An update was released for the Netflix app of the Xbox 360 of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) recently. The update will facilitate navigation through video selections and will come with Facebook integration for users outside of the United States. The new Netflix app of the Xbox 360 offers a skip forward and skip backward feature which will facilitate moving through videos and movies.
The update for the Netflix app also provides a zoom option for users of the device. The color contrast on the app will also be enhanced to provide more vivid colors as well as better blacks. Facebook integration is also offered for users of the Xbox 360 living outside the United States. This will provide users with the capability of sharing the videos they are watching to their friends on Facebook.
The US Video Privacy Protection Act or the VPPA restricts the viewing and video rental history that is shared by users in the United States. Since the Netflix app will likely face some trouble with VPPA since it automatically shares the videos watched by users through Watch Instantly. This is the reason why Facebook integration was put off for the moment as options are being explored by Congress in connection to the VPPA.
Users will be able to log in through an Xbox 360 unit since the app is a cloud-based feature. Users with the Netflix app on their Xbox 360 units will be able to download the latest version when they sign in to their accounts. Other users who do not have the Netflix app will have to go to the Xbox Live Apps Marketplace to download the Netflix app into their Xbox 360 units.
A streaming subscription from Netflix will be necessary to gain access into the Netflix library aside from a Gold membership on Xbox Live, and high-speed internet connection. Netflix access was initially available to Xbox 360 users in 2008. An update released in 2011 added gesture and voice controls for Xbox 360 users who had the Kinect sensor.
