I was somewhat frustrated this evening to find out that despite NetFlix being available in Canada now, Sony devices such my new Sony BDP-S370 blu-ray player will still not allow me to connect to NetFlix. So if you were holding out to find that perfect device to connect to the newly available NetFlix Canada service with, Sony devices are definitely not an option for you at this point. I’ve attached a Sony eSupport chat transcript for you to wallow over. Boooo, back to the store you go blu-ray.
Don’t you have a Wii? According to their site, that works in Canada: http://www.netflix.ca/NetflixReadyDevicesDetails?lnkctr=nrd-d-n-346-wiiconsole&pdid=346&lnkce=nrd-d
So do Samsung and Toshiba Blu-ray’s: http://www.netflix.ca/NetflixReadyDevices?cid=Blu-ray+Players. I have a Samsung Blu-ray at home, I’ll have to check for sure if mine does. I know it can play YouTube..
Hey Greg! I actually set up the Wii last night after discovering it wouldn’t work on the blu-ray player. It definitely works and is something I’ll use until I get a blu-ray player that does this or until I figure out how to get it working in SageTV. Thanks for the comment.
I did a software update a few days ago and now I see the Netflix Logo with a “coming soon” comment under it… so it looks like it should be available soon !
That would be great, thanks for posting. Let me know how it goes, maybe I will buy one again. What model do you have?
Hey Matt … I have a Sony BDP-S570/BX57 Blu-Ray. Right now, I get the “Netflix Coming Soon” comment mentioned above. Just got off the phone with Sony Canada – they tell me a software update to enable Netflix here will be pushed out by the end of March. Hope it’s true. cheers, … mn.
It’s a lot of teasing and not much pleasing. I bought a Sony Blu-ray player in the US back in November because it promised an inexpensive device to play Netflix movies on my home theatre system (Roku, for example, isn’t available in Canada, and I have no interest in more expensive game consoles). When I first turned on the player, the Netflix logo appeared in the menu, but it disappeared as soon as I connected it to the Internet (they know where you are from your IP address). The first contact I had with Sony tech support produced confusion (judging from the English usage, the support person was not in North America), but a subsequent e-mail brought a reply that Netflix support in Canada was “coming at a future time.” Now, since February 17 I, too, get the Netflix logo and the “Coming soon” tagline. This time, Sony says “soon” is a matter of weeks or months.
Sony doesn’t have a lot if incentive to include Netflix, other than perhaps an earlier contractual agreement, as they are now touting their competing Qricity service, which offers movies on a pay-per-view basis rather than for a flat monthly fee. So I suspect they’re dragging out the Netflix rollout as long as possible. And the sad truth is that even if the Sony Blu-ray players offered Netflix, the number of titles available to Canada is less than one-eighth of those in the US and include none of the new release DVDs you can find at the video rental chains. Netflix claims there are distribution issues (different distributors for Canada than for the US), but obviously this hasn’t prevented Blockbuster or Rogers from offering the vast majority of titles the same day as their US DVD release.
I’m getting very tired of being behind the Maple Leaf Curtain in Canuckistan when it comes to the media and technology.
I am not at all sad that I returned my Sony Blu-Ray player. Netflix support was deal breaker for me, and coming soon isn’t good enough. In fact I use the Wii Netflix app now, and to be honest it’s good enough for me.
I know what you’re saying about the 1/8th titles available to Canadians, every time I search for something it’s “there” but it’s not available. That’s frustrating, but still it’s worth it IMO. There’s a lot of content there for $8 a month.
I am one of these cats with the Sony Blue ray player saying comming soon.. I was all excited when I signed up for Netflix thinking i would be watching high quality video for 8 bucks a month.. Here I still wait.. 2 months later… Thankfully I have a wii and I have been watching Netflix steadily (in LD).. The biggest problem I find is deciding what to watch.. I spend more time browsing then I do watching.. I am almost ready to cancel the expressvu because of how much Netflix offers. Come on Sony.. get with the program already!!
Scott, I have to laugh because I’m in the same boat! I have a BDP-S570, and I was stoked to get my Netflix going on it. I have two young kids at home, and to pay the $1 per movie that my kids get sick of is too much. $8 flat rate is nice, and I’m just in the month trial right now. I look forward to see if Sony does release the Netflix channel in Canada, but I have a laptop I can connect to my 47 inch tv, and I have a Wii on my secondary tv, so, we’ll see how it goes.
I also purchased a Sony Home Theater system (bdve870 ) with Blue Ray player. It also says Netflex comming soon so I purchased a Insignia on ebay for $56.00 it supports Netflex. The Sony Theater is good but would not have purchased if I knew it did’nt support netflix.
Any news on when we might see netflix active? I’ve still got “coming soon” – was hoping it would be here sometime this week as one poster said Sony mentioned end of March as a date!
It’s now April 1 and Netflix is still not available. Obviously, to Sony “soon” is defined in months rather than days or weeks. This is par for the course for the tech industry, where “real soon now” (RSN) is the norm for promises.
I spoke to someone higher up at Sony Canada and they said, confidentially, that sony blu-ray player owners will NOT get netflix in 2011. By coming soon they mean 2012.
