Hands-on with Kidoodle.TV, a Netflix just for kids

Streaming is the best thing that’s happened to kids’ television since parents first realized they could plop little ones in front of the boob tube and get a few minutes of peace and quiet. (Or maybe I’m just a terrible father—it’s a toss-up.)

A monthly fee to Netflix, say, gives you access to endless hours of fun—and often educational—programs that kids can watch on a whim. And now a new contender has entered the ring, with a kids-only streaming service called Kidoodle.TV launching Monday as a free beta for those in the U.S. and Canada. After playing with it for a few days, I can say it shows some promise, and will be even more useful if it extends beyond the desktop with mobile and console apps. (Although free while in beta, the final service will cost $5 a month.)

When you sign up for Kidoodle.TV, you not only create an account login and password, but also a four-digit parental passcode. With that passcode, you gain access to the special settings that make Kidoodle.TV a very different service than others out there.

Once logged in, you can set up separate profiles for up to five kids, each with its own settings and restrictions. For each you enter a name and pick an avatar from a list of various TV show characters—I went with Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba and Bo from Bo on the Go—and choose a color theme (blue, orange, or pink).

You can create up to five profiles for different kids. Sorry, Duggars.

But the really useful options in the Parents Rooms are the ability to filter by age range (any combo of 0-2, 3-4, 5-8, and 9-12) to automatically show or hide groups of shows, and a Title Section area in which you can choose individual shows kids can or can’t watch, even if they fall in or out of the age settings you’ve selected. That kind of granular control makes it ideal for parents who want to monitor viewing more closely. (A feature to limit the amount of time kids can spend watching on Kidoodle.TV is also planned, but wasn’t in the beta version I tested.) At the same time, there’s no way to prevent a younger kid from switching profiles to watch something meant for her older brother, which makes profiles somewhat less useful at the moment. But the company plans to add the option for parents to enable or disable this quick switching feature as an extra layer of customization.

Kidoodle.TV lets you get pretty granular with your parenting choices.

By comparison, Netflix also lets you create multiple profiles on your account, and lets you restrict access for individual profiles to Netflix’s Just for Kids interface. Unlike Kidoodle.TV, Netflix doesn’t offer restrictions for specific age ranges. But just like Kidoodle.TV, there’s no way to prevent a kid from simply switching profiles to watch something meant for older kids—or even adults. And on Netflix, the non-kids stuff they’ll find is much worse. One click and they could be on the path to meth and murder.

When I tried out the service, there were a total of 49 shows (each with multiple episodes and/or seasons) to choose from. You’ll see an image for each episode, and mousing over gives you the season and episode number, the episode title, and a description.

Shows include The Adventures of Chuck & Friends, Bo on the Go, Hurray for Huckle! (which Netflix calls Busytown Mysteries), and Strawberry Shortcake on the younger side, and various GI Joe and Transformers shows for older kids. Netflix offers a ton more kids content than Kidoodle.TV right now, although the company promises additional educational and entertainment content “in the coming weeks.” And part of the beta process will include user feedback to help determine what content gets added (Sesame Street, anyone?).

Content choices are pretty small right now, but more is coming.

Right now, the other limiting factor to Kidoodle.TV’s utility is the fact that it only works on Flash-enabled Macs and Windows PCs. My kids watch their shows on the TV or the iPad, and never on a computer, so that makes it rather useless right now. But iOS support is promised in the coming weeks (while the beta process is still going on, and before the expected November commercial launch) and Android and game console support should follow at some point. Netflix, with its nearly ubiquitous support across devices and platforms, has a distinct advantage until that time.

There’s no question that Netflix has far more content and reach than Kidoodle.TV right now. And if you stream kids and non-kids programming, the $3 extra per month to get Netflix is even easier to justify. But as Kidoodle.TV’s shows and device support expand, I can see where it could easily live alongside other streaming subscriptions in the house, due mostly to its focus on parental controls and the more active role parents can take in determining what their impressionable youngins watch.

Jonathan has been covering the tech industry since 1998. He loves watching TV shows on his iPhone while exercising, and has already indoctrinated his young twins in the ways of the Apple TV.
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Netflix opens the floodgates on Super HD streaming support

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Sayonara, Instant Queue: Netflix rolls out the smart-sorting "My List"

Netflix is making another big push into personalization for streaming users with a new “watch it later” queue that automatically sorts titles based on your viewing preferences. The new feature, called “My List,” is rolling out to all users worldwide over the next two weeks. My List will sit in the top row of your Netflix home screen, pushing the top 10 suggested titles section one row down.

