

 

[AbstractStream]

In this day and age, that's like saying your system has the capability to play games.

I was thinking the same thing there.
Nice, but not surprising. And certainly not enough to change my decision to buy a 3DS.

 

[pieguy259]

Super. I suppose those of us who aren't in the US and Canada will just have to keep legally streaming our movies using magic and pixie dust.

 

[GonzoGamer]

This is really cool for the 30 people in the world with a 3ds.
What about Netflix on Android?
How long do we have to wait for that to happen?

 

[OtherSideofSky]

Who would ever want to watch movies on the 3DS!?
There are already portable devices that can stream in higher resolution.
I guess it's a nice idea, but it seems kind of useless.

 

[Dirzzit]

Nintendo's lookin real good right about now.

 

[Alar]

If I had a 3DS, this would be pretty damn ideal. Videos and games? Pure win!