July 15th, 2011

Netflix is now available (and it may cause a system issue)

65 Comments

In case you haven’t paid attention for the past couple of days, Netflix has been made available for the Nintendo 3DS in the United States and Canada. If you have a streaming account with Netflix, which costs $7.99 per month, then you’ll be able to use the application, downloadable via the eShop.

As reported by GoNintendo though, a user of the app is having a system issue:

I activated Netflix on my 3DS, and while using the service my system home button and power button aren’t working, while Netflix is running. I can’t back out of it and can’t shut my system off.

Other people have reported similar problems, but supposedly the solution is to continue holding down the power button. Eventually it’ll force the system off despite its other functions not working. When you turn it back on there’s supposedly no longer a problem.

  • Pontus G

    Since i live in europe i wont get that service so i’m safe :) Btw, used my 3DS for over 50hours and still not a single black screen of death.

    • hungryhippo247

      Same here. I’m Aussie and I’ve used my 3DS for about 70 hours now and like you, I’ve never gotten that ‘Black Screen of Death’.

    • http://3dsblog jester

      same here … we got the good, strong 3DSs

    • sam3ds

      the updates probably fixed it, I had it once, whilst on a really Fast-Paced Rayman 3D level. It only happened once, so, its cool.

    • Dae

      i’ve probably played my 3DS for near 250 hours now, with Plants Vs Zombies, Ridge Racer 3D, Ocarina 3D, and Pokemon Soulsilver, and I never encountered a problem, other then one time when Ridge Racer crashed because of too much stuff happening at once.

    • djnforce9

      I think the black screen problem was specific to certain (poorly coded) games. I never got it in Ocarina of Time 3DS at all but I sure did in Rayman 3D at least a few times (most during a specific level).

    • Dunkelheit

      Same here, Europe, like 200 hours of use (playing Street Fighter, Resident Evil Mercenaries, Steel Diver, TLOFZ OOT, Splinter Cell and a lot of ds and dsi)

  • Edwin Osorio

    I’ve had no problem with it whatsoever. It’s extremely convenient to have Netflix on a handheld, I’m very happy with this! It would be nice if we could DL episodes or movies into an SD card to watch on a long car ride or something, but this is still pretty nice.

  • Michael T

    I just downloaded Netflix and had no problems so far.

    • Kaizar

      “The new Netflix application for Nintendo 3DS displays movies and TV episodes in 2D on the system’s upper screen,” the press release reads. “Users will soon have access to an additional library of select movies that can be viewed in 3D without the need for special glasses.”

      The ambiguous wording led me to contact Nintendo which confirmed that 3D streaming will indeed one day be provided by Netflix and that 3D movies wouldn’t be part of the stand alone service Nintendo is unveiling down the line.

  • Luigi

    Woah its good i read this first i havent downloaded netflix yet because im playing loz3d and idont want to quit because of i quit im going to return to the beggining of the fire temple -_- no matter where i save.

    • sam3ds

      are you on Master Quest? I am.

  • 3DM

    I hav this problem too

  • Josh

    I wonder when the system update to fix this will come out.

    • http://www.youtube.com/flyinglevel Nick Knack

      It could be an app problem as well, we won’t know until Big N comments or says something about it.

  • Jack

    I had that problem 2 but holding down the power button fixes it

  • http://www.youtube.com/flyinglevel Nick Knack

    ROFL LMAO! good thing I only downloaded the app, and don’t have a Netflix acc yet.

  • Mr MC ClapYoHandz

    the Office is no longer streaming. now it’s DVD only. idk why Netflix took it off. :(

    • spencer

      i was just watching the office on netflix earlier today.

  • http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/f418cd0c0a9150b19067ddd1a925ba06.png abujaffer

    I have this problem with the eShop. No way to get out of it. I thought it was a problem with the application itself, not my personal 3DS.

    • http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/f418cd0c0a9150b19067ddd1a925ba06.png abujaffer

      Oh, and only when it’s running guys…. it doesn’t effect, say, a game of LoZ OoT. You can still quit normally out of that.

  • Pär

    it happened to me today also when I was in the eshop .. could not come from there: /

    Pal latest update / Sweden

  • :D :) :I :( D:

    No Problems with my netflix. Maybe its cuz i downloaded it just when it was availible. :)

  • Jean

    The only time I had a problem was when I 1st used the app. My suggestion, and what I’ve heard others say as well, is to reboot the system after you download it. It makes the app faster and everything will work.

  • SparktehFox

    The problem isn’t 3DS specific but with all consoles (that I know of). If Netflix is having a hard time connecting it won’t cut out immediately but instead continue to retry what seems like an infinite amount of time. If Netflix is loading the power button won’t work immediately nor will the home button, so if Netflix fails to load all you can do is hard power off the system.

    • ddjj

      this is what actually seems to be the problem

  • rperez

    My home button didn’t work either but when I held the power button down for about 10 sec the 3DS shut off. Once I turned it back on and ran Netflix, it was smooth sailing.

  • The Hero of Time

    THANX!!! i had this problem too!

  • Nathan Martinez

    Didn’t have this problem, It worked straight from the second it was activated, the Library uploads fast and movies stream nearly right away for me

  • Han Solo

    Hasn’t happened to me! I was watching TV shows before and I was able to use my Home button. Hope it’s fixed soon.

