Smart Glass doesn't require you to buy a new console that costs upwards of $300.
You can also get a larger screen with SmartGlass, if you're on a 7"-10" tablet.
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A look on Wii U Netflix: Gamepad destined to be your best movie companion ?
- Thread starter IdeaMan
- Start date
Smart Glass doesn't require you to buy a new console that costs upwards of $300.
You can also get a larger screen with SmartGlass, if you're on a 7"-10" tablet.
That doesn't really address seamlessly working as a companion. If you're watching a movie and you want to know who an actor is or where you remember them from you'd have to pause or stop the movie. With the Wii U or Smartglass it seems you could just look at the tablet screen, find the actors name and pull up a list of other movies or shows they've been in all while still watching the movie on the big screen. There's no need for an additional device and no need to actually look things up, the tablet is already synced with what you're watching and displaying related information.
No it requires you to have an expensive smart device and an xbox 360. We know nothing at all on how or if smart glass is even going to be supported by third parties.
Bluray porn makes this argument invalid.
The ipad alone sold, what, 40 million units in 2011? It's estimated to sell 50 - 60 million in 2012. That's ignoring all the smartphones. And the Android tablets.
50 - 60 million ipads alone in 2012. Think about that. And then consider how many Wii U's Nintendo is going to sell this year. A small fraction.
This isn't about requiring some expensive item that's a luxury to most. It's about supporting devices that are many, many times more popular than consoles. And doing it so people don't have to spend any additional money (since most already own something) and with a high quality screen that isn't feasible as a console accessory.
walking fiend
Member
1. So the first part of my question answer is no; you don't have a companion for Netflix without the GamePad.
GamePad switching is the resuming service made at the press of a button; resuming service itself is going to specific time of a stream made easier; it's taking the seamless playback to the ultimate point. Saying it's useless, is the same as saying resuming service is useless.
2. But still even more don't own it, majority don't own it in fact; unless you are arguing that everyone who owns a Wii U, each of their family member already have a tablet.
Plus, unlike tablets, Wii U is a 'family' device; Wii has been sold to 40m families and not 40m person (assuming houses with two Wiis are only a very small portion).
3. Wii U does a lot as the entertainment box put into your living room which is always connected to your TV which is probably you'll be using your TV.
This is the latest survey I found which I also put into the other thread; people using tablets to watch netflix? That's like a joke... It's either on TV or on PC.
Glad there's people who have iPads that sync info in real time a la smart glass, play >360 quality games (from Nintendo) and have a built in IR blaster. Must have missed that section of the Apple store when I picked mine up.
Having a second screen linked directly to the TV in both directions is obviously a better movie companion than a tablet that has Jo awareness of what's playing and requires you to find the TV remote. Jeez, even not having to find where the TV remote was left will make this worth gettin for me
Having a second screen linked directly to the TV in both directions is obviously a better movie companion than a tablet that has Jo awareness of what's playing and requires you to find the TV remote. Jeez, even not having to find where the TV remote was left will make this worth gettin for me
Agent X
Gold Member
Does Netflix on the Wii U actually allow you to do all of this cross-referencing? The interface shown in the OP resembles standard Netflix fare on most platforms, with a synopsis of the show. Again, not a bad thing, but nothing different than what you could already do with an assortment of devices on the market.
Why are people acting like this is somehow a strike against the Wii U? If it didn't have a Netflix app everyone would be saying "why the hell is there no Netflix lol stupid Nintendo" and if it didn't use the gamepad screen there would be complaining about that too.
Nobody's saying this is the most amazing thing ever omg Nintendo won next-gen confirmed. It's a nice app with good sensible features designed for the console's strengths and is a plus for people who already want to get a Wii U.
Nobody's saying this is the most amazing thing ever omg Nintendo won next-gen confirmed. It's a nice app with good sensible features designed for the console's strengths and is a plus for people who already want to get a Wii U.
I'm in the minority, but I'm looking forward to this. I currently use my PS3 and its remote for Netflix viewing. Using the Wii U's touch screen for navigation and control will be a big step up for me. I can (potentially) also look through my queue, search for other movies and other stuff on the game pad while my movie goes uninterrupted on the big screen. Using the gamepad to control the TV, switch between games, Netflix and other media all without getting up off my ass will be nice. Not worth buying the console specifically for that, but a nice extra feature for a console that you were buying primarily just to play games on anyway.
