Kinect Adds Netflix Support On Xbox Live

Microsoft has announced its Kinect controller-free peripheral now supports Netflix on Xbox Live, allowing North American users to load streaming TV shows and films through gestures or voice commands. Xbox 360 was the first gaming console to offer video streaming to Xbox Live Gold members and Netflix subscribers in 2008. Since then, PS3 and Wii have added similar services for free, and Nintendo 3DS will also include the feature, but Microsoft's platform is the first to support motion controls. With the Kinect sensor device, users can start streaming video content by saying "Xbox play". They can launch Netflix from the Kinect Hub, select from a list of recommended titles, then use their voice or hand gestures as a remote control (e.g. play, pause, fast forward, and rewind commands). Some users, however, have posted complaints on Twitter that Kinect only allows them to select films from the list of suggested titles, and not movies or TV episodes from their instant queues or other categories -- to browse titles outside of the list, Xbox 360 owners are told to use a standard controller. "By integrating Kinect into the Netflix experience on Xbox Live, we're continuing to transform the way people enjoy their favorite entertainment in the living room," says Xbox Live general manager Pete Thompson. Thompson continues, "Since its launch, Netflix has always been one of the most popular services on Xbox Live, so we are excited to deliver a brand new way to control this experience in a way that can't be found anywhere else."