NetFlix for the Wii

I received my streaming NetFlix disc for the Wii on Saturday and wasted no time throwing it in and giving it a spin.

When the disc loaded I was presented with a simple activation screen. I just had to write down a short code, go to the NetFlix website and enter it in under my account to activate viewing on my Wii. The website said the process would take 2-3 minutes, but by the time I walked from my bedroom to the living room the Wii was ready to start watching movies.

First impressions:

The interface is very slick. I love the way it shows the cover art for the movies, and hovering the pointer over the art displays the title of the movie at the bottom of the screen. Clicking on a movie brings up a short description of the film and the ability to watch it or add it to your queue.

You can rate the movies through the Wii interface, which is nice.

Your instant queue appears on the Wii, and additions to your queue from the Wii also show up on your computer.

There was one glaring omission, however. There is no ability to search for movies, and that was a let down. You're confined to their top picks in each category. If you're looking for something specific, you'll need to login through your computer and search for it, then add it to your instant queue.

Now the most important part of all: quality! The quality is great. Now I don't have a fancy HDTV, just a 2 year old 32" CRT square television. I watched a couple of documentaries and it was like I was watching the History Channel live.

The streaming was quick, and abilities to skip around in your movie is quick as well. You have the ability to scroll through thumbnails of your film to find the scene you want to watch. You can also use the seek bar at the bottom to click on the time elapsed you want to start viewing from.

All in all I am extremely pleased with what NetFlix has brought to the Wii. Anyone with a NetFlix account and a Wii, be sure to sign up at NetFlix.com/Wii to get your free disc and take advantage of this ability. You won't be disappointed.