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July 31

Netflix, Hulu, and more on Nintendo Wii via PlayOn

I just watched a Netflix Instant Watch movie on my Nintendo Wii.  Don't believe me?  Here is the video evidence:

I am accomplishing this with MediaMall's latest version of their PlayOn media server.  PlayOn is a program you install on your PC that transcodes video from various online services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, and CNN and streams it to your DLNA-compliant device, including the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.  I have been using it with my PS3 and it works great, but Engadget leaked today that beta Wii support was added so I had to give it a try.


It all runs through the Wii's Opera web browser and uses Flash to play the video.  You go to a special url which redirects you to the server at http://192.168.1.xxx:54478/.  I went to this address on my PC and was able to see the same interface (which is how I got these screenshots) but was unable to play any video on my laptop.

It takes a little while for the page to initially load, but once you get going the interface is quick and is very polished.  All the information about the videos you need is accessible, and I found it much easier to use than the PS3's generic DLNA media browser.  The videos started quickly but the quality was not that great.  It probably looks fine on a standard-def TV, but on a HDTV you really notice the compression and low resolution.  The video quality on the PS3 looks much better in comparison.

So if you have one of the latest gaming consoles and are looking for a Roku Box alternative, then I suggest you give PlayOn a try.  There is a 14 day free trial, then it's $39.99 to purchase.  Here is a video of the 

Now if you excuse me, I just noticed that Netflix put Dexter back up.


Filed under  //   netflix   video   wii  

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June 2

E3 '09 Press Conference Round-Up

This week is the biggest week of the year for gaming news.  E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo is where all the big players reveal their latest innovations and big-name titles.  It wouldn't take much to beat the 2008 E3.  Last year was a dud, as the big announcements of the 2008 were an Apple-like interface (Xbox 360), Animal Crossing (Wii), and movie downloads (PS3).  The press conferences of 2009 did not disappoint...

MICROSOFT went first and took direct aim at Nintendo with Project Natal for Xbox 360.  Instead of just using simple controller "waggle", Microsoft claims to be able detect full 3D motion without the player needing to use any kind of device.  Add in voice and facial recognition, and Project Natal sounds very very impressive.  A little too impressive.  Note the small text in this video: "Product vision: actual features and functionality may vary"
I can't find any technical info on how this actually works, but assuming this technology is as accurate as they claim (even supporting multiple users at once), it could have huge implications on more than just games.  Gestures could be added to all kinds of devices.  I will wait until I see some detail though, because if it is just a 2D camera and some smart software, I seriously doubt it will be as accurate as they portray in the video.  (On stage it had a few... issues).  Some notable Microsoft game announcements were Left 4 Dead 2, Forza 3, Halo 3:ODST, Halo:Reach, Alan Wake, Metal Gear Solid: Rising.  Xbox 360 is also getting on the social media bandwagon and adding support for last.fm and Facebook.

NINTENDO was next up.  Reminding everyone that they began the motion-revolution, they began by showing a new Wii Sports "Resort" and a new Wii Fit "Plus" which will take advantage of the new MotionPlus adapter that arrives next week.  Nothing else was really new on the MotionPlus front, but they did show off some "regular" big-name titles...  New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the biggest surprise to me.  It looks just like the NSMB on DS, but now with 4-player co-op.  I really wanted to like the first NSMB, but it was a big disappointment.  Hopefully this new new super mario bros will be done right and the added co-op won't make the whole thing just a party game.

Other big game announcements were Super Mario Galaxy 2 (which I believe is the first time a Mario game has gotten a direct sequel on a console reusing the same engine) and Metroid: Other M which looks like a impressive mix of Super Metroid and Metroid Prime.  You can check out photos and videos on the Nintendo E3 site.  Surprisingly, the recently released DSi got very little attention.

SONY got the final word, and ended the series of conferences with impressively.  Continuing with the motion-trend, Sony revealed their new wand-device that looks like the most accurate motion-controller yet.  It uses the Playstation Eye camera similar to how motion-capturing is done for films.  The result is true 1:1 movement.  Check out the on stage demonstration which was much more believable to me than that Project Natal witchcraft:
(and part 2)

Sony also demonstrated major support for the PSP handheld.  The PSP go was officially revealed...  a slim disc-less PSP with a 16GB harddrive that runs downloaded games and videos.  Along with a ton of big-name PSP games: Little Big Planet, Gran Turismo, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed, and a new Metal Gear Solid.  As for PS3 games, nothing too unexpected... except for Final Fantasy XIV Online (yes, that is number 14).

Motion-control was the theme of the year now that Nintendo has proven that it is a legit money-maker.  My only gripe is that Microsoft and Sony announce things that we won't see until next year at best.  Nintendo's technology may be becoming quickly out-dated, but it is here now and developers have already been creating games that use it.  Overall it was a great showing from all three companies.  Microsoft had the most impressive show, Nintendo had the best game announcements, but I think the winner is Sony thanks to a great motion-tech demo and big support behind portable gaming.

You can watch the full press conferences at Gamespot.  E3 '09 is only just begun, so expect a few more surprises throughout the week.

Filed under  //   gaming   ps3   wii  

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