Yesterday Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced plans to update the streaming video client for the PS3.
The update, which he expects to be available before the company’s third quarter earnings are released in October, will eliminate the requirement for a disc. Besides the obvious convenience for customers, this will allow them to continually update the interface as the Netflix Watch Instantly UI is improved.
Netflix continues to grow, largely on the strength of their ever expanding lineup of offerings for streaming to computers, set-top boxes, HDTVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles & other devices.
In the second quarter of 2010 year on year subscriber growth grew to an impressive 42%, which Hastings attributes primarily to the growing popularity of streaming. Although disc shipments continue to increase, they are being replaced by streaming more quickly than Netflix had forecast previously.
Netflix also plans to expand their streaming service into Canada later this year, although they won’t be giving much in the way of specifics until closer to the launch date.
Having already conquered traditional brick and mortar movie rental operations in the US, including the Blockbuster and the now defunct Movie Gallery, Netflix appears to be setting their sights on competing with the new subscription service from Hulu.
Hastings says he intends to watch Hulu Plus closely to find more areas to improve the Netflix streaming service. But ultimately he believes the bigger competitive threat are cable and satellite providers.
Result for: hdtv
Samsung and Skype have announced that the upcoming Samsung LED 7000 and 8000 series HDTVs will come with built-in Skype software allowing for video and voice chats via your TV.
The first model will begin shipping in the “first half of 2010.”
“Our consumers want their televisions to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for entertainment and communication delivered with the highest quality,” added Kevin Kyungshik Lee, Vice President of Visual Display at Samsung Electronics. “Including Skype on our TVs meets that expectation perfectly. We’re thrilled that Samsung’s consumers can now use our TVs to experience the rich video and voice communication that hundreds of millions of Skype users worldwide enjoy.”
The HDTVs were first introduced at the CES show last month.
You will need to buy and connect a camera, which is available through both companies, and obviously have a Skype account, which can even be created through the remote control of the TV.
“Increasingly Skype users want to communicate away from their computers, particularly when it comes to video calling,” says Jonathan Christensen, General Manager of Platform at Skype. “Thanks to Samsung, Skype is helping even more friends and families benefit from the meaningful connections that Skype’s video and voice calling provides.”
Result for: hdtv
The UK cable provider Sky has announced it will be the first in the region to offer a dedicated 3D channel when it launches Sky 3D in April.
The first 3D live sports event will be a football match between Arsenal and Manchester United. There will be one Sky Sports broadcast completely devoted to the 3D showing, with 8 different 3D camera setups.
As long as you have a 3D HDTV, Sky+HD customers can watch the programming from their homes as well starting in April. The programming will be free and current set-top boxes are capable of receiving 3D content.
