Silverlight Download Link

[wowwee123]

date Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 1:09 AM
subject Silverlight Download Link
mailed-by netflix.com

hide details 1:09 AM (7 minutes ago)


Reply


Dear,

Thank you for contacting Netflix.com customer support!

***NO REPLY REQUIRED***

Netflix has introduced a new movie player based on the Microsoft Silverlight technology. In order to use the Netflix Watch Instantly service, you will need to have the Silverlight plug-in installed for your browser. We are excited about the enhanced viewing experience for our customers using this new player and have discontinued support for the current version of the movie player. If you are new to Netflix Watch Instantly or are encountering issues with the existing Netflix movie player, this message contains reference information on how to get started on the new player experience.

Step by step instructions:

1. Go to the opt-in page (http://www.netflix.com/silver)
2. Read hardware requirements and conditions and click the "Get the new player" button
3. Browse to the Watch Instantly tab, select a movie title, and click the play button
4. Click Install Now to install the Silverlight plug-in (if you have not already installed)
5. Congratulations and enjoy your movie!

If you need further assistance with installing Silverlight, please follow the links below:

MICROSOFT:

* Product: http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight

* Support: http://support.microsoft.com

Our Customer Service representatives are available at 888-638-3549. You may also visit our online Help Center at http://www.netflix.com/Help where you can review a wide range of commonly asked questions and take actions to update your account or report an issue.Thanks,

[wowwee123]

This email was sent to me a few minutes ago. If you are not able to watch instantly, then this might help you.

[MachZero]

They're just now sending that out? I was told weeks ago that the old player was discontinued by a CS rep over the phone when I called in about technical issues with the new player. It would seem they have subsided and hopefully are a thing of the past but for a few months I was extremely annoyed with netflix's new players and the lack of help for it. Perhaps with this email going out it is a sign of better things to come in the support area if there happens to be future technical issues. I can say I do like the look and functionality of the new player better than the old player, especially now that I'm no longer having any problems with it.

[Bill Welch]

"Enhanced viewing experience"? You've got to be kidding! Like many others who've made the mistake of switching to the Silverlight player, I'm deeply disappointed and regretful, since Netflix (NF) makes it quite clear that there's no turning back... absolutely no option to return to the nearly-flawless Windows Media-based player I once had. Now Instant Watch movies are, as many have noted, extremely choppy, particularly in full-screen mode. Initially, my main problem was accessing the NF instant watch network or getting Silverlight to work at all. NF's seemingly cavalier attitude about all this is astonishing (it's really your tough luck if you can't get anywhere with their tech support help or Microsoft's). And since NF provides no support for the player itself (Silverlight is Microsoft's brilliant creation) it's all too easy for them to shuffle you off to an MS support person. Following is a message I recently sent via Microsoft's Silverlight forum, and as you might be able to tell, to date I am thoroughly unimpressed with both MS's and NF's level of expertise or knowledge about this "new & improved" technology:
"Perhaps you could assign someone to read your own Silverlight forums. After hours spent on the phone with Microsoft, Netflix & my ISP (Time Warner) I was unable to resolve the problem... yet resolved it after a fairly short examination of Silverlight forum responses and comments. Microsoft should be more than a little embarrassed that the solution was so simple...right under their own noses. Yet both they (i.e., you) & Netflix alternately suggested that I disable my antivirus & router/firewall, all of which had nothing to do with my problem. I have access to the Netflix instant watch network now, but no thanks to any of the tech support people I spoke with. Granted, they tried to help and were courteous, but in retrospect it seems that they didn't have a clue. FYI, the 'simple solution' I referred to is: go to browser tools, options, security, & add Netflix to the "trusted sites" on I-Explore and/or Firefox entering "http//*netflix.com" rather than "https//..." None of the support folks suggested doing that."
But my frustration didn't stop there; even though I can now access the NF network and enable Silverlight, the video quality of Instant watch movies is completely unacceptable & substandard, and because of that I'll probably cancel my NF subscription (but not before getting my 2 cents'-worth in). It is unconscionable that in regards to Silverlight NF is abandoning those customers who are experiencing problems like mine and putting the ball back in MS's court. But we're paying NF, aren't we? Or does NF only care about Mac users (for whom Silverlight reportedly works like a charm)?

[wowwee123]

Silverlight player options for Netflix

Can only be activated while not in full screen, but can be also be viewed while in full screen

CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + B - Bandwidth history

CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + D - Stats about the current download

CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + M - Diagnostic information - click the various options for more choices

CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + P - Player Info

CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + S - Gives you the option to choose the stream

[Bill Welch]

Thanks for the hotkeys (or whatever you call them). I had a little trouble getting some of the info/stats to stay on the screen but managed to get down some of that information. You obviously know more about interpreting these numbers than I do, so could you clue me in as to which stats are most significant in determining the source of the video problems I'm experiencing? Netflix tech support seems to think that it's all about the ping rate, which I feel has already been disproven. I did notice one anomaly re my browser: under Player Info/Browser Info, it shows that I'm using IE 6, but I'm not... I have IE 7 installed (if that makes any difference). Thanks again for the useful information. WW

[wowwee123]

Have you tried using Firefox?

[Bill Welch]

Yes, I tried Firefox once I was able to get back on the Netflix network, and the video quality was no better than it was on Internet Explore.

[wowwee123]

Have you tried Firefox recently since you've had this issue with explorer?

[Bill Welch]

I tried Explorer first & then tried Foxfire, hoping for a better result, but didn't see any difference in video quality (poor) between the 2. I then returned to Internet Explore because it's my browser of choice. The video quality issue began the moment I opted for Silverlight over the supposedly-inferior Windows Media-based player. I should have left well enough alone because with the old player I had experienced very good to excellent video quality. I'm kicking myself now because according to Netflix there's no turning back. FYI, I was so unhappy with Silverlight I uninstalled it & tried to reinstall it, at which point I couldn't get on the Netflix network at all. I finally resolved that issue and was able to access the network, but now the video quality (on both browsers) is as bad as it was before.

[wowwee123]

After it starts playing - and not in full screen - click inside the space where the movie is playing, then press this combination of keys:

CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + S

It will Give you the option to choose the stream - You should have 3 options - 500, 1000, 1500 - check the box manually at 1000 or 1500 and see if this works.

[Bill Welch]

Thanks; the stream on my stream manager was already set at 1500, so I tried re-setting it, first at 1000 and when that didn't help, to 500. I noticed that the stream always re-set itself to 1500, though I re-checked the "manual" button and re-set it again to 1500, which is what it is now. I may be imagining things, but since I started fooling around with the stream settings, the full-screen picture has gotten noticably worse (more choppy), while in reduced mode picture quality is better (about the same as it was before). I assume that the higher the stream selection is set, the better the video quality is supposed to be, but at 1500 it's still very poor.

[Tecmo SB Guy]

There's only 3 streaming options available for Silverlight? 500, 1000, 1500 Kbps? Nothing faster than 1500?

I'm still using the old player and it has 4 streams available: 500, 1000, 1600, and 2200 Kbps.

I've been reluctant to go to Silverlight after reading this thread and another one about Silverlight in the main forums here.