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Stream Netflix movie rentals on the Xbox 360 Video

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Stream Netflix movie rentals on the Xbox 360
Created: 07/02/2008
Video description: Throw that $100 Roku player away! In this Insider Secret, we'll show you how you can easily stream movies in your Netflix queue directly to your Xbox 360 using Windows Media Center.

Stream Netflix movie rentals on the Xbox 360 Video Transcript

^M00:00:00

>> Hey, everyone. I'm Jeff Bakalar for CNET.com. Take that RoCU player; throw it out the window. You don't need it. Nah, you don't need it. You don't need it because Lifehacker.com is gonna show you how to stream you Netflix movies directly to your Xbox 360. I'm gonna show you how to do right now on this Insider's Secret. ^M00:00:19 [ Music ] ^M00:00:32 All you're gonna need is an Xbox 360 and a Vista PC on the same network, and Netflix account, and the Netflix player plug-in for Windows Media Center. First, make sure you can actually watch Netflix "Watch It Now" movies normally on your Vista PC. Once you confirm that's working properly, your next step is to download VMC Netflix. Now to get the plug-in, simply Google search for it. Once you download it, double click the installer files so that the plug-in will show up the next time you run Windows Media Center. Next, let's get your Xbox 360 up and running. Make sure you have the latest dashboard update installed. And then, navigate to the media blade. Click on media center. Your Xbox will then display an eight digit code that you're gonna need when setting up your Vista PC, so take note of it. Remain on the screen that follows the code, and then move back to your Vista PC. Now, you're gonna launch media center, and go into the online media tab. Scroll over to where it says, "program library." And at the bottom you're gonna see a small Netflix icon that represents the plug-in you just installed. Click on the plug-in and sign into your Netflix account, and make sure you click remember settings. Then make sure you can watch a movie using that interface. Once you've done that, it's time to set up your Xbox 360 as a media extender. Now, in the main window of Windows Media Center, scroll over to the task tab and click add extender. Here's where you're gonna need that eight digit code you saw a second ago, so that you're PC's gonna be able to talk to your Xbox 360. Windows Media Center will then automatically configure itself, and give you and all finished screen. Now, close out media center and switch back to your Xbox 360. Click on the media center button and try to connect. If you're successful, you're gonna get a black welcome screen. Now, once you've gotten the welcome screen, and you're all connected, simply scroll over to the program library and select the Netflix icon that represents the plug-in. This interface should look the same as it does on your PC. Select a movie, and you're all set to go. Now, here's a little warning. The plug-in's a little shady. It's a beta. It doesn't always work all the time. It might freeze up your whole system. It's not a problem. Just reboot it. None of your settings are ever lost. And it's a great alternative to paying $100.00 for a Netflix player. I'm Jeff Bakalar from CNET.com. Thanks for watching. ^M00:03:02 [ Music ]

Stream Netflix movie rentals on the Xbox 360
Throw that $100 Roku player away! In this Insider Secret, we'll show you how you can easily stream movies in your Netflix queue directly to your Xbox 360 using Windows Media Center.