Netflix Downplays HD Streaming Importance for Wii
Netflix is keen on supporting Nintendo's console, and doesn't see the lack of high-definition support as an issue. A recent TheWiire interview with Netflix VP of Corporate Communications Steve Swasey shows the company echoing many of the comments Nintendo representatives have already made about the feature disparity -- and even going a little further. "The vast majority of content that is available for streaming through Netflix is not HD content," said Swasey. "So, there is really no loss for the Wii consumer." He adds that the company doesn't think it is "a deterrent for Wii families." You might notice this sounds very similar to comments from Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.
But Swasey makes even bolder statements about the importance of HD streaming and its current application. "PS3 and Xbox users have 1 in 17 titles available in HD, and it's streamed in 720," he said. "It's not in 1080, and it's not in 5.1 surround sound or anything. So the HD experience at Netflix Instant Watching isn't that overwhelming. It's a little bit underwhelming. So the Wii folks aren't going to miss that much."
It's certainly odd to hear a company spokesperson speak with such frankness about their own product, but Netflix seems bullish on their partnership with Nintendo. As Swasey pointed out, "26 million homes in America have a Wii, that's a whole lot of folks." We know that many of those homes only own a Wii, as the console has gained mainstream momentum and adoption rates. For those people, standard-definition Netflix streaming is better than nothing, and the company is banking on Wii support being among their most successful partnerships.
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