# Netflix to stream movies directly to TVs



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

DVD-by-mail service Netflix Inc. will begin delivering movies and other programming
directly to televisions later this year through a set-top box that will pipe entertainment
over a high-speed Internet connection.

The set-top box, to be made by LG Electronics Inc. as part of a partnership announced
late Wednesday, is designed to broaden the appeal of a year-old streaming service
that Netflix provides to its 7 million subscribers at no additional charge.

The set-top box is supposed to serve as a bridge that will enable just about anyone with
a high-speed Internet connection to plug in a few wires so they will be able to access
Netflix's Watch Instantly feature on their TVs.

Subscribers will still need to use a computer to pick out which programs they're interested
in streaming. The selections, culled from more than 6,000 titles available in streaming
library, will then show up on the TV screen. ...

More @ www.ajc.com


----------



## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

OMG! Another set top box to contend with!


----------



## BaldEagle (Jun 19, 2006)

Time to short Blockbuster stock?


----------



## Pinion413 (Oct 21, 2007)

It would be nice if they'd incorporate that technology into the XBOX 360. From what I read awhile back the CEO of Netflix has a chair at Microsoft, so.....?


----------



## illuminations25 (Dec 27, 2007)

I read that DVD sales have been declining over the past couple of years. Perhaps the whole HD-DVD in trouble thing won't matter by the end of the year. We may be heading the way of DVD's being on their way out the way we are heading to digital distribution.


----------



## Pinion413 (Oct 21, 2007)

illuminations25 said:


> I read that DVD sales have been declining over the past couple of years. Perhaps the whole HD-DVD in trouble thing won't matter by the end of the year. We may be heading the way of DVD's being on their way out the way we are heading to digital distribution.


(before I write this, I must disclaim......I am not a Microsoft "Fan-boy" by any means)

I remember reading that Bill Gates had said either last year or in 2006 that both HD-DVD and Blu-ray didn't matter at all in the scheme of things as Digital Distribution was really the way that Hi-Def content's distribution was going to move forward. It would stand to make a lot of sense with the way things have been going. "Broadband" connections are more and more accessible as time goes on. It's really just a matter of time before this type of "pay for on demand" content, even if it's subscription based, is readily available to the general public (on a broader scale than it is now with cable companies, etc.).

As much as I like having physical media to hold onto when I buy something, I also wouldn't mind having my monthly Netflix membership be for a box in our entertainment unit versus having to buy more stuff to fill our house. If it played DVD level quality and upscaled fairly well to HD resolutions, I wouldn't mind. If it did actual HD, I'd be in love. :slowgrin:


----------



## oldfantom (Mar 13, 2006)

Digital distribution is limited by bandwidth. As it has been since all these guys started talking about the future of media. It will be for a long time. As for Gates, I grant him vision for a lot of things, but you also have to acknowledge things like Bob, Windows ME and many other things that others will - I'm sure - throw out. The PQ of Netflix streams is rather low. Fine for watching Anime or old Jackie Chan moves, awful for watching new movies. I can't conceive of watching a streamed movie on my 62" TV.


----------



## skaeight (Jan 15, 2004)

I would be extremely excited about this announcement if I didn't have a HDTV and also if the Warner Announcement regarding Blu-Ray hadn't been made the other day. The problem is they will not be able stream HD moves - sure you may be able to download them if you want to wait a day, but at that point, why not just get the disk?

This will be great for those with SD tvs or those who just don't care about HD. I'm wondering if the streaming will even be DVD quality.

MS betting on HD downloads is not smart in my opinion. We are a long way off from a significant amount of people having connections that are capable of streaming HD in real time or even near real time. Without real time streaming, what's the point? Also as a side note, I'm someone who just switched to an ipod solution for my car so I don't need to lug around CDs and also am quickly running out of room for DVDs and would love nothing more than to get rid of physical media completely. I just don't think it's going to be feasible for quite some time.


----------



## rjf (Mar 9, 2007)

skaeight said:


> This will be great for those with SD tvs or those who just don't care about HD. I'm wondering if the streaming will even be DVD quality.


amazon unbox is single layer dvd quality. i've aouthored a few things for them and they just rip your 4.7gb DVD and place the image online. the VOD download plays on TiVo exactly like a DVD -- special features, full menus, etc. i've never tried it, but that's what their dub house told me.

personally, i'd rather use the Netflix VOD than wait for disks in the mail. i rarely get new releases the week they're out and wouldn't mind waiting 24hrs for an HD quality download. beats relying on the post office!


----------



## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

This can supplant the rental market (to a large degree, eventually, as many people will still not have broadband or be technically savvy to make it all work, so it will be some time before it is mainstream).

But I don't see it replacing movie ownership. Every time you want to watch something you have to download it? Or you have to have the storage capability on your box? Unless they allow burning of off-loading to other media, this will not replace DVDs at Best Buy or CC.

And it will be a long time before it means the end of DVDs or brick and mortar stores that rent them.

I welcome it as a new methodology (I think the LG box is going to be their Super Blu players) but I don't see it as mainstream for quite some time.


----------



## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

rjf said:


> personally, i'd rather use the Netflix VOD than wait for disks in the mail. i rarely get new releases the week they're out and wouldn't mind waiting 24hrs for an HD quality download. beats relying on the post office!


I find that with proper monitoring of your queue, upcoming release schedule and when you send movies back you can get the new releases the same week or day they release. Sure this takes work, but it's work I can do while being lazy in front of my PC - which means the kind I like. I just really hate going to the video store and have been with Netflix for years now so I'm pretty spoiled. Until the day VOD is true HD and dowloads in minutes, not hours, I don't think it's a replacement solution for physical media.


----------



## rjf (Mar 9, 2007)

bobukcat said:


> I find that with proper monitoring of your queue, upcoming release schedule and when you send movies back you can get the new releases the same week or day they release. Sure this takes work, but it's work I can do while being lazy in front of my PC - which means the kind I like. I just really hate going to the video store and have been with Netflix for years now so I'm pretty spoiled. Until the day VOD is true HD and dowloads in minutes, not hours, I don't think it's a replacement solution for physical media.


i used to have success with getting new releases right away. but lately, i'm lucky to get 1 every other week. i always send my dvds back on monday, they get them tues, the day of release for anything new. i have 10 new releases at the top of my queue, and more often than not, i get 1 new release and the other 2 are from lower on the list. sometimes not even in order, just random selections from the top 20 or so.

HD VOD isn't as far off as you think. comcast has announced HD VOD in a 20 min download coming early 09. hopefully netflix isn't far behind. even better, hopefully they just strike a deal with DTV to download direct to your DVR just like TiVo and Amazon Unbox.


----------



## dhhaines (Nov 18, 2005)

Nick said:


> DVD-by-mail service Netflix Inc. will begin delivering movies and other programming
> directly to televisions later this year through a set-top box that will pipe entertainment
> over a high-speed Internet connection.
> 
> ...


 I already don't have enough inputs on my TV/receiver for all the other toys.:grin:


----------