Ain’t that nice.
2012? Seriously? Damn, now I’m really glad I took it back. Thanks for the tid-bit “Man in Black”.
~Matt
Check out this press release from Sony Canada:
http://www.sony.ca/view/press_969.htm
I bought my Sony Blu-ray during the Boxing Week sale and was excited about it until I signed up for Netflix. I makes little sense that a large company such as Sony will not support Netflix and keep their customers happy with their products. That being said I will be selling my Sony Blu-ray player and will purchase one that does support the Netflix service. This will forever leave a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to purchasing another Sony device. Sony you just lost another customer!
Hey Orville,
Jon just pointed to a Sony press release that stated Netflix would be available on their Blu-ray players in spring of 2011! Sounds like progress to me.
~Matt
The Samsung bluray player (paid $99 Jan/2011) or Samsung XX610 series TV, both works on netflix. So, I am using the Samsung bluray player to netflix a Sony EX HDTV now. I still keep the sony bluray thinking that soon means in months of 2011. But reading on, I think 2012 is where something will happen with Sony, just disappointing. Disappointing to sales at Future Shop and Bestbuy that I have asked never told the fact that Sony stuff don’t work with Netflix and indeed I believe they are ignorant(sorry to use this term here).
Just spoke with Sony Canada support today and was told that it would be up by the end of April 2011.
Great to hear! Thanks for the heads up Jeff.
~Matt
April 29th….still no Netflix.
Come on Sony, its April 29th..!!! Still waiting to see Netflix on my BlueRay Player???
Well is Sony isn’t lying again by saying in their press release (http://www.sony.ca/view/press_969.htm) to have NetFlix available by April 2011. It should be available today (April 30th). I just checked and still shows comming soon.
As the PSN system is down (for over 1 1/2 weeks now) can’t watch it on my PS3 either. Maybe time to look at Samsung as they have had NetFlix Canada for over 3 months….Sony slow to adopt….I for one will go with Samsung if Sony does not release the NetFlix Canada for my BDP-S370 today as announced in their press release….then again would Sony lie to us? (Sarcastic!!!)
I suppose Sony has given itself an out with the theft of its PSN and Qriocity user data that has become something of a security cause celebre. Anyway, who knows when Netflix will become a reality on Sony Blu-ray players in Canada. We’re very small potatoes in their stew. I’m not expecting anything soon.
I bought the Sony SMP-N100 Media Player and it’s the same problem. Under the NetFlix icon it say’s “Coming Soon”. It’s freakin anoying seriously. I paid like 150$ to have netflix on my old television and it’s not working. I’m on the recent firmware too: M05.R.071 and it’s not working. Any one have the same problem?
Sony’s press release (http://www.sony.ca/view/press_969.htm as Jon pointed out) states by April 2011. Do you have the latest firmware? If so, is Netflix there? Philippe says that his is not.
The latest frimware is dated February 17, 2011. If you try to access Netflix from the menu, it continues to say “Coming Soon.” Sony’s press release is old and in error as of May 3, 2011.
Coming soon? Not likely? Bye Sony!
Put NetFlix on hold until end of July – neither Sony, nor OPPO have NetFlix available yet. Watching on my Samsung Blu-ray until it went ito the wife’s room – Do you sense a sort of Negativity on Sony’s part here? Checked with NetFlix and they told me it’s all in OPPO’s and Sony’s ballpark to get the App working! Currently enjoying the Berlin Philharmonic on my Sony though!
Its arrived in Canada today! It works. Not as clear a pioture as I’d hoped, sub-par as compared to xbox 360, about equivalent to the quality on the Wii. Been a long wait.
I am now getting Netflix on my Sony Blu-ray player.
Yes, indeed. I agree about the quality; it’s a step down from HD 720, not even quite regular DVD, more like SD 525 broadcast TV. Is there something inherent in Sony’s implementation that prevents HD 1080 quality, or would the bandwidth be so excessive as to blow thorough the ISP’s cap with only a couple of movies or TV episodes?
Still no netflix on my blu Ray ready to junk it and buy a wii aa they have dropped in price
Sorry I lied as of this minute I am watching netflix on my tv through my blu Ray player. I am a happy camper
I tested my free 1 month Netflix Canada membership on both on a Panasonic and Samsung Blu-ray player. The quality is awful on a 52 inch screen and the audio is strictly stereo. Some titles aren’t even in widescreen and. And the selection is pathetic compared to the States. Sure, it’s convenient and cheaper over renting at the video store. But what the hell are you doing with a Blu-ray player and an HD TV if all you watch are highly compressed videos. Don’t know what the big fuss is about personally.
The post is pretty late in coming but there is a very simple solution for the Netflix Canada issue. Register for http://www.hidemyass.com & you can make Netflix “think” you’re in the us….. Viola all the content that isn’t available in Canada IS there.
I’ve set it up so I have a separate router for my Xbox, Apple TV,s & blu ray player that is constantly working off a US IP address.
It works perfectly. I paid $15 for a compatible router on kijiji.