(3 January 2008 3:45 pm)

MUMBAI: DVD rental company Netflix is partnering with LG Electronics to develop a set-top box that will directly let subscribers watch movies from the web to TV sets. The LG Electronics box is due in the second half of 2008.

Netflix will make its service embedded in dozens of devices, including cable set-top boxes, video game consoles and Internet-enabled TV sets.

Netflix already has a service called Watch Instantly, whereby 6,000 titles can be chosen by subscribers who wish to watch them almost instantaneously. The service, though, is on computer screens and not their television sets.

Like Netflix's PC instant viewing feature, the online TV streaming feature would be included in all of its various price plans, generally ranging from $4.99 to about $16.99 a month, at no extra charges. About 90,000 titles are available through the Netflix online mail order service.

Web video viewing has many companies into the sector, including Vudu, which offers a set-top box for $399 that lets consumers buy or rent movies from a selection of about 5,000 titles.