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New Netflix Update Live On Xbox 360

Film buffs will be prompted to install a new Netflix update the next time they start the popular movie-watching app. Here's what's included in the new update.

Major Nelson is reporting that the latest Netflix update sports four new improvements:

  • New Skip Forward/Backward functionality will allow users to "move through movies quickly and between TV episodes easily." It also works with Kinect via voice and hand gestures.
  • An added zoom function that will show letterboxed content in full a screen mode. 
  • Improved color contrast and darker black levels.
  • Cloud profile support that allows you to watch Netflix movies on other consoles (only one at a time).

I jumped ship and started watching Netflix on my PS3 after the last horrible Netflix UI update, so it will be interesting to see if things have improved at all. The boasted Kinect functionality doesn't have me all that hopeful (though surely the stupidly large box art can't get any bigger, can it?), but better color contrast is always welcome.

Has anyone checked out the new update? Is it better? Worse?

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Comments
  • Awesome, good for Xbox 360 gamers. Dude, they need to make a Netflix update for the 3ds too cuz Netflix on the 3ds doesn't work that well either.

  • It worked better, I guess

  • It annoys me, it really does. I don't like how you can only do things like rate a movie, or browse a television series without activating the play function. Also I hate how the movie your cursor is on expands to a random useless image of from the movie, pushing all the others farther down and some out of view. I find myself actually clicking the bumper to go on to the next bit before I've really looked at all the ones that are there just to keep ahead of the expanding feature. If I want to know more about a movie, I can select it and go farther into it, you don't have to do it for me without me asking.

  • yea

  • yea

  • i cant tell the difference but it sux on my pc but i guess thats my pc's fault.

  • Give us back the Party Watch and then you'll make up for your wrong doings. Who's with me!?
  • Watched a film on it last night after the update and it's the first time it has stopped playing to buffer mid way through so worse in my experience.

  • Until they put back the functionality to be able to "start over" rather than forcing me to rewind the whole damn film, I really could care less. Also, why would they require you to START watching a series before you're allowed to choose what episode to watch. You're essentially starting a streaming session, only to browse the titles to be able to start another streaming session of the actual ep you wanted to see. I've hooked my PC up to the TV to watch netflix until they make that horrid UI more user friendly.
  • The skip forword function skipped from the beginning to the last few minutes of a 45 minute show. Can't I get a skip forward button that zips past the show's intro song?
  • I was trying to use the hand gestures with the new Netflix GUI but it can be a little harsh swinging your arm around trying to get it to swipe the boxs over to see the next set of movies, otherwise I really dont see a difference in it at all.

  • so cool :]

  • im interested in seeing what this is going to see how it looks

  • im glad they brought back the skip feature but i also wish they would bring back the feature were you could watch movies and shows with your xbox live party

  • Xbox Live is for gaming not movies and shows, not saying its a good thing to have on the system but its the only thing some people do is just be on netflix... its not what its about, this is the same way for PSN.

  • party watch is the only thing they need to add

  • what happened to party watch

  • would be great if some how you can watch anything thing you want like they advertise instead all the really god and some older movie you cant watch which is ve y annoying

  • I enjoy Netflix so to me not a real big issue, just as long as they keep with decent movies then it is all good.