netflix

A new report has revealed that Netflix video streaming accounts for an incredible 22 per cent of all Internet traffic. This number is considerably higher than last fall, suggesting that the site's popularity and overall interest in Internet ... streaming has climbed significantly in the past six months. While the average Internet usage represented by Netflix users was around 22 per cent, researchers at analyst firm Sandvine found that during peak usage periods Netflix accounts for as much as 30 per cent of all Internet traffic. Sandvine says this is 10 per cent higher than was reported back in ... (view more)

It's likely going to be many years before people stop buying movies on DVD. But rental giant Netflix is not only preparing for that day, but attempting to bring it closer. The company has announced that it will, for the first time in the US, be ... offering a special package that only allows users to stream rented titles over the Internet, with no option to obtain discs. To encourage users to make the switch, the new package will be $7.99 a month (the lowest ever offered by the company), while the price of the packages that include getting discs by mail will rise by at least $1 a month. The price ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced it will stream movies from Netflix through its Windows Media Center software. It's a major breakthrough in the firm's attempt to make sure that PCs can compete with game consoles and dedicated devices in the streaming market. ... Netflix already provides Xbox 360 DVD rentals , allowing customers to watch directly on their TV sets. Until now, PC users had only been able to watch streaming movies from Netfix on their computer screens. Streaming it to a TV set could only be done through "unofficial" methods and copy protection meant the resulting image would be of a ... (view more)

Netflix recently struck a deal with LG that allows its Internet movie-rental service directly to TV sets without any extra hardware boxes required. The news comes as Roku, a firm making set-top boxes for rentals, announced Netflix will no longer be ... its exclusive provider. LG will produce 'Broadband HDTVs' which will be publicly unveiled at an entertainment trade fair this month. The sets will plug directly into an Internet connection without having to be routed via a computer or set-top box. Owners will be able to access a Netflix account directly though the TV and remote control, though this ... (view more)

Now that Blu-ray has defeated HD-DVD, the technology has scored yet another victory. Beginning in the fall, LG will begin distributing its new BD300 Blu-ray player, a device with features that should mean it flies off shelves once available. The ... BD300 includes 1080p up-conversion, but the kicker is for those customers with a Netflix subscription: movies streaming from the company. (Source: arstechnica.com ) Netflix is part of the new generation of movie rentals. Users can choose a set price per month and enjoy unlimited movie rentals. The price gradations depend on the number of movies rented ... (view more)

Netflix and Microsoft have struck a deal to allow Xbox 360 owners to legally stream movies to their TV sets. The service, which launches this fall, will be free with any subscription to the Netflix rental-by-mail service. Although a couple of ... dedicated media streaming boxes already carry licensed Netflix content, this is the first time a games console has had the ability. Netflix already lets subscribers on all but its cheapest subscription package watch unlimited movies on-demand through their PC. However, copy protection means PC users can only stream movies to their television sets at a ... (view more)

A little more than a week ago, Wal-Mart Stores quietly chucked its video download offering into the waste bin. Introduced less than a year ago, Wal-Mart appears to have given up when Hewlett-Packard, its technology partner in the venture, cut ... support. (Source: zdnet.com ). This doesn't mean that downloading video directly to the consumer is a dead issue. This week, Netflix -- the company that sends DVD's to more than 7 million consumers in little red envelopes -- joined Apple and Amazon in experimenting with ways to offer complete media "choice" to the heretofore limited selections offered ... (view more)

This past Tuesday, Netflix unveiled its new "Watch Now" service. The service gives subscribers the option of downloading movies to their PC at no additional charge, an attractive alternative to Netflix's traditional mail delivery method. "Watch Now" ... will be introduced to only a small portion of Netflix subscribers initially; however, the company will be allowing about 250,000 subscribers into the system each week until June. (Source: physorg.com ) Viewers can use the service after accepting a computer applet that takes under a minute to install. Subscribers to the $18 monthly package can ... (view more)