Filed under: Multimedia, Video, Internet, Internet Tools
Netflix Streaming officially comes to the Mac
Update: As the commenters have noted -- this service is currently only available for US customers. I truly apologize for my US-centric slant.
Last month, Netflix finally started to roll out its Watch Instantly service to Mac users. You needed to opt-in to use the feature, but it was available for those who wanted to access it. Today, Watch Instantly is available for Mac users without having to opt-in -- as long as you meet the minimum system requirements (Intel Mac running OS X 10.4.8 or higher, and at least one GB of RAM).
Watch Instantly is a great way to catch up on a movie, TV show or documentary without having to wait for the movie to come in the mail. You don't get the extra features or super surround sound, but it's fast, the quality is good and it is free to use. If you have a Netflix Unlimited plan, you can watch as many movies a month as you want. If you have a limited plan, the number of films you can stream is also limited.
You can access Watch Instantly from the tab on the main Netflix page and browse through the selection of movies and TV shows. You still need to install the Microsoft Silverlight plugin, if you don't already have it installed. Watch Instantly works in Firefox 2 or higher and Safari 3 and up.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Brian said 10:07AM on 12-04-2008
Wow great news....ohhhh wait only 5% of THE WORLD can watch this... maybe not so great then.
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Brian said 10:09AM on 12-04-2008
This is what the headline should have been dear Christina
"Netflix Streaming in the USA officially comes to the Mac"
Christina Warren said 10:11AM on 12-04-2008
Apologies Brian -- I put an update at the top of the post.
Brian said 10:13AM on 12-04-2008
Thank you Christina, you are a star (albeit with questionable taste in tv shows)
Christina Warren said 10:27AM on 12-04-2008
Hey, we all have our vices. One of mine just happens to be cheesy teen dramas. Don't hold it against me ;-)
doug said 11:41AM on 12-04-2008
We are obviously the 5% that matter. Ha! I do not know what you are apologizing for, the headline was perfectly fine. Brian needs not to be so sensitive.
Jon Niola said 10:09AM on 12-04-2008
lol Christina I never took you for someone who would be a 90210 fan haha
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Christina Warren said 10:15AM on 12-04-2008
Brenda + Dylan 4Ever!
:-)
Jam said 12:25PM on 12-04-2008
I wish they had Netflix in the UK. I would use it constantly.
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1WayJonny said 11:32PM on 12-05-2008
is this winmaclin?
Josh said 10:16AM on 12-04-2008
Actually, this is what the headline should have been...
"Netflix Streaming in the USA officially comes to Intel Macs"
-
Too bad for me all 3 of my Macs are G5s.
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Christina Warren said 10:26AM on 12-04-2008
Yeah, that's a bummer -- too bad they use Silverlight in that regard.
Bob S. said 10:27AM on 12-04-2008
It's thrilling to know that some UK readers are as entitled as their whiny American counterparts. You're reading a US site, ferchrissake. You're presumably intelligent enough to understand the iron grips of DRM that every little bit of entertainment is wrapped in. You should be able to put it together to understand that "in the US" is the default for every single posting here, and if it isn't, they're intelligent enough to let you know otherwise.
(DIdn't TUAW actually have a writer in the UK whose job was to let UK readers know when something actually applied to them? What happened there? Maybe one of these whiny readers can take that over. Oh, wait... they have, and for free.)
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Josh said 10:53AM on 12-04-2008
a US site? does it say ANYWHERE that this is the Unofficial North American Apple Weblog? I don't think so.
Bob S. said 11:50AM on 12-04-2008
John, you aren't just whiny; you're working too hard at being whiny. The correct question is "Where is there any indication that a site written by U.S.-based writers about a U.S.-based company is global in scope?"
TUAW's very good about mentioning when news *does* apply outside the U.S. So if it doesn't mention that, readers outside the U.S. reading articles about U.S. companies providing services that could only possibly apply to the U.S. can safely assume that they aren't included.
colouroflight said 10:33AM on 12-04-2008
Ewww, Silverlight.
And for those complaining because they're outside the US, Transmission+any given torrent tracker is your answer. As a bonus, it's DRM-free!
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Bob S. said 11:51AM on 12-04-2008
Er, Josh. Sorry; I knew that -- but my boss John stopped by as I was typing.
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hank said 12:26PM on 12-04-2008
They chose to do it using Microsoft's Silverlight and that's enough to keep me away.
I'm sure it'll be a big boom for the proliferation of Silverlight though.
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alex cutter said 2:45PM on 12-04-2008
The word is "boon", but what would you expect from someone that thinks that all Microsoft products are icky.
Jon said 12:34PM on 12-04-2008
I'm confused. Does netflix deliver outside the US? Does netflix streaming on windows work outside the US? I'm not being sarcastic,btw.
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