Netflix finally on its way to the UK

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14518

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/n ... aunch.html

Quote:

Netflix, America’s leading online film and TV subscription service, has announced it will launch in the UK “in early 2012”.

The site claims it will offer “unlimited TV shows and films streaming instantly” to TVs and computers, but has not yet released what its launch price will be.

The news comes days after Google announced a movie rental service for UK Android users, and Sony announced the launch of its Entertainment Network, offering streaming and downloading services.

In the UK, services such as Lovefilm have dominated film rental, initially using DVDs and increasingly focusing on online, while other platforms such as Sky, BT Vision and Virgin Media have focused on providing on-demand content to deter people from using the web. Apple's iTunes is also a major player and analysts suggested the launch of Netflix, however, could provoke a new price war.

Simon Woodward, of digital TV specialist ANT, claimed "2012 signifies a tipping point for the connected TV market. Manufacturers and retailers have been talking about the connected TV experience for some time, but in reality, the benefits are yet to be realised by the majority of consumers. 2012 is the year where this is set to change – and we’re expecting a host of services like this one to be launched in the coming twelve months as the market responds to growing consumer demand."

Although Netflix did not give any figures, it said “a wide array of TV shows and films” would be available at launch.

PCs, Macs and tablets and phones will be supported, although specific details will be announced nearer the time.

Netflix launched in the USA in 2007, and is now available in more than 40 countries.

In America, the site claims more than 25 million members, and charges $7.99 a month, for unlimited access to devices including PCs, TVs, Xbox, Wii and PS3.

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12340

Mark me as interested.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

There is no reason to believe it will have the same (reasonably good) range of content as Netflix US.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

No. It'll have free to air content, plus a horrific selection of dire content from Sky channels, mostly featuring Grant Mitchell.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22397

If it provides the same range of content and ease of use for TV as my current usenet/sickbeard/boxee setup then i'm in <cough>

For films though, depending on the whether I can reliably stream 1080p over a 7Mbit connection without buffering, and they have all the films i'm interested in, and the Boxee app works well, then I will actually be interested.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14518

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

There is no reason to believe it will have the same (reasonably good) range of content as Netflix US.

I had a play around with the US one around a month ago for the free trial (using a number of different VPN solutions) and was pretty disapointed with the movie choice available - I should note this is coming off just grabbing whatever is out there when i feel like it so i expect to not have the same range but i really had to search for new things to watch.

The console integration looks interesting (although Microsoft are already getting their TV stuff ready) , and like many others if i could just simply subscribe to a system like that and get the type of things which i can get now <cough> then I'd sign up but the trick that any provider needs to do is make it 'cheap' / easy / and give a similar level of coverage and of those the coverage is probably the most difficult.

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Netflix finally on its way to the UK

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