Netflix Watch Now Offers Video Streaming

By Geoff Duncan January 16, 2007

Beginning today, DVD-by-mail darling Netflix is offering its subscribers another option in the growing world of Internet-based video delivery. Netflix’s new Watch Now service will enable Netflix subscribers who install a special browser applet the ability to immediately watch TV shows and movies on their computers.

"We named our company Netflix in 1998 because we believed Internet-based movie rental represented the future, first as a means of improving service and selection, and then as a means of movie delivery," said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. "While mainstream consumer adoption of online movie watching will take a number of years due to content and technology hurdles, the time is right for Netflix to take the first step."

Watch Now is scheduled for a phased roll-out through the middle of 2007, offering the service to about 250,000 subscribers per week through June to ensure its systems can handle the video streaming demands. Videos available via Watch Now are considered rentals, rather than a download-to-own model like that offered by Apple’s iTunes store and others. But the streaming model also means selections begin playing in a few seconds, rather than forcing users to wait until an entire download is complete. Netflix says movies can be paused, and a position bar lets viewers jump to any point in a video.

Watch Now requiers a broadband Internet connection with a minimum of 1 Mbps downstream bandwidth, but the more bandwidth a user has available, the higher quality video they receive, up to DVD-quality with a 3 Mbps connection.

Right now, only about 1,000 movies and TV shows are available from Netflix’s larger catalog of over 70,000 titles, but the company plans to expand the selection of content as the service matures. And, Watch Now will be available at no additional charge to subscribers, although the amount of video users can view online depends on their Netflix subscription. Subscribers with an entry-level $6/month plan get six hours of online viewing time; subscribers with the company’s $18/month plan get 18 hours on online video.

Right now, Netflix’s Watch Me browser applet is requires Windows XP, although the company says it plans to expand the offering to other platforms and, eventually, to mobile devices.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Entertainment

Disney Plus Free Trial: Can you stream for free in 2023?

Disney+ app on the iPad Air 5.

Unfortunately, there is not a Disney Plus free trial right now. Disney hasn't offered one for a few years. However, you can currently get the ad-supported version of Disney Plus for just $2. Disney is offering a special discount that gets you three months of the service for $2 per month. The service is normally $8 per month, so you'll save $24 total by the end of your three month subscription. This offer is only available until September 20, 2023.

Another way to save is through the Disney Bundle, which sees ESPN Plus and Hulu thrown in for just $13 a month. On their own, Disney Plus is normally $8 per month, Hulu is $8, and ESPN is $10, so this is a great deal. If it sounds good to you, you should start your subscription now. The price of the Disney Bundle is increasing to $15 on October 12, 2023.

Audio / Video

All of these 4K TVs are on sale for under $500 right now

The Insignia F30 Series 4K TV with Fire TV, with boats on the water shown on the screen.

Gone are the days when buying a 4K TV sets you back at least $1,000. They're now much more affordable, and if you take advantage of the TV deals that are available right now from Best Buy, you can get a 4K TV for even cheaper than its usual price. There are dozens of models to choose from that are currently below $500, and since we're not sure how much time is remaining for these discounts, you're going to have to hurry with your decision on which one to purchase. We've rounded up our favorite offers, but feel free to browse through all of the 4K TVs that are part of the sale.

What to buy in Best Buy's 4K TV sale
If you want the most affordable TV with 4K Ultra HD resolution from Best Buy's sale, you should be looking at the

Audio / Video

This Epson 4K projector with Android TV is $300 off right now

The Epson Home Cinema 2350 4K projector on a white background.

If you want to build a theater experience within your living room, you're going to have to invest in a top-quality projector. Fortunately, you can get them for cheaper than usual through offers like Best Buy's $300 discount for the Epson Home Cinema 2350 4K projector. From its original price of $1,300, it's down to an even $1,000, but only if you act fast because we're not sure how much time is left for you to be able to take advantage of this bargain. This is one of the best projector deals that you can shop right now, so grab it while you can.

Why you should buy the Epson Home Cinema 2350 4K projector
The Epson Home Cinema 2350 4K projector supports content at 4K Ultra HD resolution like most of the best projectors, so you'll be able to enjoy sharp details and vivid colors, and it offers 2,800 lumens of brightness, which is better than the recommended 2,500 lumens by our guide on how to choose a home theater projector. It creates a viewable screen size of 40 inches to 500 inches with a projector distance from 3 feet to 30 feet, which are some of the important things to consider when setting up a home theater projector. The Epson Home Cinema 2350 4K projector also offers a low latency mode for responsive gaming if you hook it up to your video game console.