Netflix on PS3 won’t require a disc by October

One of the things that make Netflix on the Xbox 360 more appealing than the PS3 is the disc requirement. On the Xbox 360 there is no such requirement. Netflix on the PS3 has been tethered to a Netflix disc since its launch. I’ve been on the receiving end of having a disc that decided not to work anymore, and had to use a new one. Even though Netflix delivers really fast, it’s always a hassle to have a disc not work properly for seemingly no reason. Problems such as this won’t be around for much longer.

Netflix announced today (July 21, 2010) that Netflix on PS3 will soon become a purely streaming experience.

“Before our next call in October, we expect to be launching a major new version of our Sony PS3 user interface which doesn’t require a disc, and is dynamically updated continuously with the latest Netflix UI improvements,” said Reed Hastings CEO of Netflix.

Hopefully this means navigating Netflix on the PS3 will no longer have a delay while moving between items. Hastings also said Netflix wants to strengthen its ability to deliver television shows. Moving forward Netflix considers streaming TV shows will be just as important as movies. We’ll see evidence of this in a few weeks when Netflix starts streaming every season of Family Guy. Netflix is also hoping to score some exclusive rights to stream whatever shows it can acquire. This definitely gives Hulu Plus even more competition once it launches for the PS3.

Read [All Things Digital] Also Read [Gizmodo]