Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ streaming service is available on so many devices now it’s probably easier to list those that don’t carry it. The PS3 is the latest to join the ranks. And ‘Watch Instantly’ is now such a huge part of the service that it’s surely here to stay, and inevitably grow in the future.

From Mail To The Web

In the 12 years since Netflix launched as a purely by-mail DVD rental company, the world has changed considerably, particularly with the Internet becoming the distribution method of choice for all kinds of media, including of course television and movies.

So it’s no wonder that the company decided to introduce a streaming video service as part of its subscription package a few years ago. And the way things are going, it’s that part of the business which provides the future direction for Netflix.

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ZillionTV has had some trouble moving from being a good idea to an actual product. This has led to some particularly critical articles around the Web concerning the company, its management, and whether ZillionTV will actually ever deliver. ZillionTV is now fighting back, but the fight hasn’t started well.

ZillionTV or ZeroTV?

ZillionTV was announced back in March to some very positive comments and feedback. I myself stated that “good backers, a man in charge who knows the business, and a couple of innovations which could drive the sector forward” meant it had a chance of succeeding, despite entering a crowded market.

However, in September a delay in launching the service was announced. It was originally thought to be due for a launch in late 2009 but that slipped to the second half of 2010, which is nigh on a year later than first expected.

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The Roku Box, which started life as the Roku Netflix player before evolving to its current form, is getting some brothers in the shape of two new boxes. Roku is also promising new channels will be coming to the service soon. Which, with Netflix now headed for the PS3, is needed more than ever.

Roku and Netflix

Roku started out relying on Netflix’ ‘Watch Instantly’ streaming service as the be all and end all of its content offering to buyers of the $99 box. But since launching in May 2008, other content channels have been added, including Amazon Video-on-Demand and MLB TV.

Netflix soon moved on to a host of other set-top boxes and devices, including the Xbox 360, Internet-enabled televisions, and hybrid Blu-ray players. And it’s now adding a new one to its line-up in the shape of the Playstation 3.

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Netflix is finally looking towards a streaming future, with the death of DVD predicted, plans for services on other devices – notably the PS3 and Wii (probably) – and a move outside the United States and into unspecified international territories.

Netflix Of The Past

When Netflix formed in 1997 as a DVD by mail company in the United States, the Internet wasn’t the behemoth it is now, and online video was a concept rather than an actual living, breathing part of the Web.

Streaming video therefore wasn’t part of the plan for the company at that point. However, it introduced ‘Watch Instantly’ as part of its subscription service a few years ago and hasn’t looked back since.

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Netflix is seemingly everywhere now, at least in the U.S., yet there are actually still many devices the service isn’t available on.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has now confirmed that an iPhone app will appear one day, but not before Netflix finds its way onto all games consoles, Blu-ray players, and Internet-enabled televisions.

From Mail To The Web

Netflix was formed in 1997 as a service delivering DVDs via mail to consumers across the United States. But its name suggests that even then its founder and CEO, Reed Hastings, was envisioning an Internet future for the company.

And so it came to pass. Netflix now enables its subscribers to watch over 17,000 movies and episodes of television series via their computers or one of a number of Internet-enabled devices and the ‘Watch Instantly’ service.

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Epix has upped its commitment to online content by promising 3,000 movies available to subscribers through its Epix Megaplex and EpixHD option. But while this is cause for celebration, is it enough to deter piracy?

Epix

When Epix was first announced back in June, I described it as a ‘Hulu for movies’ and an indication that Hollywood and the movie industry was finally waking up to the need for free or cheap, easily-accessible Web destinations to consume content legally.

After all, the music industry failed to do this for years and it lead to the situation we are in now where despite Apple iTunes and a wealth of other places to stream or buy music (my favorite being Spotify), piracy is still a huge problem.

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DeliTV is a Yahoo Pipe created by Tony Hirst, a lecturer at The Open University in the UK.

This pipe allows anyone to program their own online TV channel from Boxee by bookmarking pages on Delicious with the tag “delitv”.

• Yahoo Pipes is a tool that aggregates and manipulates all sorts of content from the web.
• Boxee is free software that streams content from sites like MLB, Netflix, Pandora, Last.fm, and Flickr on a laptop or connected to a TV.

DeliTV supports:

• BBC iPlayer category feeds
• podcast feeds
• Youtube videos
• Youtube Playlists
• Youtube channels
• another DeliTV playlist
• an MP3 file

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