The Netflix APK has been pulled from a prototype of the LG Revolution, the first Android smartphone to offer full Netflix support, by a guy named Alex Smith. And thanks to Mr. Smith’s handiwork, the Netflix APK is now readily available to anyone who wants to give it a whirl, but you’ll only be able to use it to manage your Netflix queue and browse movies. The app alerts you that it “could not reach the Netflix service,” if you try to stream a movie, which is probably due to the DRM issues that have been responsible for a full Netflix on Android client delay in the first place. Netflix has yet to publicly disclose when a fully functioning client would be available for the Android platform.

[Via Engadget]

Read

If you’ve got a network connected Wii and a Netflix account with streaming capabilities, today is your lucky day. Via a press release, Nintendo and Netflix announced that U.S. and Canadian subscribers will be able to download and install software directly to their Wii consoles to allow Instant Queue streaming. Previously, the Wii console required a Netflix CD to be inserted in the disc drive for Instant Queue access. The software is available for free from the Wii Shop Channel on your console. The full press release is after the break.

Netflix Now Available as a Download from the Wii Shop Channel

Watching Movies and TV Shows Streamed Instantly from Netflix is Now Just a Click Away

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Beginning today, Netflix members in the United States and Canada can stream content through their Wii™ consoles with Netflix installed on their Wii Menu. The Netflix disc that was used for instant streaming on the Wii console will no longer be required. Netflix members who have a plan starting at $8.99 a month ($7.99 in Canada), a Wii console and a broadband Internet connection can now instantly watch movies and TV shows streamed directly to their TVs by simply downloading Netflix from the Wii Shop Channel. This new channel is available at no extra cost. The new disc-free option installs Netflix on the Wii Menu, making it convenient for Wii owners to quickly access streaming movies and TV shows.

“At this time of year, consumers have a near-insatiable demand for family entertainment,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “And this simplified Netflix access will help bring families together more quickly, more easily and in more ways than ever before. More than 3 million Wii systems have already connected to Netflix, demonstrating how easy the service is to set up and use.”

“Wii is a consummate home entertainment platform and has quickly become one of the best and most popular ways to enjoy movies streamed from Netflix,” said Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix. “The availability of Netflix right on the Wii Menu adds significantly to the ease and convenience that attracts our members to the Netflix streaming experience and is an important step in our efforts to continuously improve the service.”

Wii offers consumers the most fun right out of the box. Precision motion controls, online access and great games are all included at no extra charge. For a suggested retail price of just $199.99 ($209.99 in Canada), Wii owners get:

• The Wii console, Wii Sports™, Wii Sports Resort™, a Wii Remote™ controller, a Wii MotionPlus™ accessory and a Nunchuk™ controller
• Access* to hundreds of downloadable games in the Wii Shop Channel, including original games like World of Goo and classic games from the NES™, Super NES™ and Nintendo 64™ eras
• Access* to a variety of entertainment and informational channels, including the Nintendo® Channel, which provides information about current and upcoming Wii and Nintendo DS™ games
• Access* to streaming Netflix movies and TV shows

The Netflix service has been available on the Wii console in the United States since April 12, 2010, and in Canada since Sept. 22, 2010. For more information about how to stream Netflix through a Wii console, visit http://www.netflix.com/wii or http://www.netflix.ca/wii.

Remember that Wii and Netflix feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://wii.com and http://www.netflix.com.

* Broadband Internet connection required. Netflix streaming requires Netflix subscription.

Read

Fresh off of their deal last month with Epix, Netflix has announced a new, long-term agreement with Nu Image/Millennium Films that will bring more first-run content to its streaming library. As the press release explains, “Nu Image and Millennium Films are best known for big budget action/thriller movies including: ‘The Expendables,’ ‘John Rambo,’ ‘Brooklyn’s Finest,’ ‘Righteous Kill,’ ’16 Blocks’ and ‘Black Dahlia.’” The movies will be available to Netflix users during the “pay TV window” and will begin in to show up in early 2011. We’ve got the full press release after the break.

Netflix and Nu Image/Millennium Films Announce Long-term Agreement to Stream First-Run Theatrical Films to Netflix Members

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ — Netflix, Inc (Nasdaq: NFLX) and Nu Image/Millennium Films today announced a long-term agreement through which first-run theatrical films distributed by the Nu Image/Millennium Group will be licensed to Netflix for streaming over the Internet to its subscribers during the “pay TV window.” Historically, these films have been licensed to premium TV channels.

The deal underscores how Netflix is moving rapidly to expand both the variety and timeliness of movies and TV episodes available to be watched instantly by its members. The companies said they expect five to 10 theatrical films per year to flow to Netflix through the agreement, in general just a few months after their release on DVD.

Nu Image and Millennium Films are best known for big budget action/thriller movies including: “The Expendables,” “John Rambo,” “Brooklyn’s Finest,” “Righteous Kill,” “16 Blocks” and “Black Dahlia.”

“We are delighted to be in business with Netflix,” said Avi Lerner, co-chairman of Nu Image/Millennium. “This is a groundbreaking deal for our new releases and library titles. It will allow us to be more aggressive with theatrical releases and will clearly impact our distribution model. We will be producing more great films for Netflix.”

“Avi Lerner and Nu Image have a remarkable track record of producing crowd pleasing and profitable films,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix. “Their ability to work across multiple studios and maintain a consistent output of diverse and successful films makes Avi and his company perfect Netflix partners for theatrical features in the pay TV window.”

Among the first films to be covered under the deal is Dito Monteil’s 2011 scheduled release “Son of No One,” a crime drama starring Channing Tatum, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, Ray Liotta and Juliette Bincoche about a young cop assigned to the working class Queens neighborhood in which he grew up and the discovery of a horrible family secret. Also slated for Netflix via the new agreement is 2011′s scheduled “Elephant White,” starring Academy Award® nominee Djimon Hounsou and Golden Globe® winner Kevin Bacon in a drama about a contract killer who gets swept up in the dangerous business of white slave traders in Thailand.

The deal was negotiated by David Sobieraj, president of domestic video and television for Nu Image/Millennium Films, and Robert Kyncl, vice president of content acquisition for Netflix.

Read

It looks like Netflix has quietly added iPhone and iPod Touch support to their popular Netflix mobile application that iPad users are already enjoying. The new application allows the streaming of movies, that are eligible to be added to your “Instant Queue,” over both 3G and Wi-Fi. The app is available for download now via the iTunes App Store. The new, more inclusive Netflix application is more evidence that the movie rental giant is taking mobile very, very seriously.

UPDATE: The official press release just went live. Here it is: link.

Read [iTunes Music Store]

It took a while, as it typically does, but once again an App Store app has brought official iPhone / iPod Touch support for something a jailbroken app has provided for over a year. This time, it’s Netflix queue management. Like iFlix, a widely popular app for jailbroken Apple handsets, i.TV has now added Netflix queue management to the long list of supported TV and movie-related functionality it provides. i.TV users can quickly and easily view movies available from Netflix, read summaries and cast info, check out movie ratings and of course add or remove movies from a Netflix queue. The app is still completely free and available via the Apple App Store. Maybe the i.TV developers will also add Blockbuster Total Access support to the app – we think there still might be three or four subscribers.

Read