Measuring about six inches square and two inches high, the Netflix box is apt to become the smallest device in your equipment rack. Fans of keeping things simple will be pleased to know that installation and use of the Netflix player could not be easier. Plug in an HDMI cable and connect to your home network – wired or wireless – and you’ll be streaming in no time.
Once you’ve made your connections, a setup wizard asks you a few questions (including TV shape) and presents you with an activation code. At this point, you’ll need a computer to log on to netflix.com, input the code and link the player to your account. Once done, the device will be able to play anything you have sitting in your “Instant” queue on Neflix.com. If it sounds complicated, it isn’t. After opening the box, I was ready to watch something in about five minutes. Take note: the Netflix player is directly linked to your “Instant Queue” which you manage on the Web site using a computer. This means you’ll need to add content to that queue before you can watch anything on the player.
Although I was initially inclined to knock the player for its reliance on a computer and its inability to browse all instant titles, my stance has softened a bit after living with it. Confining your viewing options to what’s in your Instant Queue does make for an extremely simple user experience. Plus, if visiting the Netflix site is already part of your daily or weekly routine, managing a second queue isn’t out of the way. Sitting on the sofa with my laptop, I counted about five seconds from the time I added a title to my queue before it magically appeared on my television as a choice. Nice.
