Netflix, Roku in Deal to Stream Movies Directly to TV

LOS GATOS, May 20: Online
movie rental service Netflix has partnered with the digital-media outfit Roku
for a new device that enables its subscribers to instantly stream a library of
more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix directly to the television
set.

Priced at $99.99, The
Netflix Player by Roku is available for purchase starting today from the Roku
website. A user can connect the player to a TV and to the Internet. For homes
with wireless Internet connectivity, the player is Wi-Fi enabled and offers
flexible placement options. From the Netflix website, members can add movies
and TV episodes to their individual instant queues, and those choices are then
displayed on the TV and available for instant viewing. With the player's
accompanying remote control, members can browse and make selections right on
the TV screen and also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In
addition, they have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video
stream via the remote. Additional features of the product include optimization
of the Netflix video-streaming technology, which eliminates the need for a hard
disk drive associated with video downloads, and built-in connectivity for
automatic software upgrades, which will keep the device current with service
enhancements.

"The key
breakthroughs of The Netflix Player by Roku are simplicity and cost," said
Reed Hastings, the chairman and CEO of Netflix. "First, it allows
consumers to use the full power of the Netflix website to choose movies for
their instant queue, and then automatically displays only those choices on the
TV screen. That's a major improvement versus the clutter of trying to choose
from 10,000 films on the TV.
Second, there are no extra charges and no viewing restrictions. For a
one-time purchase of $99, Netflix members can watch as much as they want and as
often as they want without paying more or impacting the number of DVDs they
receive."

"We're excited to
bring the first Netflix-ready device to the market," added Anthony Wood,
the CEO and founder of Roku. "The seamless integration of the Netflix
service into our player has resulted in true ease of use for the consumer. Now,
streaming video isn't limited to people sitting in front of the PC; it's ready
for the TV in the living room."

—By Irene Lew