Like a cartoon where the main character keeps finding another way to get into the house, Netflix is now popping up on Sony’s PlayStation 3. The online rental service will make its library of thousands of movies and TV shows available to be streamed over the game console at no additional cost to Netflix members in the U.S.
The move adds yet another way Netflix can get to consumers, besides the popular mailed red envelopes bearing DVDs that propelled the company to its current membership of more than 11 million subscribers in the U.S. The PS3 offers an installed base of nearly nine million units in this country.
‘Entertainment Hub’
Netflix has also been busy making deals for inclusion through other consumer electronics. For instance, Netflix has another deal with Sony to include the service with certain Net-connected TV models.
While Netflix has been figuring out new avenues for delivery, Sony has been busy repositioning the PS3 as what it calls “the most complete home entertainment hub on the market today.” In addition to high-definition games, users can watch movies on the built-in Blu-ray high-definition player, listen to music, surf the Net, flip through photos, and download a variety of content from the PlayStation Network.
To watch the Netflix fare, PS3 households will need to have a membership in the service, although there is no additional fee charged by Sony. A Blu-ray disc will be made available to all Netflix members, and, if the console is online via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, the PS3 owner can activate the Netflix user interface.
The no-cost approach contrasts with the $50 annual fee charged by Microsoft to get the Gold level of Xbox Live, which includes access to Netflix if you have a membership. Some industry observers have suggested that Netflix will also appear on Nintendo’s Wii…