With the launch of Windows 7 only two days away, many happy Netflix campers will be relieved to know that the media center featured in the operating system has the bases covered. Engadget reports:

Those already upgraded to Windows 7 ahead of Thursday’s launch events (no, we’re not coming to your party) should find a Netflix button parked under the Movies section in Media Center starting today.

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Not seeing it yet? Go to the Tasks –>Settings–>General–>Automatic Download Options and manually start an update there, the new tiles should arrive shortly.

Grab the popcorn and mute your IM account. Read the full article at Engadget, complete with pretty pictures – Windows 7 Media Center’s upgraded Netflix Watch Instantly interface now available.

The Netflix feature is already available to computers users, via a standard Web browser. The advantage of accessing the feature through Windows Media Center application, according to Microsoft, is that “consumers no longer need to jump from Web site to Web site to find the TV shows, movies, sports and news they want to watch.”

In addition, Netflix in Windows Media Center is designed to work with any WMC-compatible remote control. The Netflix instant watching in Windows Media Center is powered by Microsoft’s Silverlight media-playback platform.

Netflix seems to be making great strides in separating itself from many of the VOD competitors, including iTunes and Amazon. Should be interesting to see what unfolds next. Cheers to Multichannel.

Microsoft is working with stars from Arrested Development, The Office and Kids in the Hallto develop at least four original Web series to be offered through Zune portables, the MSN Web site and possibly the Xbox 360, reaching the three screens where consumers watch video.

The company unveiled its development slate to advertisers last week in New York.

Already in production and set to debut in June is Cinemash, a spoof comedy that will feature Will Arnett, Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon Levitt and other stars acting out their favorite roles from movies they weren’t in. Arnett, for example, will play the title role in Carrie.

Rainn Wilson, Dwight from The Office, will star in and serve as executive producer of The Foley Guys, a comedy about two guys who move to Hollywood to make it as foley artists, the sound crews on movies.

Microsoft also is working with the Jim Henson Co. to create a live-action/puppet series about a hapless guy who works as a mall cop by day, but turns into a crime-fighting hamster at night.

Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall and NewsRadio has signed on for the Untitled Workplace Comedy, to be named by the advertiser or sponsor that supports it. The show itself will be developed around the sponsor. (You can see Foley give the presentation in this YouTube clip below.)

Microsoft plans weekly installments of the shows, which will run between five and 12 minutes and be offered for free with ads.

There’s an interesting statement at the end, which is this:

“As long as content is done well, users view it and take advantage of it,” Reilley said.

Amen to that. Will Microsoft be able to do it well? Thanks to VidBiz.