I don't think the fact that other devices can do the same or similar things negates the fact that this extra feature is nice to have, especially for those without those other devices. It's nice to have options. But I guess if it can be done similar or better elsewhere, why even bother giving it to your users? I swear Nintendo.. this fucking company...
I don't think the fact that other devices can do the same or similar things negates the fact that this extra feature is nice to have, especially for those without those other devices. It's nice to have options. But I guess if it can be done similar or better elsewhere, why even bother giving it to your users? I swear Nintendo.. this fucking company...
Thanks for the info. In the worst case, I guess it will be like the 3DS where some background processes can continue to run like those relating to the network. I do really hope that there will be some ability to go beyond that even if it isn't supported in every application, since the hardware design has the potential capability for such an advanced user feature. Tablets so far are still horribly lacking in multitasking (don't even need to mention game systems), there's room here for Nintendo to make a leapfrog attempt with the Wii U.
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Who buys consoles just for Netflix?
Some do, i bought my mother one for netflix and lovefilm.
bigtroyjon
Member
1. So the first part of my question answer is no; you don't have a companion for Netflix without the GamePad.
GamePad switching is the resuming service made at the press of a button; resuming service itself is going to specific time of a stream made easier; it's taking the seamless playback to the ultimate point. Saying it's useless, is the same as saying resuming service is useless.
2. But still even more don't own it, majority don't own it in fact; unless you are arguing that everyone who owns a Wii U, each of their family member already have a tablet.
Plus, unlike tablets, Wii U is a 'family' device; Wii has been sold to 40m families and not 40m person (assuming houses with two Wiis are only a very small portion).
3. Wii U does a lot as the entertainment box put into your living room which is always connected to your TV which is probably you'll be using your TV.
This is the latest survey I found which I also put into the other thread; people using tablets to watch netflix? That's like a joke... It's either on TV or on PC.
Your "latest survey" is 14 months and 10's of millions of Ipads old.
walking fiend
Member
That doesn't really matter, unless some behavioral pattern has changed; because even 100% increase in iPad active users would amount to only another 3%, unless for some reason the preference of iPad users extremely shifted to use Netflix on their iPads by something like an oder of magnitude (for example because the resolution of iPad was pretty low, or the service was shitty compared to the current offering, etc. - but I should note Wii which is used the most after PC, has only SD streaming)
Plus, it's not like consoles and TVs and PCs have suddenly stopped selling while iPad was selling.
This thread is amusing. I personally will find this extra, optional Netflix integration very handy. I can't judge everyone else's situations because people own all kinds of different devices, but I know that this would easily be the best Netflix companion I could have and I get the feeling that many people will probably feel the same.
The animosity towards the Wii U for giving you these options seems rather silly.
The animosity towards the Wii U for giving you these options seems rather silly.
*Raises hand* My relationship with girlfriend is better that way...leaves the bedroom for doing other stuff but sometimes I just want to watch a show for an hour before bed...
walking fiend
Member
what's baffling, is that people are comparing it against tablets, which apparently are the least used device for using Netflix by an order of magnitude [and doesn't offer the same functionality unless you have a fully working smart glass setup, or maybe apple tv, which is even more rare]
Of course the reason is pretty simple; the streaming cost for where there's no access to wi-fi is extremely high, and where there's a reliable wifi, people usually have access to better devices such as their TV, PC, Laptop, etc. This was a pretty huge issue until very recently; now at least it won't run at all instead of incurring cost.
Catchpenny
Member
Yep. Whenever I end up getting a Wii U, it'll be my living room Netflix device. I currently use the PS3 for this, but the Wii U implementation is superior. Using the controller to navigate menus is great, and I could see myself watching sports on the big screen, then watching a tv episode on the controller during commercials.
Edit: In regards to the above, I would guess a lot of people do not have a TV in their bedroom with internet access.
this.
01DragonFly
Member
awesome ,this is going to be an awesome feature . I usually watch something on netflix before going to sleep(do not have tv in my room or a tablet ).
Now I feel very sorry for anyone whose girlfriend/wife doesn't like to watch porn. We wouldn't move the computer out of the bedroom for anything.
While it's a nice option, what makes it automatically more ideal than a phone, tablet or laptop? I can get the that many would prefer the form-factor over a laptop for certain circumstances, but what about phones and tablets?
It has three fairly obvious issues that can limit its usefulness versus alternatives; 1) the battery life is low, 2) ED resolution, 3) must be within some limited range of the Wii U. That last part means you'll likely be required to be in or near the room while the TV is already going. While that fine in some situations, it's not exactly a robust solution.
