When the iPad came out earlier this year, I didn't buy one but I did help purchase one for a family member. Being the resident geek in the family, I helped set the device up and one the first things I did was look for iPad compatible applications to play with.
One of the first applications I downloaded was the Netflix app, and I was very impressed with both the quality and performance of the streaming video. I use Netflix streaming at home via my Xbox 360 and a Roku box, and I was intrigued by the thought of mobile streaming via the iPad. Unfortunately, at the time, the application was only available for the iPad.
Today, though, Netflix released a version of the application that is compatible with the iPod Touch and the iPhone as long as the devices are running iOS version 3.13 or later. According to the press release, the application will support streaming over 3G in addition to WiFi. Unfortunately, with AT&T's recent bandwidth caps on the iPhone's data plan, it probably isn't a smart idea to use your iPhone to stream Netflix every morning on the bus ride into work.
The screens on these devices are small, but I've watched many shows on my iPod touch and when you are holding the display close to your face the size is acceptable. Another great feature is that Netflix saves your position in the video across devices. So, you could start watching a show on a Roku, watch another part of it via an Xbox 360, and finish it up on your iPod Touch and Netflix will maintain your position across all three devices.
One thing missing from the description of the application is whether it supports the AV cable kit that you can buy for the iPod Touch and iPhone. If it does, you could use the handheld device in order to watch Netflix streaming on a television. As far as I'm aware, only Apple's video player application uses the cable kit but maybe Netflix will support it in the future, or you could always jailbreak the device.
I tried the Netflix streaming app on a 3rd generation iPod Touch and was pretty impressed. In order to access your account you just have to login via your e-mail address and password. Once that's done you have access to your instant queue as well as the ability to browse media via genre, search for a title, and resume the last show you were watching. You can also add a show that you find to your instant queue if it's not already there. Unfortunately you cannot organize your instant queue from within the application.
The video quality looks great on the iPod Touch, and plays seamlessly. I watched about five minutes of an episode of Archer and didn't have any issues. I did, however, have an issue when I tried to play Wrath of Khan. The video got stuck looping on the first 10 seconds or so of the movie. A quick exit back to the queue and reload of the video appeared to fix the problem. I'm sure there are other bugs, but hopefully Netflix will fix those over time. All in all, the experience was pretty nice and I could see watching content on this device when a larger screen is unavailable. If anything, it's nice to have the option.
