Netflix’s “Watch Now” coming to a PS3, Xbox 360 near you?
By Danny Mendez
During the Netflix Q3 2007 Earnings Call, Netflix executive Reed Hastings announced that his company is looking to Internet connected set-top boxes and game consoles in further expanding its "Watch Now" program.
If you’re unfamiliar with Netflix’s "Watch Now" feature, for every dollar that you pay per month in using the Netflix service, you get one hour of online video viewing. Netflix has a relatively large database of video featuring a lot of the content you’d find on traditional DVD discs. Instead of waiting for a disc in the mail for everything you’d like to watch, you can watch some stuff via Watch Now on your Windows computer. The service is expected to expand to Macs eventually.
Hastings had the following to say during the earnings call regarding the expansion of Watch Now:
In terms of enabling the viewing of online content on the television screen, we are exploring a variety of options, including Internet connected, high definition DVD players, Internet connected game consoles, and dedicated Internet set tops, with a variety of partners, trying to understand the best ways to provide inexpensive viewing of online content on the television.
In the meantime, laptop computers are, for the younger generation, one of the primary ways video of all sorts is being enjoyed, and our online viewing is up dramatically quarter over quarter.
It would make sense that this is more likely to hit the PS3 as the Xbox 360 already has its hands full with its own video on demand service. Sony is also working on a video on demand service to add to the Playstation Network Store, and I’m sure many gamers wouldn’t mind merging their PS3 experience with their Netflix accounts.
Related:
Entry was posted
on Wednesday, October 24th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
under 
Print This Post
Read more entries by Danny Mendez.
Stumble It!
