New LG Blu-ray player will stream movies from Netflix

Viewers seeking easy access to prerecorded movies and TV shows will soon have a new option: LG says its next high-def DVD player, the BD300 Network Blu-ray Player, can stream content from the Netflix website directly to their TVs.

The BD300, which will be available this fall, requires a broadband connection to access the Netflix website. Using the player's remote control, users can browse movies and TV shows, and access ratings and a synopsis of a program. Desired selections are then added to a personalized queue, which is displayed on the TV screen. According to LG, once a movie is selected from the queue, it will start playing within 30 seconds, and viewers will be able to fast-forward and rewind the program as they do on a DVR.

There are several questions that hopefully will be answered at a press conference this evening. For example, the companies didn't say if the programs would be available as high-def video streams, and if so, what the resolution would be.  Based on other deals, we presume it will be sent as standard-definition video. And so far, there's no word on the expected price for the player. And while the companies said there would be "no additional charge" for content streamed from Netflix, they didn't say what level of membership, if any, would be required to access the Netflix library.

The BD300, a Profile 2.0 player with Blu-ray's BonusView (picture-in-picture) and BD Live (Internet access) features, is the second joint product announcement from LG and Netflix this year. At the CES trade show in January, the two companies said that in the second half of the year LG would offer a settop box with a similar ability to stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to TVs. Netflix also has a deal with Microsoft that allows Xbox 360 owners to access standard-def content from the Netflix website.

We'll be attending the LG summer line show this evening, so stay tuned for more details about the BD300 and other LG products. LG has emerged as a strong brand in multiple consumer electronics categories, including TVs, Blu-ray and DVD players and recorders, and cell phones. Several LG models are listed in our LCD and plasma TV recommendations. For other fine choices see our Ratings of LCD and plasma TVs. (Ratings and recommendations are available to subscribers.)

—James K. Willcox