When Netflix launched here in Canada a few weeks ago, some of us were a bit disappointed to find that the selection was not quite up to par with the U.S. service. However, as a minor consolation, we were lucky enough to get first dibs on a version of Netflix for the Playstation 3 that didn’t require a disc to be inserted every time you wanted to watch a movie. Next week, our American friends will finally have access to this update as well, along with a few other nifty additions to the streaming service. These new features include a streamlined user interface, selected titles in 1080p, and the long awaited addition of 5.1 surround sound!

According to a Netflix press release, they have teamed up with Dolby to offer 5.1-channel surround sound via the PS3 starting on Monday October 18th. They are using Dolby Digital Plus technology, which means they may eventually be able to support up to 7.1 channels. An “increasing portion” of their library will also start including subtitles, and the new user interface makes it easier to search and increases load times significantly.

These features will also start rolling out to other devices over time, including the Xbox 360, which will be issuing a fall Xbox Live update soon. So what do you think, are these features a welcome improvement to the Netflix experience? Here’s what I’m wondering: now that they’re going to have multiple audio tracks for certain movies, does this mean they might eventually add audio commentaries too? Now that would be cool.