Monday, October 27, 2008

Netflix made a streaming deal with Samsung

Netflix Inc. has reached an agreement with Samsung Electronics Co. to bring movies from the Internet to television sets through Samsung electronics devices, including new products that also play movies in the high-definition Blu-ray format. The deal is the latest in a series of efforts by Netflix, the Los Gatos, Calif., company that pioneered DVD rentals delivered by mail, to position itself for a future in which movies are delivered entirely over the Internet. Samsung, the big Korean electronics manufacturer, will allow users of two new $400 products, the BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray disc players, to access video through a Netflix Internet video service that currently offers more than 12,000 movies, television shows and other titles.

The Samsung products are already on sale, though early users of the products will have to connect them to the Internet to download new software that makes them compatible with Netflix’s service. Future versions will have Netflix access built in. Terms of the relationship between the two companies weren’t disclosed. Netflix has already struck deals to offer its Internet video service on devices that include a Blu-ray disc player by LG Electronics Inc., the Xbox 360 videogame console by Microsoft Corp. and a set-top box manufactured by a startup Roku Inc.

Source: WSJ