Netflix HD streaming comes to TiVo
by Darren Murph 
posted Dec 8th 2008 at 12:01AM
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! MOVIES AND TV EPISODES FROM NETFLIX DIRECTLY TO THE TV THROUGH TIVO DVRs AVAILABLE TODAY
Just in Time for the Holidays, Offering Brings Budget Conscious Entertainment to Consumers
ALVISO, Calif. - December 8, 2008 - After announcing a groundbreaking partnership in October with Netflix Inc., TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced that subscribers to both Netflix and TiVo® Series3, TiVo HD, or TiVo HD XL can now access thousands of movies and TV episodes instantly streamed from Netflix directly to their TVs.
The service is being offered at no additional charge to customers who subscribe to both services. This morning subscribers can browse through an expanding library of more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes at www.netflix.com, add them to their Netflix instant Queue, and then watch them on TV with just a click of the TiVo remote. The library includes titles from every genre, with a modest selection of HD content available as well. Both standard and HD titles are expected to grow in the weeks and months ahead.
"With so much talk focusing on the economy these days, this partnership makes more sense than ever because it brings people more movies at home, offering substantially more entertainment options than cable or satellite," said Tara Maitra, GM and Vice President of Content Services at TiVo Inc. "TiVo offers consumers everything they need from just one box. Not only great content from Netflix, but also movies from The Walt Disney Studios and Amazon, music from Rhapsody, videos from YouTube and even pictures from Picasa Web Albums and Photobucket. And that's all in addition to TiVo's core functionality that made us a favorite in the first place. It adds up to a one-of-a-kind value."
"Netflix offers an unbeatable combination of convenience, selection, and value, which now extends to TiVo customers," said Netflix Chief Marketing Officer Leslie Kilgore. This partnership is a win-win-win for Netflix, TiVo, and consumers alike."
Movies are streamed from Netflix through TiVo DVRs via wired or wireless broadband connection and a Netflix Queue-based user interface. Members visit the Netflix Web site to add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those choices will automatically be displayed on subscribers' TVs and are available to watch instantly through the TiVo service. With the TiVo remote control users can browse their instant Queue, make selections right on the TV screen, as well as read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they have the option of pausing, fast-forwarding, rewinding and re-starting whenever they wish.
For more information on how to have movies instantly streamed from Netflix via your TiVo DVR visit www.tivo.com/netflix.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lucyfan62 @ Dec 8th 2008 1:29AM
Yeah, that would be great if Netflix could strike a deal with DirecTV...but DTV would find a way to make you pay for it since that would cut into their Pay Per View / VOD service.
squiggleslash @ Dec 8th 2008 8:18AM
A firmware update that adds the functionality for Toshiba HD DVD players would be particularly awesome...
But in terms of living platforms, I'm disappointed no "media center" type software has appeared for the Wii as yet. Even though it'd have to be SD, Netflix streaming would be a great feature to add to that console.
THizzle7XU @ Dec 8th 2008 6:47PM
Ya, good luck with that. I think I'd rather see it on some of the lower end Blu-ray players like the Samsung BDP-1500, but that's probably unlikely as well. I have a 360 already, but it would be a cool feature for those players if you decided to give them as a gift.
Kumar @ Dec 8th 2008 9:03AM
"So Netflix, what's next? Infiltrating DirecTV / DISH Network boxes?"
----Don't forget, DirecTV and Tivo are partnered up again for an HD box that's due in 2009....so we can hope the downloads will be a part of that. DirecTV will want a piece of that pie for first run movies though, since it would compete with their own on-demand setup...but it would be a bonus for both for anyone wanting to watch movies not being broadcast in the DTV ppv lineup.
"if we aren't careful, Netflix is going to turn into a behemoth right before our very eyes."
----and what's wrong with competition/moving HD to downloads? Any BR fan should be a little scared, but also happy that this *should* help reduce prices. If it doesn't....well...in this economy...it's bad news for companies that don't adapt.
squiggleslash @ Dec 8th 2008 11:13AM
And don't forget Netflix isn't the only group doing this. Amazon has forged partnerships with TiVo for years and seems likely to expand their offerings. Blockbuster is talking about a variety of manufacturers supporting their system early next year. Only Hulu and Apple seem to be left out of the party, the latter by choice, the former apparently because they're still trying to figure out how they want to work.
It has to be said that it looks like next year is going to be a major year for downloads and streaming. This year appears to have been the "putting a toe in the water" year, but with it seeming likely that the majority of Blu-ray players, games consoles, and DVRs supporting Netflix at the very least, and many other systems over all, I think consumers are going to be spoilt for choice.
Now, if Netflix and Blockbuster can fix the audio issue (no 5.1? WTF? If the problem is Windows Media, at least decode 5.1 for HDMI, or chose a different audio codec...), we're going to have a very good year.
Spiza @ Dec 8th 2008 9:40AM
I watched some HD netflix on a friend's 360 this weekend. He only had 3 bars, but it looked pretty good for streaming. Definitely going to be using it now. I just wish a better blu-ray player would pick it up.
eric f. @ Dec 8th 2008 11:24AM
I encourage any moves that will make Tivo more popular.
servo_fan @ Dec 8th 2008 2:35PM
How about streaming to the PS3?
Kumar @ Dec 8th 2008 3:12PM
I doubt that will happen any time soon...remember, they've got to protect their blu ray product. Letting people bypass it altogether would degrade the main reason (some say) for getting a PS3...the br player part of it to watch high def movies.
I think they should go all in early with Netflix, as there will always be people that prefer to buy media, and those that rent (which is what the downloading is more/less). Me, I just rent my BR movies, since I'm not entirely sure they won't get laserdisc'd by digital downloads.
We all know how controlling the content worked out for the music industry...they're just now recovering after they relented and sold songs $1 a pop, etc. The movie biz is adapting fairly quickly this year with the downloads via BB and Netflix, but will Sony?
THizzle7XU @ Dec 8th 2008 6:51PM
It's not that at all. If people had Netflix for streaming, they would be renting Blu-ray discs from Netflix as well. If anything, Netflix streaming would help Sony. Either way, Sony makes the profit on Blu-rays getting bought up by you or by Netflix. The reason has more to do with MS getting Netflix first (or over Sony) and they have the game console space locked up for Netflix (at least for now).