Define 'proof of concept'? They had real app integration being demoed, and the API's/tools are in developers hands. Real world content is being made and some already exists.
Moreover, it's not like this came out of left field and is only some reaction to Wii U. It's actually the natural evolution of already existing MS products. Windows 7 has a thing known as 'Play To', which has many similarities to AirPlay (though is more robust since it does P2P not just client/server - and actually came out first IIRC lol). More pursuant to Wii U, WP7 has an app known as XBox companion that allows you to select media, etc from Live then remote control your Xbox to play it. It's a secondary screen that gives more info about what your playing and allows you to go search for more content without bringing crap up on the TV while it's playing. Regarding games, they released Halo ATLAS for not only WP7 but iOS and Android. It provides a realtime overhead map for Halo: Reach and Halo: Anniversary, showing spawn locations, health packs, etc.
So even if they didn't have the API's and tools ready (though they do), SmartGlass is really a combination and evolution of already existing products into a single logical feature.
You might want to actually look up what SmartGlass offers.
Unfortunately the Wii U Pad has a limited range from the console. Your house layout and building materials will dictate whether that is actually viable. The only way to guarantee it would be in the Wii U was already in your room. Which begs the question of why you would just be using your TV unless you share the room with someone.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
wait, are you serious?
All we know at this point is Wii U supports Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon (and we don't know what the specs are for those). You're actually going to argue that that plus a touch screen makes it one of the best set top boxes? wat
Many people do have internet access in more than one room. The thing with the Wii U though is the pad itself must be near the console. So yeah, it does beg the question of how useful this is versus alternatives. Obviously if one doesn't have a tablet, etc it's a nice bonus feature ... I just don't see it as a major selling point for most situations.
TouchMyBox
Member
So basically it's the same as what you've been able to do with XBMC and an iOS/Android device for years.
Pretty cool that this kind of thing is going mainstream.
Pretty cool that this kind of thing is going mainstream.
bigtroyjon
Member
Total Ipad sales are currently around 3x what they were when that survey was taken.
I wonder if movies like "The Human Centipede" would even show up in Miiverse, if this were the case.
Oh, and it does seem that people are forgetting that the uPad does have buttons to differentiate it from Smartglass.
me too
I don't think so. My bed is just few meters away from my TV screen in the living room.
we'll see how the range of the wii u will be.
Honestly, it seems that it's forbidden to just think about possible positive points of this new console, soemtimes...
I agree with you on most parts, but advertised correctly, a tablet that turn channels and use touch screen to navigate through movie databases is more appealing then using a regular remote.
Why dissect all those quotes to make your point as if they are wrong?
Are you basing that on fact or you're guessing? Source?
ThankeeSai
Member
Wow. Can't believe the negativity surrounding this feature. Yes, you could potentially do the same on your laptop, phone or tablet, but this is just another option for people that maybe don't have those devices.
Keyword here is *option*. If you can watch on your other device, brilliant. If you can't or don't want to, here's another option if you pick up a Wii U.
As someone else mentioned, Nintendo are damned if they do and damned if they dont.
Keyword here is *option*. If you can watch on your other device, brilliant. If you can't or don't want to, here's another option if you pick up a Wii U.
As someone else mentioned, Nintendo are damned if they do and damned if they dont.
bigtroyjon
Member
There is no negativity surrounding this feature. The title of the thread asks if this will be the best movie companion, that question is what is being discussed and why other devices are being talked about.
MikeE21286
Member
I have an iPad, So this will probably never be useful to me.
yea, i have a computer in my room so this feature is more towards casuals and just gimmicky in all intent purposes.
I don't have a netflix account, but i can most certainly see myself using a video game console I.E xbox 360 to show and present movies to family and friends without spending money on movies that's not on cable. Wii-U would be pretty fucking cool to navigate through a touch screen though. so whatever.
outunderthestars
Banned
Who doesn't have any of those devices and is going to run out and drop $300 - $400 on the most expensive console on the market?
I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to throw my ipad directly in the garbage. And If all games are able to be streamed to the tablet, I may even toss my TV. Add skype to this baby and I'm getting rid of my phone too. Wii U is really shaping up to be the only box you need.
walking fiend
Member
There is, because people are missing the point.
It is a 'companion' to the main device you use for watching Netflix, your TV. It is not meant to replace the TV or PC.
A tablet, unless you are under the very small minority who may use Smart Glass, etc.:
- cannot seamlessly switch to and from your main device, the TV
- Cannot be used in connection to what you watch on TV, as a controller or guide, etc.
