Netflix has revealed its plans to “upgrade” its overall pricing structure, for both its mail-in and streaming services. These price changes won’t take affect for existing costumers until September 1st, but the change will be immediate for all incoming costumers.

According to the company’s official blog, the change will replace the existing plans, adding a $2 surplus charge for unlimited streaming, and from now on there will no longer be an unlimited discs and streaming as a single package. The new packages are as follows:

• $7.99 for 1 DVD out at a time
• $11.99 for 2 DVDs out at a time
• $7.99 for unlimited streaming (no DVDs or Blu-rays)
• $15.98 for 1 DVD and unlimited streaming

Microsoft rocked the internet with the announcement of Netflix streaming into their console. That said, according to “a very reliable source“, Microsoft plans to do this again with the announced of Hulu streaming onto their console.

Requiring a separate subscription fee — much like Netflix — the subscription service allows users the able to watch their favorite television shows whenever they want via their console. However, instead of opting it on a monitor, they can watch it on their television sets.

The subscription service is said to require Microsoft points, instead of an separate online account. Expect more information during Microsoft’s press conference at E3.

A few months back, I got an e-mail from Netflix stating that in the near future they will be offering their wonderful service on the Nintendo Wii. I signed up, thinking “why not. It’s free after all”. Fast-forward to the present, and I received a disc from Netflix in one of their famous red envelopes. So I pop the sucker in, register it, and away I went.

First thing I notice is the interface. To say the least, it’s great. You simply press left, or right, on the d-pad or drag the scroll bar with the Wiimote. Up or down arrow changes the criteria. One negative is that there is no search button. I guess they left that out to make the presentation smoother.

I first tested out ‘24‘ to see how the conversion from HD was. The loading time was 19 seconds, by my count. The video quality was just on par with a DVD. My connection isn’t all that great, but Netflix Wii made it shine.

Next, I tested an old cartoon series, The Super Mario Brothers Show. The loading time was about 15 seconds. The video quality, obviously, wasn’t all that great, because the source material wasn’t that great. Lastly, I tested Beetlejuice, and the loading time was 24 seconds. Not that bad at all, for a full length movie. The video quality was DVD quality, also.

One thing users maybe disheartened about is the lack of HD support. First of all, the Wii cannot even output video in HD, secondly, for the majority of us, it won’t matter. I certainly don’t mind DVD quality video from streaming from the Wii. If I wanted to watch it in HD, I would buy an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, but then  you’ll would lose the point-and-click interface.

Overall, I can fully recommend Netflix Wii. It’s easy, it’s free, and it got me using my Netflix account a lot more than before.

Netflix plans to continue its domination of the video streaming market with its newest partnership, introducing its steaming service onto the Wii. According to Netflix, the program is scheduled to release onto Nintendo’s platform this spring, and it will require consumers to reserve a disc in-order to participate (they also must have an account, of course).

“Our research shows that 86 percent of all U.S. Wii consoles are located in the living room,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The Wii console is the social hub around which friends and family members gather to play games and have fun. Soon both new and longtime Wii owners will enjoy the benefits of Netflix – and a variety of informational and entertainment options – by being Netflix members and connecting their consoles to the Internet.”

The partnership between the two companies will extend the reach of Netflix, thanks in-part to the mainstream popularity of the Wii. The Netflx program will be available on the platform this spring and, to enable the streaming, consumers will need an instant-streaming disc, which is currently available at no additional cost to subscribers via the Netflix’s website.

Microsoft has shipped 22.5m Xbox 360s through September 2008 and should pass the totals of the original Xbox, which shipped 24.7m worldwide, next quarter. This was revealed in Microsoft’s updated system results earlier today for the Xbox 360, the company is reporting that they shipped 2.2m consoles from July 1 to Sept 30 bringing the total number to 22.5m shipped since launch.

For Microsoft, Q1, Q5, and Q9 are the quarters ending December. Given that Q1 was the supply constrained launch in 2005, and that the original Xbox only shipped 24.7m units worldwide, the Xbox 360 should top its predecessor next quarter.

[Microsoft Details July to Sept Results, Xbox 360 to Top Xbox Next Quarter via VGCharts]