The Nintendo Wii will soon be able to download and stream Netflix movies and Tv programs to it’s users.  The new service will go live this spring, and will available to Netflix users with a regular membership and broadband connection.

Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings in a statement said “Our goal is to offer Netflix members as many ways as possible to watch movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix right to their living room TV and to give non-members more and compelling reasons to consider the service,  joining forces with Nintendo, is a very meaningful step in that direction.”

Netflix has similar arrangements with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3. Similar to PS3, Wii’s instant streaming service will be disc-based. Netflix’s site has details on how to reserve a disc.

If you are one of the hoards of PS3 owners that were excited by Netflix announced streaming would be coming to the game console, today is the big day friends. Netflix has announced that its streaming service is now officially live on the PS3. I hope you ordered your PS3 Netflix disc.

The service is available free to all Netflix subscribers and allows you to watch on demand programming on your TV via the PS3 just like the Xbox 360 bragged about not long ago. The catch with the PS3 service is that you need that Blu-ray disc from Netflix.

The disc is available free and if you don’t have a Netflix account you can get one for only $8.99 per month that includes unlimited streaming. The streaming feature is possible via the BD-Live feature the PS3 supports. Way to skirt that exclusive streaming clause with Microsoft Netflix!

Netflix movie streaming, once available only for computers, the Xbox 360, and some Blu-Ray players, will soon be offered for the Playstation 3.

How will they do it? For unknown reasons, the software will not be integrated directly into the system. Instead, a Netflix subscriber can request a free disc with Netflix installed as a BD-Live feature. BD-Live is a system normally used to allow a movie’s special features to be downloaded from the Internet, rather than limited to content placed directly on the disc.

The cost of the Netflix service itself is the same no matter what you watch it on. However, Netflix subscribers using the Xbox 360 must also pay $50 per year for Xbox Live. The PS3 has no extra costs.