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TMCNet: The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Lillie-Beth Brinkman column

[August 31, 2010]

The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Lillie-Beth Brinkman column

Aug 31, 2010 (The Oklahoman - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Cue the music to a familiar Broadway tune and sing along with me: "Anything you can stream, I can stream better. I can stream anything better than you." OK, the words are a little off, but that's the phrase that's stuck in my head because of recent events involving Netflix.

Last week, Netflix announced that subscribers to the service can now stream videos directly to their iPod devices and watch them instantly with the new Netflix app.

Also, starting Wednesday, the number of theatrical movies available for instant streaming will expand thanks to a deal with Epix, so now you have a new way to get more movies anytime you want to see them. Apple is expected to make some sort of announcement Wednesday, too, possibly about video streaming through iTunes.

But let's stay focused on Netflix today, because amid this talk about instant streaming to a hand-held device, we continue to see a shift in the way we watch movies and television. Viewers now expect to watch on their own schedule, even with on-demand cable TV services from Cox Communications or AT&T.

For those who don't know, if you subscribe to the video service Netflix, you pay a monthly fee as low as $8.99 to have access to its entire DVD library. Select your movies, and the service will mail DVDs to you, one at a time or more, depending on how much you pay. In recent years, Netflix has offered many of its movies for streaming instantly through devices such as an Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii or a media player.

It's that instant queue that you can now organize and watch on the go, using the free app on your Apple mobile device. I've recently started using Netflix, especially the instant option streamed through a Wii console. However, if you use the new Netflix app to stream video through your iPhone, be wary of extra mobile data charges. Also, for now, you can't use your hand-held Apple device to watch Netflix movies on television, even if you have a cable that connects the two.

To see more of The Oklahoman, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsok.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail services@mctinfoservices.com, or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544).

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