Netflix App to be available for the Surface Tablets

By George Ponder
published

We overlooked an interesting feature mentioned last night at the Microsoft Surface tablet event. The Netflix app.

Microsoft showcased the Netflix app during last night's presentation saying it supported semantic zoom and that the Netflix app would be ready when Windows 8 launches later this year.

We're guessing that with SmartGlass you could start a Netflix movie on your Xbox console, pause it and resume watching the movie on your Surface tablet or Windows Phone. With the kickstand feature on the Surface, the tablet sounds ideal for mobile movie watching.

Details are still sketchy on how our Windows Phones will interact with the Surface and hopefully we will be able to shed a little light on things after tomorrow's Windows Phone 8 event. In the meantime, you can catch a brief glimpse of the Netflix app, in the full video of Microsoft's Surface announcement around the 14:25 mark.

George Ponder
George Ponder

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.

41 Comments
  • Doesn't Netflix already support resuming on a different device without "SmartGlass"?
  • Yep it certainly does
  • You don't need "SmartGlass" for Netflix. You can already do that by launching Netflix on the phone or tablet. Netflix already knows what you watched...when you watched...and how much you watched. 
  • Why? Would apps be going to the Windows 8 just like te Windows Phone? I thought this is a PC and would have to visit the websites just like any other Microsoft based PC.
  • The Surface Pro is the device that is "x86" a full blown PC...the same as any i5 PC...the difference with Microsoft and there gamble with Netro and the new interface is that it is much easier...faster...and gives a new experience...just because I cab go to the I ternet to watch Netflix...y can't I just press home...press Netflix(app) and have a custom Metro layout that is intuitive and gas the same theme as the rest of my gorgeous w8
  • Also of course if you want to go old school ( there is nothing wrong with that) Microsoft said a while back you can switch between Win8 & Win7 so im hoping that's still happening not that ill use Win7 much if at all I just feel like that will silence alot of the 'classic windows' fanboys that don't like the move to metro for some reason lol
  • The big thing with Win8 (obviously aside from metro) was the windows store. It will have apps just like the Mac store on OSX.
  • So Win 8 pro is the main deal then? Hhuuuuh...got to save big ;-)
  • Smartglass seems like such a "shim"...it should "just work" on Windows 8 devices like how the charms work to communicate between services.
  • I hope Wp can be used as a controller for some games on the surface! I mean your out and want to play just kick that stand out and sit back! AH THE POSSIBILITIES!!!
  • I dont get why this was a big announcement. The Netflix app isnt exclusive to the MS branded tablet... its just the Netflix Windows8 app. I think it would be news if there wasn't a Netflix app.
  • Lol I think Wp central staff are just really excited about the surface (as they should be :P) and want as much info as they can, get but unfortunately there isn't much as of now arrg! Haha
  • Yes and also it's not particularly interesting to non-US people. Hopefully they have similar things lined up for international markets... but I seriously doubt it considering we still don't have all of the Bing Vision and Maps functionality in Australia. Bing Vision being especially bad as we can't translate foreign languages into English and can't scan barcodes (only QR and MS tags).
  • What about the tons of services the international businesses aren't making for windows phone and the like? They only try for eyefones and borgs... =(
  • When win8 comes out, every new pc is a potential customer for the windows phone marketplace! Developers would be foolish not to make a wp8 version of their app
  • Honestly I dont know why that is. The app is already there in other regions that speak the same language, why not just enable it in Australia? Im assuming there are legal issues of some sort preventing it, but it seems like a simple solution to me.
  • Doesn't Nokia offer a TV app for other countries? Maybe it will be the movie streaming app for oversease to avoid all the regulation hoops they will have to jump through....heck may Nokia will actually make some money off of it.
  • Well the fact that Australian download speeds top out at like 1.2mbs in most places may have something to do with lol I want south Korean speeds two cities top out at like 50mbs or something crazy like that lol
  • Kudos to the WPcentral staff on the Surface articles. I think you guys have posted more than Engadget.
  • WPCentral can compare to cnn or bbc only, it smokes any other tech portal :)
  • Now that's an app!
  • Bump that, where the hell is Hulu for WP!!!
  • Who cares of Hulu just open up your web browser and watch it from there
  • I hope cable and satellite companies make VOD apps for Windows 8. Because Netflix is not enough, I want new releases on release date.
  • I'm with you. I highly enjoy the Xfinity VOD app on my Asus Transformer. That's probably the only thing I'd miss by going to the Surface RT...BUT since Comcast already has a VOD app on Xbox, it makes sense that it could be there right away.
  • Sweet!
  • RIM cried itself to sleep last night.
  • Huge iPad3 discount offer at Toys stores, see 0-5 years old zone !!
  • Not too thrilled, maybe it's me... Netflix has always been a device whore if you know what I mean. Every device I have owned, even game systems have had a Netflix app, it was just a matter of time.
  • Ya my new TV comes with Netflix too, but it's cool because it's a custom app made for surface. But agreed, it isn't a big deal.
  • I just had a bizarre notion...could there possibly be Surface Phones? =s
  • They already have them. They're called windows phones lol
  • Netflix is available for a product that hasn't been released, yet BlackBerry PlayBook owners have begged and pleaded for it since it's launch. HAHA RIM!!
  • Well I would certainly hope so...
  • can't wait gonna get tablet surface pro version. finally a tablet that work has a computer. IPad is just a useless crap. It just an entertainment tablet has who cares. Any apple fanbot upgrade to win 8 surface it will let you be free LoL...
  • I just noticed this thing has no orientation lock switch and no 3.5mm audio input. Something every other general purpose tablet has. That's a total 100% design fail.
  • althought that would be great, remember, we're combining work/play. you will still be able to have fun with or without orientaion. But I do believe the Barnes and Noble version may have orientation available, let wait and see.
  • Who knows what it has in detail, stop spreading FUD you fúcking loser
  • Yes, Netflix know what you've been watching, but it won't stream information about specific characters staring in a movie to your tablet via smartglass; So while you can continue where you left off in a movie, you cannot get realtime character/cast information on your surface, play movie trailers on the device all while watching the movie on TV.
  • "Surface", she's a beauty isn't she???
  • Not really interested in Netflix. Had the streaming service for a long time on Xbox until they stopped releasing new movies on it. Bleah. Was great while it lasted though...