LG Electronics and Netflix are planning the launch of LG’s first Blu-ray Disc player able to instantly stream video content from Netflix online directly to the TV screen.
The joint effort was first announced in January.
The LG BD300 player will playback Blu-ray discs, as do all Blu-ray players, and upconvert standard DVD to 1080p (purely for compatibility purposes, since standard DVD can never achieve true 1080p)—as well as allow Netflix subs subscribers to instantly stream more than 12,000 titles to their living room TV sets, at no additional charge. (Alas, these downloads will not be in HD. Yet.)
Instantly streaming content from Netflix to the TV set via the new Blu-ray player must rely on a typical wired broadband connection and a queue-based user interface maintained by subs, which have long been the trademark attributes of Netflix.
LG said with the BD300’s remote control, Netflix subs also will be able to browse and make selections directly on the TV screen (rather than the computer monitor) and control fast-forward and rewind commands.
The announcement follows the launch in May of The Netflix Box by Roku, which enables streaming of Netflix moves to television through a $99.99 box, with no additional fees beyond a Netflix membership.
