Sony Bravia TVs and Blu-ray Disc Player add streaming from Netflix

Netflix members can now instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix directly to TVs via Sony BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs and the Sony Network Blu-ray Disc Player. Sony has added the Netflix service to these products through a software update. Specific Sony models now available to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix include the Sony BRAVIA TV W5100, Z5100, XBR9, and XBR10 series in 40-inch, 46-inch and 52-inch screen sizes; the Sony N460 Network Blu-ray Disc Player; and Sony's BRAVIA Internet video link module when used with compatible BRAVIA TVs.

Netflix for Nokia Phones

Netflix is now available on five different Nokia phones, including three touch-enabled devices, enabling you to search for titles, manage your queues and watch previews. You can find the Netflix app in the Nokia Ovi Store's Entertainment category.

You can also register to win Nokia's ultimate home/mobile entertainment package, which includes a one year Netflix subscription, Nokia Booklet 3G, Nokia N97 mini, 42" Flat Screen HDTV, Surround Sound System, and Xbox 360. Details can be found here.

Insignia Blu-ray players now instantly stream

Hi, this note is from Paul Oeschger, Director of partner management. Best Buy has released two new Insignia Blu-ray players that instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix. The models are the Insignia Advanced Series Blu-ray Player NS-WBRDVD, which has built in WiFi wireless networking, and the Insignia Connected Blu-ray Player NS-BRDVD3. Insignia brand products are exclusively available at Best Buy stores and through the Best Buy web site. Netflix members can use these products to play titles from their instant Queue, and they can browse titles by genre from personalized lists and then play those titles immediately or add them to their instant Queue for easy access later.

PS3 now available

Jessie Becker, VP Marketing, here again. Great news for everyone who wants to instantly watch movies and TV episodes via your PS3: it's available now! If you've requested a Netflix instant streaming disc for PS3, it's on its way to you. If you haven't, go to netflix.com/PS3 to get your disc. Enjoy!

Update on Netflix coming to PS3

Jessie Becker here, VP Marketing. We know many of you are excited about being able to instantly watch movies and TV episodes via your PS3, and we’re excited as well. Today we shipped instant streaming discs for PS3 to about 100,000 Netflix members who requested them. After we tune a few more details, we expect to ship to everyone else within a couple of weeks. We’ll send you an email as soon as we ship your instant streaming disc. Keep checking here for updates as well.

Netflix coming to PS3

Greg Peters, VP of product development at Netflix, here. We’ve got good news for PS3 owners! Soon you will be able to instantly watch movies and TV episodes on your TV via your PS3. Today we announced that the PS3 is about to join the ever growing list of Netflix ready devices that allow streaming of movies and TV episodes whenever you want, as much as you want, all included in your unlimited Netflix subscription. The PS3 is a terrific Blu-ray and gaming platform that will get even better in November when we start streaming thousands of movies and TV episodes!

Horror Legend Roger Corman Teams with Netflix this Halloween Season

Fenot Tekle here from the Netflix communications team. We’re excited to announce that we’ve teamed up with legendary horror filmmaker Roger Corman to create a series of Webisodes which will launch on October 29. Roger has chosen Netflix as the vehicle to make his online debut with “Splatter,” a three-part Web series debuting two days before Halloween and then concluding on Friday the 13th of November.

We’re inviting all of America to instantly stream “Splatter” for free on their computers by going to www.netflix.com/splatter. Netflix members with an unlimited plan will be able watch it directly on their TVs at the conclusion of the series through the variety of Netflix ready devices in the marketplace.

“Splatter” is the haunting tale of rock-and-roll legend Johnny Splatter, a musical genius whose sudden death has brought a small circle of “frenemies” to a mansion for the reading of his will. All came expecting a windfall, but when Johnny rises from the dead to seek gruesome revenge, they soon find out they’ll be getting a lot more than they bargained for. The Webisodes were produced by Roger and Julie Corman, directed by Joe Dante and star Corey Feldman in the title role of Johnny Splatter. The series will launch on October 29, with the second installment scheduled for November 6 and the concluding episode slated for November 13.

In an unprecedented plot twist, Roger is opening up the creative direction of the series by giving viewers the power to choose who lives and dies, making the outcome purely driven by audience participation.

For more information on the series, visit www.netflix.com/splatter. We welcome you to watch and vote and enjoy the fright-fest that is “Splatter!”

Netflix Prize: $1 Million Paid, Another Million Now Up For Grabs

After nearly three years and efforts by more than 51,000 people worldwide, Netflix today awarded the Netflix Prize and $1 million to a team of seven engineers, statisticians and researchers from Austria, Canada, Israel and the U.S.

The team "BellKor's Pragmatic Chaos" leaderboard met face-to-face for the first time this morning before a news conference at which Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt named them winners, draped Olympic-size "gold" medals around their necks and handed them a check for $1 million. Their collaborative entry had taken place entirely over the net.

Moments later Neil announced details about Netflix Prize 2.

The contest ended in July with moments of real drama. Engineers at Netflix watched in amazement as the contest came down to the last few minutes when the winning team just edged out "The Ensemble," many of whose members were present at the New York award ceremony.

Netflix Prizemasters Stan Lanning and Jon Sanders have been extremely pleased how participants openly offered advice, information, ideas, and even libraries of code on the Prize Forum pages. The final result is a benefit to Netflix members as the movie predictions we make for you will be twice as good as before.

While the final curtain has come down on the Prize, Neil lifted the curtain a bit on the upcoming new Netflix Prize 2 contest. It will focus more on helping customers early in their experience with Netflix, drawing on many more sources of data to try to find just the right movies.

For more information on the winning entry for the original Prize and the new Netflix Prize 2 contest check out http://www.netflixprize.com.

Concert, Screenings and Free Streaming … Oh, My! Celebrate a Cinematic Classic with Netflix

Catherine Fisher from the Netflix communications team here. It’s been 70 years since Dorothy clicked her heels together and reminded us that there’s no place like home. To help celebrate, Netflix is inviting all of America to instantly watch “The Wizard of Oz” for free online at www.netflix.com/wizardofoz for 24 hours beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, October 3rd through 9:00 a.m. Eastern the following day. If you are a Netflix member and have a Netflix ready device you will be able to instantly watch the film in HD – watch out for the flying monkeys! This will be the first time that a movie of this stature will be streamed uninterrupted and for free over the Internet. You can RSVP to our event on Facebook to receive a reminder.

Netflix will also host a free, live concert and outdoor movie screening on Tuesday, September 29th, in New York City’s Central Park at Rumsey Playfield. The concert will feature songs from “The Wizard of Oz” performed by Jennifer Hudson, Julianne Hough and ?uestlove. Following the concert, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m., the movie will be shown on a giant inflatable screen.

For more information on the 70th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz” and how to take advantage of this special streaming offer, visit www.netflix.com/wizardofoz or www.facebook.com/netflix.

We hope you enjoy the movie on October 3rd and that we will see you in NYC for a great concert and screening!