Netflix Gauging Interest In an iPhone App 121
Posted
by
kdawson
from the coming-to-a-small-screen-near-you dept.
from the coming-to-a-small-screen-near-you dept.
gollum123 writes "A new survey sent out to Netflix subscribers indicates that the iPhone might be the next device that its streaming service rolls out on in the coming months. (The NY Times credits Hacking Netflix for the tip.) According to a tip sent to Hacking Netflix, the subscription video company is now asking users how likely they would be to use an iPhone app to view movies via its online streaming service. According to the survey, an iPhone app would give users all the same functionality that they have when streaming on a PC or other device, including all the same movies and TV shows without advertisements or trailers. If the app is rolled out, the ability to watch on the Apple mobile device would be offered at no additional charge to existing Netflix subscribers. There is good news for AT&T implied in the survey questions: it appears that the app would require users to be connected to a Wi-Fi network."
Why not an app that is platform neutral? (Score:3, Insightful)
Wi-Fi somewhat defeats the point. (Score:5, Insightful)
If you're at home, you've got a bigger screen. If you're at work, or a McDonalds/Starbucks/whatever, you probably won't be watching movies. I can see some applications for this, but not being able to use it outside a hotspot certainly hobbles it.
On the other hand, I'm sure a lot of AT&T customers won't complain, as US cellular bandwidth is already spread thin.
Am I the only one? (Score:4, Insightful)
But what I don't understand is... the media is really putting out the impression that everybody wants to consume TV/movies/books on miniscule screens like the iPhone. Even on an airplane I think that'd get tedious quickly. And I've seen nothing to indicate that the iPhone is competent to deliver video on that scale, even over wifi (if you're on a plane that's serving wireless movies, how busy is that wifi?). Oh well, at least Netflix has the sense to gauge how big the market is.
Can the iPhone battery even make it through 75 minutes of video + wifi?
Maybe this is all really for the iPad. That would make more sense.
Is NetFlix big enough to avoid the fickle banning? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why not an app that is platform neutral? (Score:2, Insightful)
I can tell you from experience that they all have vastly different SDKs and writing for a mobile platform requires some thought to efficiency so writing an interface class isn't always an option.
Re:Hey, Morons (Score:4, Insightful)
How about you go 5 seconds without having mindless drivel streamed into your fucking brain?
I would if you'd post anonymously!
Re:Am I the only one? (Score:1, Insightful)
David Lynch said it best...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3201497/david_lynch_iphone_commercial/