Early this year:
(a) DVD-by-mail service Netflix Inc. announced that it will begin delivering movies and other programming directly to televisions later this year through a set-top box.
(b) Apple introduced iTunes Movie Rentals, a new feature of the iTunes Store that enables users to download movies and watch them for a short time rather than having to buy them.
I will definitely prefer Netflix… Netflix player & Apple TV rivalry is a old news now, but I just learned that Netflix will be available on TiVo too! It seems Netflix is leaving no stone unturned to save its hard fought battle ground from the onslaught from Apple! (movie rentals on iTunes + Apple TV)
Netflix goes all out!
Netflix, the largest U.S. movie-rental service via mail, has been trying to boost subscribers by augmenting its by-mail offering with an expanded inventory of titles through its streaming service and partnering with component makers to allow the streamed content to be accessed directly from TV sets.
Netflix introduced its own set-top box called the Roku in May of this year, a $99 device that could stream content from subscribers’ accounts to the TV. The price is astonishingly affordable compared to similar options (the Apple TV still costs more than $200, for example). But my question here… Are people ready to add yet another box to their entertainment systems. The same question applies to the LG BD300 Blu-ray player with Netflix capabilities.
Post its marriage with Microsoft Xbox 360 sometime in July 08. Netflix on Oct 30, 2008 reached an agreement with TiVo allowing owners of TiVo digital video recorders to stream Netflix’s movies and TV episodes directly to their TVs, marking Netflix’s continued efforts to make its digital content available to TV watchers through various electronics components. The company (Netflix) has also announced agreements to carry video-streaming content from Liberty Media’s Starz movie channel, Walt Disney’s Disney Channel and CBS.
Netflix and TiVo, which first agreed to work together on content distribution four years ago, but today Netflix subscribers who own the TiVo Series3, HD, or HD XL will be able to stream over 12,000 movies and TV shows through Netflix’s online streaming service.
This is how Netflix provides entertainment at your fingertips
This is great, post advancements in internet technology will be much more meaningful & entertaining! Great move by Netflix. TiVo & Netflix marriage finally!
On Apple-Netflix Rivalry (can Netflix win?) Here’s an excerpt from an article published on July 24, 2008 read full article here
…I’ve now learned that the accurate number of units sold is closer to 100,000. Considering the price point ($99) and the fact that the product’s marketing is very focused to a targeted audience, Roku’s penetration rate would be higher than the average product that has only been on the market for eight weeks. Plus, once you have the Roku box, the content is free.
At this rate, it will not take too long for the Roku box to outsell Apple (AAPL) TV. Apple TV has been on sale for 20 months now and based on published reports, has sold a bit less than 400,000 units. Roku has sold nearly a quarter of that in only 2 months time…
@ anishvshah
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