My List is only available on Netflix.com for now, but will roll out to mobile apps and third-party devices in the coming months.

The new feature replaces the current “Instant Queue” option—a holdover from Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service that never really caught hold with streaming-only users. Unlike Instant Queue, My List ranks the movies and TV shows you save based on what Netflix thinks you’re most likely to want to watch first.

Netflix's "My List" in action. (Click to enlarge.)

The current Instant Queue, by comparison, lists items based on when you’ve added them to your list, with newly queued items at the bottom. The end result with Instant Queue is a long list of titles to watch, with the more interesting videos towards the bottom of the list.

Anyone who was an Instant Queue fan, however, can still have manual control over My List by turning off the automatic ranking feature under their “My Account” settings.

Adding content to My List is the same as using Instant Queue: hover your mouse over a TV show or movie you find interesting and then click the “+ My List” button that appears in the pop-up window.

Netflix is also adding a few handy features to My List. As with any other title on your home screen, you’ll see the “New Episodes" banner at the bottom of the show’s art whenever its catalog is updated.

But more importantly, when a show added to My List is set to disappear from Netflix , you’ll also receive an alert that time is running out to enjoy the show or movie. That’s an extremely handy feature that has largely been the purview of sites dedicated to the task such as InstantWatcher.com.

If you don’t use the My List feature it will slowly drop down into lower rows on your home screen.

Netflix's "Max" assistant.

Call it personalization or hyper-personalization, Netflix’s My List is yet another feature designed to help you get the most out of Netflix. Earlier in August, Netflix rolled out single account multi-user profiles to all users worldwide. The feature allows family members to separate their viewing habits and helps Netflix to more precisely target title recommendations for each user profile.

The company is also currently testing its version of Siri in Max, a digital personal assistant that helps you find something to watch by coming up with suggestions on-demand. Max is only available on the PlayStation 3 during this initial test phase.

One thing Netflix didn’t note in its My List announcement is that the menu at the very top of the home screen on Netflix.com appears to have changed. The company has removed the “Instant Queue” option and replaced it with a drop down list called “Taste Profile,” based on screenshots posted to the Netflix blog.

Most likely this new menu includes the rating wizard that helps Netflix get a sense of your viewing preferences by ranking popular titles. It probably houses the “Taste Preferences” questionnaire that also helps Netflix refine its recommendations. Netflix did not specify what other menu options might now be housed under the “Taste Profile” list or if all users would see the new menu option.

Ian is an independent writer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. His current focus is on all things tech including mobile devices, desktop and laptop computers, software, social networks, Web apps, tech-related legislation and corporate tech news.
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Can you record a Netflix stream for offline viewing?

Reader Thom wrote in with this question:

Is there a way to download the movies from Netflix permanently to my hard drive?

Sometimes the transmission suffers in my area and it would be advantageous to download them and then play them from my hard drive offline.

That's what I call a loaded question, Thom! But it's a good one, because I'm sure there are many people in your same boat: wanting to watch a Netflix movie, but unable to because of a slow or intermittent connection.

Unfortunately, Netflix does not allow for downloading in any way, shape, or form. I can understand why (there are copyrights to protect, after all), but it would be nice if the service offered users the option to download, say, one movie at a time for offline viewing.

Indeed, for anyone who's a frequent flyer, it would be great to be able to cache a movie in advance, as in-flight Wi-Fi doesn't allow for Netflix streaming. And surely Netflix's mobile apps could allow for a download-and-go option that would let users save a movie via Wi-Fi instead of eating into their data allowance while on the go.

No such luck. Ah, but where there's a will, there's a way. I've played with a few video-capture utilities that promise to work with "any" streaming souce, and while they don't usually name Netflix (or Amazon, HBO Go, or others) for fear of litigation, they do work. Audials Moviebox 10 is one of them.

However, most of them record the streaming content in real-time, so you have to wait for the entire movie to play before you've got your "download." And if you have an inconsistent connection, you'll have the same problems you do watching a live stream.

What's more, using such a utility definitely violates Netflix's terms of service. Whether or not the company can detect your usage of a recording tool, I don't know. But there's always the risk you might get found out and have your account terminated.

