XBL Dashboard Update August 11

There are a bevy of updates in this new update to the dashboard of Xbox Live. There are far too many to list here, the most notable of the bunch being the Netflix options that have been opened up. Here is what it says on Xbox.com

Netflix*
Now you can watch movies with your friends and find new movies to add to your Instant Queue without leaving your seat.

Party Watch - Catch a show with your friends! Bring your party into Netflix and watch a movie or TV show together. (Feature available with supported titles.)

Find Content Faster - Browse through New Releases and other genre lists based on the types of shows you’ve previously watched, all from the comfort of your couch.

Improved Playback Experience - Improvements have been made to ensure a better experience when adapting to changing network conditions.

Improved Presence - Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are watching.

Nice new set of features, but remember most, if not all, of these features require both a Gold membership and a Netflix unlimited membership to work. Way down at the bottom of the page it states that it is an "exclusive partnership" between Netflix and Microsoft. I think this is just corprate speak to keep people on it for Xbox since awhile back Netflix was running some polls about what the public interest would be if the service was available via Wii or PS3.

Right now the features are only available on the Xbox 360 Arcade, Pro, or Elite period, PS3 has it's own video service of sorts but it isn't as robust as what Netflix is doing on the 360, so if you have a very good connection it's worth watching movies on your 360 if that's your thing. There is a massive list of what's in the update over at Xbox.com so head over there to see the rest.

Feel free to click through and comment!

Xbox.com