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Netflix teases possible iPhone movie streaming app

updated 10:35 am EST, Tue March 2, 2010

Netflix would offer iPhone movies as free bonus


Netflix is polling customers about the prospects of an iPhone app for watching movies, customers have reported today. A survey similar to that which brought about streaming for the PS3 and Wii asks customers if they would like to stream movies and TV shows to the iPhone over Wi-Fi as a bonus to their existing physical media rentals. It would have the same features as other services and let users watch ad-free videos an unlimited number of times as long as the subscription is active.

As with most surveys, the example obtained by Hacking Netflix gives no clues as to when the app would be released or if it would have any device-specific features.

While Netflix queue management has existed on the iPhone for some time through third-party apps like Now Playing, Netflix itself hasn't provided any apps of its own, either to control the flow of movies or to watch them. CEO Reed Hastings has said an iPhone app would be a likely development but has always said it was on the backburner versus getting Netflix on TV hardware, whether dedicated devices like the Roku Internet Player or Internet-connected home theater devices like LG Blu-ray players.


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By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, LG, iPhone apps, Netflix, Roku, Apple

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  1. TomSawyer

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2008

    +1
    03/02, 12:11pm | report spam | reply

    No Brainer

    This WOULD entice me to become a Netflix customer. I'd buy an iPod Touch for each of my kids (for road trips) as well.

    Are you listening Netflix and Apple???


  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +4
    03/02, 12:39pm | report spam | reply

    Re: No brainer

    Except the iPod Touch has no 3G, and the Netflix would be streaming, not download. So you'd have to hope you had the option to stream to disk such that you could watch it whenever.

    Then again, no way Apple wants this. Allow a competitor to their movie business they have?

    Plus, between the two, more people would want/care for Netflix on the AppleTV, which would be a lot more useful.


  1. wrenchy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2009

    0
    03/02, 12:56pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    Evil Steve

    Will never allow this. He has to protect his own interests and that of his fat shareholders. The way anyone with a monopoly would act.


  1. trenchcoat77

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2003

    +4
    03/02, 01:01pm | report spam | reply

    Read the article, Testudo

    "A survey... asks customers if they would like to stream movies and TV shows to the iPhone over Wi-Fi." Repeat, Wi-Fi, not 3G. So the Touch is definitely in play for this.


  1. facebook_Brian

    Via Facebook

    Joined: Mar 2010

    0
    03/02, 01:57pm | report spam | reply

    Don't forget the iPad

    This more than likely would run on both the iPhone AND iPad devices... I'd LOVE to have this ability. Paying for movies by the movie or by the viewing isn't very convenient.... I'm very likely to use something like this.


  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +2
    03/02, 02:02pm | report spam | reply

    Read the post, trenchcoat

    If you actually read the post, you'd see I was replying to the first poster, saying he'd buy iPod Touches for road trips for his kids. Except, since they don't have 3G, he'd only have wifi access. And last I checked, most cars don't do wifi while traveling down the highway at 70mph.


  1. trenchcoat77

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2003

    +2
    03/02, 02:45pm | report spam | reply

    Road trip wi-fi

    Hotels, coffee shops, airport terminals, airplanes, even Amtrak has wifi. Plenty of opportunities for road trip movie watching. Lots of ways to travel besides a car.


  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    03/02, 04:05pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    Re: Road trip wi-fi

    Lots of ways, but again, read the post. "(for road trips)".

    And who in their right mind would spend $10+ for wifi on an airplane to stream video when one, I don't know, could just bring one or two on the plane.

    And while you may like to sit in a coffee shop to watch a streaming video, I doubt the coffeeshop people really want you doing that.


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