Until now streaming Netflix movies to your television required an additional set top box or media center to download the movie. Soon Netflix subscribers will be able to get a television with the ability to stream movies from the popular subscription service built right in.

Ever since it started in 1999, it seems that Netflix is popping up everywhere. Netflix started out by offering customers movies by mail easily.

The New York-based company didn’t stop revolutionizing the movie rental business there. Netflix continued innovating on its Web-based strategy with an on-demand video service.

You can already get Netflix through a variety of consumer electronics. You can get it through a Tivo, Roku set top box, Samsung DVD player and the XBox 360 gaming system.

Now Netflix hopes to make its service part of viewers every day television habits. For serious movie-watchers, a Netflix subscription provides a lower cost alternative to cable companies’ Video On-Demand services that charge for each individual movie.

Netflix is continuing to stay ahead of its competition in Amazon and Apple in terms of movie distribution. These services still require a set top box or computer connected to the television.

The service will initially be offered in high-end HD TV systems. While the companies haven’t released the models or prices yet, the Netflix integration is expected to add $200 to $300 to the cost of the set.

Netflix offers a streaming library of over 12,000 titles for download and over 100,000 via mail. However the library of HD movies available on the system is just over 300.

The company may need to bolster that number to warrant the extra spend for HD TV buyers. It’s a little surprising that the pair decided not to offer the service on lower end systems as well, but the price boost may have been too much for lower end TVs.

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Entry was posted on Monday, January 5th, 2009 at 9:21 am under High Definition Formats, Media players, Online video, Technology.

Read more entries by Dave Jeyes.
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