- ergonomically is not as easy to hold as a GamePad
- is not an always available part of your living room and is a 'personal' device
---
what you people are focusing on, are quantitative details, like the resolution of the screen; however, advantages of GamePad are mostly qualitative (and I doubt any but a minority would want to watch Prometheus on the 10" of even iPad 3, regardless of the IQ and resolution)
As the only option and an isolated device to watch Netflix on, I believe there shouldn't much argument that most tablets will offer a better experience; just the same, as a companion to the living room experience, the advantages and intuitiveness of the GamePad should be clear.
ThankeeSai
Member
Not everyone has a smartphone, or laptop or tablet. Myself for example, I only have 1 of the 3 (a smartphone). So, my smartphone isn't charged, I want to watch a film in bed, my missus is asleep next to me. I now have another option to stream the film to the Wii U pad, plug in my headphones and I'm sorted.
Like I say, it's just another option.
outunderthestars
Banned
I imagine most people just don't view Netflix or a "Netflix companion" as a big deal. Hell, I just counted and I own 8 devices that can access Netflix at home.
As for being the best companion, it can't compete with a tablet, laptop, or smartphone because it cannot give more information outside of Netflix itself. What if I wanted to see a trailer from another film an actor was in? What if I wanted to hop onto amazon to price a blu-ray set of whatever I am watching? The Wii-U's capabilities are simply too limited to be considered the "best" of anything....
The thread isn't about the wii-u as "another" movie companion, but the "best" movie companion.
bigtroyjon
Member
Why would only a small minority use Smartglass?
The quotes I was 'dissecting' weren't simply talking about it being more compelling than a regular remote. I'm not trying to poo-poo the features, simply interjecting some reality into this thread.
We have people going into crazy land talking about how this will basically be as good as SmartGlass for media, and worse ... that this will likely be the best set-top box evar. It has some nice features, but there are tons of caveats with it ... and the features people are playing up have issues associated with them. Certainly these are nice features, but many of the ones people are going on about have some serious limitations that will prevent it from an optimal solution in most cases. Obviously if one doesn't have any of the alternatives though ... it's great that you can at least get some of this functionality.
It's funny you bring up changing channels though, as there's much more that I could dissect ... and that point illustrates one of the main limitations versus SmartGlass or even universal remotes in general. For the remote control, we are limited to what Nintendo designs. Unless something major changes, they aren't offering an API to develop these sorts of apps. It's gonna be a get what you get from Nintendo scenario. Do you expect their remote control will be feature rich? Will it support macros? Will it have programmable screen layouts? What sort of database do you expect they'll have for remote commands? Will it be easy (or even possible) to learn new commands?
It's these sort of realities that many people in this thread are disregarding. Sure it's better than nothing, but until we actually see the results there's little reason to assume this will actually be competitive with 'real' solution. Like everything I brought up, this looks to be a feature that will work in some situations, but not all and will have lots of caveats. It's like the guy talking about how this could be one of the best set top boxes. The problem is you're entirely limited to what Nintendo will offer themselves. For online services, that means whoever they want to contract with ... and what features you get will be more up to Nintendo then anything. Should we expect Nintendo will be as proactive getting service providers as MS and Sony? Then there's local content. Does anyone actually expect Wii U will have robust features and codec support? Not that 360 or PS3 are even remotely on the level of something like XBMC and its forks or Networked Media Tanks (Popcorn Hour, etc) and the like ... but there's nothing in Nintendo's history that points to it even trying to compete with the other console makers for this sort of thing. That's what makes some of these posts so crazy.
It's been discussed ever since the Wii U was announced. It's using what's basically a proprietary wireless HDMI ... and has a limited range. Just how limited (and how line-of-sight) it is isn't known at this point. That's why I stated it may not work. From the answers given last year though, unless things change it doesn't sound promising in terms of multiroom usage.
makingmusic476
Member
That looks awesome.
Wii U seems to be hitting it out of the park on the app front, but what about playing your own files? DLNA streaming? .mkv support? The PS3 does well with the former, but none of the consoles handle the latter yet (unless you use a transcoding app on your PC to stream).
If they can implement features like that, Wii U could be the ultimate media box after a full on media center PC.
Wii U seems to be hitting it out of the park on the app front, but what about playing your own files? DLNA streaming? .mkv support? The PS3 does well with the former, but none of the consoles handle the latter yet (unless you use a transcoding app on your PC to stream).
If they can implement features like that, Wii U could be the ultimate media box after a full on media center PC.