A better bet is to try something like manually lowering Netflix's streaming rate, which might help overcome the problems with your slow connection. And, failing that, consider downloading movies from services that allow it, like Amazon and iTunes. You may end up having to connect your PC to your TV if you want big-screen viewing, but sometimes you have to jump through a few hoops to get technology to work the way you need it to.

Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. Ask for help with your PC hassles at hasslefree@pcworld.com. Sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.

For more than 20 years, Rick Broida has written about all manner of technology, from Amigas to business servers to PalmPilots. His credits include dozens of books, blogs, and magazines. He sleeps with an iPad under his pillow.
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Netflix (for Windows Phone)

Pros Excellent picture quality. Huge content library. Simple, clear interface.

Cons No offline viewing. Bottom Line This Netflix app lets you take advantage of your Windows Phone's large high-res screen, with a deep library of movies and TV shows.

By Michael Muchmore

Very few things with a screen of any size are without a way to play Netflix movies and TV shows, and the company is pretty consistent about its presentation in all the various player scenarios. Whether you're watching on a large screen TV using a Roku box, an iPad, or a mobile phone, you'll see that familiar bright red screen and logo, and a clear way to navigate around your account and start watching a video stream. The Netflix app for Windows 8 is no exception: You get access to your instant queue, top picks, and can start watching almost as soon as you install it. 

Get Started with Netflix on Your Windows Phone
Of course, you'll have to have a Netflix account for this app to be of any use, but anyone with a smartphone these days is likely to already be a member of the leading streaming video entertainment service. For just $7.99 a month, you get a massive library of movies and TV shows, including exclusives like the wildly funny new episodes of Arrested Development. If you don't already have an account, a link takes you to the Web signup page.

Once you've signed in with your account, you'll see a Metro-style version of your Netflix account. The startup view shows Recently Watched, along with a button to continue watching a show you started and didn't finish. Swipe down to see the Top Ten recommendations for you, Popular on Netflix, Popular on Facebook, New Releases, and more shows in genres you've frequented.

Swiping right to left reveals a text selection of Genres, a Search box, and your Instant Queue. Tapping any show's "box" image launches playing of the show immediately. I'd prefer options to read its description and credits, perhaps watch a trailer, and to add to my queue. As it turns out, if you tap on the title text (which also shows the user star rating) instead of the thumbnail image, you'll get just those options.

So as you can see, there are plenty of ways to find tons of shows to watch. Though Netflix doesn't publicize the actual number of programs available, the company states that it's constantly looking for new deals with content producers and studios. Sometimes a current hit TV show will be available on Hulu but not Netflix, so you may want that app, as well. If the app's tools aren't floating your boat, there are a couple of excellent sites dedicated to nothing but finding good shows on Netflix by scanning new releases and ratings, including instantwatcher.com, A Better Queue, and the visually interesting Pivot View.

Watching Movies and TV
Unsurprisingly for a service that produces a pleasing HD picture on large-screen TVs, the picture quality on my Nokia Lumia 928's sharp AMOLED 1280x768 TrueColor screen was crystal clear. While playing a movie or TV show, the on-screen controls are at a minimum. Tapping on the screen reveals the title of the production at the top, and at the bottom there's a pause button and a scrubber, which let you slide forward and backward through the show. You also get a Subtitles icon in the shape of a text bubble.

And that's it. I do wish I could just tap to full-screen the view and remove the controls immediately: instead you have to wait for them to fade out after a few seconds. As with any streaming service, playback is dependent on connection speed and Neflix use volume, but during my testing I didn't encounter a single playback hiccup.

One main drawback of Netflix for Windows Phone is that there's no off-line viewing feature. It is, after all, a streaming service, and this limitation is shared with any other media playing app that streams. To get movies onto the phone for offline viewing, you have to transfer them from your PC using the Windows Phone app for desktop after downloading them from Xbox Video or another source of DRM-free video.

The Best Flicks for Your Windows Phone?
Netflix is a must for movie and TV buffs, and movies and TV shows look great in the Netflix app for Windows Phone. The app is a snap to navigate, and you can add any content from Netflix's huge library via browsing, searching, and seeing what the service proposes based on your viewing history. The ability to continue watching a show you started on another screen is a big plus. Don't expect offline viewing, but that's a limitation no matter what device you use to watch Netflix. All told, Netflix for Windows Phone is a big win for mobile couch potatoes.

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