Netflix Will Support High-Def DVD at Launch

[ericl]

Great News for Netflix Users -

Online DVD Rental Leader Embraces 'Next Wave of Consumer Excitement'

LOS GATOS, Calif., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Netflix Inc.
(Nasdaq: NFLX), the world's largest online movie rental service, today
announced it will carry the first movies available in HD DVD when the new
high-definition format launches in late March, according to plans recently
outlined by several major movie studios, and said it will similarly offer
titles in the Blu-ray format when that product launches, expected to be later
this year.
"High-definition DVD is the next wave of excitement in home entertainment
and we'll be there at its inception," said Netflix Chairman and CEO Reed
Hastings. "With far sharper images, better sound and more features, we expect
high-def will greatly enhance DVD's consumer appeal and extend its popularity
over the next decade or more."
With Toshiba's new high-def DVD player now available to be ordered for
March delivery at several leading online and big-box retailers, a number of
Hollywood studios have announced plans to launch both new and catalog titles
on HD DVD beginning late that month. Warner Home Video said at the recent
Consumer Electronics Show that it will introduce 24 titles in HD DVD on March
28. Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures Home
Entertainment and The Weinstein Company made similar announcements.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment,
Lionsgate and Paramount also said at the Consumer Electronics Show that they
have each selected between 10 and 20 titles to launch concurrent with the
debut of Blu-ray hardware later this year.
Netflix said it will make the high-def DVD titles available at launch as a
way of supporting the next-generation DVD format and signaling its belief that
while initial adoption may be limited the market will eventually migrate to
high-definition.
"For those subscribers who have an immediate interest in renting movies in
high-def, we're committed to making the full range of titles available at
Netflix the moment they're introduced," said Mr. Hastings.

About Netflix
Netflix is the world's largest online movie rental service, providing more
than three million subscribers access to over 55,000 DVD titles. Under the
company's most popular program, for $17.99 a month, Netflix subscribers rent
as many DVDs as they want and keep them as long as they want, with three
movies out at a time. There are no due dates, no late fees and no shipping
fees. DVDs are delivered for free by the USPS from regional shipping centers
located throughout the United States. Netflix can reach more than 90 percent
of its subscribers with generally one business-day delivery. Netflix offers
personalized movie recommendations to its members and has more than 1 billion
movie ratings. Netflix also allows members to share and recommend movies to
one another through its Friends(SM) feature. For more information, visit
http://www.netflix.com.



SOURCE Netflix, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.netflix.com

[Smokey]

I wonder if the local Video rent stores (Hollywood, BlockBuster) will also start carrying HD discs as they become available. And how much

[Hairsonfire]

than the nicked and scratched DVDs they work with now. I was given a two month subscribtion as a very thoughtful Christmas gift but I am apalled at the state of the discs that arrive. Nothing like really getting into a flick and having it be unplayable. The wondeful folks at my local Mom and Pop video store have a high end disc cleaner and always make sure that the discs I rent are p-r-i-s-t-i-n-e. I have heard this same complaint from other Netflicks users as well.

[ericl]

than the nicked and scratched DVDs they work with now. I was given a two month subscribtion as a very thoughtful Christmas gift but I am apalled at the state of the discs that arrive. Nothing like really getting into a flick and having it be unplayable. The wondeful folks at my local Mom and Pop video store have a high end disc cleaner and always make sure that the discs I rent are p-r-i-s-t-i-n-e. I have heard this same complaint from other Netflicks users as well.

Wow, you know, I haven't had many problems with discs. I've been a subscriber to netflix since 2002-2003 and I haven't had many discs that were unplayable. There have been a couple here and there, but not many.