LG Electronics announced on the eve of CES this week that it will soon begin shipping a line of HDTV sets that will allow users to stream Netflix videos directly online without the need for additional hardware.
Netflix, whose 8.7 million subscribers can now instantly stream any of about 12,000 movie/TV titles to their computers in SD, as well as rent standard DVDs via the U.S. mail from a catalog of some 100,000 titles, has deals with other firms to distribute its content. Some deals include using proprietary hardware/software to send movie downloads from the Netflix Web site directly to living room TV sets.
But its deal with LGE marks the first time its streaming service will be embedded inside a television set. Both firms will be showing their “broadband HDTV sets” this week at 2009 CES International (Booth 8214), LVCC Central Hall.
No word yet on when any HD sets may imbed Blu-ray streaming capabilities from Netflix (or anyone else). Netflix charges an additional $1 (it’s only add-on fee) for each Blu-ray rental through the mail.
LGE also sells certain Blu-ray Disc players, along with Samsung, that are capable of capturing Netflix SD streaming.
Read all of HD Notebookhere.
