As our sibling publication FierceOnlineVideo and other media outlets reported yesterday, Netflix and LG are teaming up on a video streaming service that bypasses set-top boxes (as well as Netflix' tradition snail-mail distribution method) by transmitting content directly to an LG HDTV.
The move, announced in conjunction with the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, is the latest step away from traditional STBs' central role in consumer video services. In that sense, it is not too surprising, and is more or less an expected step, given the emergence of new TV models with Internet interfaces. Still, the Netflix offering could provide an interesting test for still-young telco TV services, and we'll see how it might influence how cable TV and telco TV players deliver their services in the future.
Related articles
Netflix announced the streaming service this week [1]
Internet-connected TVs were a hot topic at CES 2008 [2]
Links:
[1] http://www.fierceonlinevideo.com/story/netflix-stream-directly-lg-hdtvs/2009-01-05
[2] http://www.fierceiptv.com/story/lounge-room-war-erupts/2008-01-08