  • SC7639

    I hope that we in europe get Lovefilm and they start a library of 3D content for the 3DS as i was told netflix only really has indie movies on offer and seems quite disappointing to be the streaming app for the 3DS if it’s got a small and rather unappealing selection

    • TVSmasher66

      WRONG. Netflix has an AMAZING selection. Even star trek XD

  • Iron_Catastrophe

    Mines did this but after a reboot it works just fine

  • Aegis

    Discovered that and the solution this morning. I can verify the solution of holding the power button works. Afterward Netflix worked fine for me, watched part of Surrogates.

  • http://nintendo3dsblog.com/netflix-is-now-available-and-it-may-cause-a-system-issue Dusk

    that happened to me the first time but after that it didnt do it anymore

  • JMAN

    i just watched land before time on my 3ds

  • Bluu

    So many people Downloading this its not downloading for me !!

  • sam3ds

    Netlix is coming to to other country’s soon, Its on the offical website. Australia soon, Please Please Please…

    • http://youtube.com marcus

      i know. it get annoying being the last people to get things like games and software ¦→<

  • http://fscompany.webs.com/ seguraf11

    its slow as hell for me………also it got stuck loading twice……can ya guys help?

  • Bebo

    About 2 hours before I downloaded Netflix while I was playing Samurai Warior the game froze twice with the same issues so I dont think it was Netflix it maybe the update to the eshop

  • Stefano

    The same happened to me earlier but it’s working fine now. You just had to give it time like on June 7th when the eShop came out. That thing glitched SO much and so did netflix! You just have to be patient and wait for everything to process. Then you can watch 6 hours of avatar like i did :D

  • Lee

    Mine had this problem but as soon as I rebooted it started working fine

  • CaseyJay

    well at least the power button works like a PC.. you just need to hold it on for 5 seconds

  • Komicturtle92

    I have issues. Never got the Black screen of death till now. And this wiped out my games:

    http://i55.tinypic.com/2iityy8.jpg
    http://i52.tinypic.com/2v1xhyb.jpg
    http://i52.tinypic.com/2igiuip.jpg
    http://i56.tinypic.com/2e4g10j.jpg

    See? There were supposed to be like 5 games there. Now it’s a ? with 0 blocks. And I can’t delete it.

    Also, when I start the system up, where the Netflix app used to be it’s quickly highlighted- like a flash (outlines) and it disappears. I cannot access the eShop.

    This is what people get. You ask for Netflix now, look what happens. It’s not done. People are never satisfied. It sucks I got the bad end of it. Oh well. Nintendo should be able to patch this up.

    • Komicturtle92

      lol I call it Missingno!!!

    • cacaboy

      sweet ur lucky

    • sam3ds

      ugh, that Sucks! How many Eshop apps did you get?

  • Kaizar

    Nintendo says quote:

    3D content is coming to Netflix.

    • Kaizar

      3D content is coming to Netflix soon.

      That’s the quote.

  • ilikenintendomorethenu

    my did the same thing :( but it works now :D

  • Froggievilleus

    I have yet to get Netflix to play anything besides the Loading bar. It is LAGGY. At least I am not the only one having this issue. I guess I will just keep using Netflix on the 360 or my PC until a fix is posted.

  • http://youtube.com marcus

    Netflix on 3ds. AWESOME. i can’t wait till it comes to the australian eshop =D

    • h

      Sorry dude not gonna happen 4 one
      Netflix isnt in Aust
      And its against the law

  • http://mereman.wordpress.com Brian

    I can verify that what you finished with is true: I experienced this issue, but holding the power button eventually shut the system off, and when I turned it back on everything worked fine, including the Netflix application. Now I can exit it the same I exit anything else – with the Home button.

  • 3DS freak

    same here. i downloaded it the day it came out in the USA (yesterday) and i had the same problem. although u were right david u just have to hold down the power button

  • Brandon

    That problem happened to me too

  • miiworld

    That’s it? That’s the system issue? A black screen of death and a power/home button that does not function? What a load of bull. I’ve been watching Netflix pretty much since I activated it and there’s NO problem to report.

    Try again, whiny user.

  • matt17

    I’ll download this when they fix it, since I don’t have a Netflix account anyways

    • Brandon

      It’s not a very big problem. You can just turn off the 3DS by holding down the power button. Your 3DS and Netflix will work just fine when you turn it back on. You might not even have this issue.

  • TomoNato

    Im in America. I dont have this problem.

  • unbeknownst

    it happened to me but i shut my system off, hold down power button for awhile until system shuts of, then restart netflix, it worked for me then.

  • h

    I got mine the date it came out no black screen of death… Also doesn’t it suck how we dont get this service in Australia

  • bob

    i probuly played 3ds for over 350 hours scince i got it (in march) and got one black screen of death while using netflix…

  • Kaizar

    Hey David,

    “The new Netflix application for Nintendo 3DS displays movies and TV episodes in 2D on the system’s upper screen,” the press release reads. “Users will soon have access to an additional library of select movies that can be viewed in 3D without the need for special glasses.”

    The ambiguous wording led me to contact Nintendo which confirmed that 3D streaming will indeed one day be provided by Netflix and that 3D movies wouldn’t be part of the stand alone service Nintendo is unveiling down the line.