It has been a long time coming, but Netflix and TiVo have finally teamed up to bring streaming shows and movies to TiVo owners' TV screens. The two companies announced today that they have begun a test of the new capabilities in "several thousand US households" today, and expect it to be available to the public in early December.Through the partnership first envisioned in 2004, Netflix subscribers who own the TiVo Series3, HD, or HD XL will be able to stream over 12,000 movies and TV shows through Netflix's online streaming service. In order to do so, users will first need to visit the Netflix website in order to add movies and TV episodes to their instant queues, which will then be displayed through the TiVo. From there, users can browse their instant queues and make selections right from that comfortable dent in the couch.
This isn't the first time Netflix's streaming service has tried to leave the PC and made a foray onto the big(ger) screen, but it is one of the first attempts to do so with a product as mainstream as the TiVo. Netflix introduced its own set-top box called the Roku in May of this year, a $99 device that could stream content from subscribers' accounts to the TV. Although the price is astonishingly affordable compared to similar options (the Apple TV still costs more than $200, for example), the public is still somewhat resistant to adding yet another box to their entertainment systems. The same applies to the LG BD300 Blu-ray player with Netflix capabilities.
In July, however, Netflix and Microsoft made headlines by announcing that the Xbox 360 would gain Netflix streaming capabilities, and for free (outside of your monthly Netflix subscription). That announcement really got the streaming video fans excited, and the natural progression from there is to bring Netflix content to the most ubiquitous DVR system on the market, the TiVo.
"Joining forces with Netflix creates the ultimate video on demand service and solidifies TiVo's leading position as the one-box solution for aggregating, searching, and delivering the best content available anywhere right to the TV," TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said in a statement. "Adding Netflix to our already vast library of content differentiates TiVo even further from any other offering in the market today."
Much of the online video market is still struggling to find ways to users' TV screens while keeping DRM firmly in place. Today's announcement is another step forward for digital distribution, as TiVo's massive installed user base will surely help give Netflix a leg up in the market.
