3-D is clearly the most talked-about technology here in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but if there's one buzzword that can give 3-D a run for its money, it's "Netflix." Netflix is everywhere at CES this year and the movie streaming service has become part of the standard Q&A we journalists have with manufacturers as we check out their new displays and Blu-ray Disc players: "Does it have Netflix?" For Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba, the answer is finally, "Yes."
Adding to their impressive stable of hardware partners, which already includes the likes of Sony, LG, Vizio, TiVo and Samsung, Netflix - and their new partners - announced this week new alliances with Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Sanyo and Funai, which distributes the Philips, Emerson, Sylvania and Magnavox brands here in the United States.
Each of the new partners plans to add the Netflix Watch Instantly service/application to select models in their respective display and/or Blu-ray Disc player lineups. Panasonic, for example, will be adding Netflix to their 2010 "VIERA Cast" suite of internet-based applications. VIERA Cast will be available on select display models and it will also be available on three of their four new Blu-ray Disc players for 2010. Unfortunately, due to the different chip-set requirements of Netflix, 2009 Blu-ray Disc players featuring VIERA Cast will not be able to use the new service offering.
With Netflix streaming now an integral technology and selling point for so many networked displays and Blu-ray Disc players, it seems as though only one question remains. When will we see Netflix in 3-D? Personally, I can wait.
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