NetFlix beats Apple to the unlimited download punch

Posted by Joe on January 14th, 2008

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NetFlix announced today that they will allow unlimited streaming of movie and TV downloads as part of a revamp of their Watch Now streaming service.  This is likely a preemptive response to the new iTunes movie rental download service that is expected to be announced this week.

Said NetFlix CEO and Founder Reed Hastings:

We named our company Netflix in 1998 because we believed Internet-based movie rental represented the future, first as a means of improving service and selection, and then as a means of movie delivery.  While mainstream consumer adoption of online movie watching will take a number of years due to content and technology hurdles, the time is right for Netflix to take the first step.

NetFlix plans to roll the new functionality out over the next six months and eventually moving beyond computer screens to portable devices and television sets.  Later this year they will begin selling a set-top box built by LG that will allow for streaming directly to the TV.

In the meantime, NetFlix is our favorite overall online movie rental service and we strongly believe it represents a great value in its current form but will only get better as these new features get released.

Read our free online guide to movie rental services to learn more.

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