LG Electronics will ship a line of HDTVs capable of streaming Netflix videos directly from the Internet without additional equipment.

LG Electronics' first-ever broadband-enabled plasma and LCD HDTVs will actually have the Netflix software embedded, and will join the LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player already available. Netflix currently offers subscription memberships for as little as $8.99 per month, and will allow members to stream movies directly to the HDTVs, bypassing discs and mailings altogether without the need to purchase additional equipment.

“Embedding the Netflix streaming software in the television is a natural progression of our partnership with Netflix and our innovative product line,” said LG Electronics USA president Teddy Hwang. “This is an LG industry-first, which provides another flexible option for consumers seeking to access exciting content directly through their HDTV.”

The setup sounds just like the method offered in LG's Network Blu-ray player: subscribers must log onto their Netflix accounts online via PC and enter the desired movies and TV episodes into individuals instant queues. The new list of choices thus appears in the HDTV's Netflix interface, and once selected, the movie or television episode will begin to stream within thirty seconds. According to the company, the accompanying remote control will allow users to rewind and fast-forward streaming videos as well as read synopses, rate movies, and browse through selections.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings seemed rather excited about the new direct-to-HDTV offering from LG, and rightfully so. “LG Electronics was first to embrace Netflix as a streaming partner a year ago, and was first in 2008 to introduce a Blu-ray disc player that streams movies from Netflix. So it’s fitting that LG is the first to introduce Netflix instant streaming directly to the TV with these next-generation HDTVs.”

Desktop and laptop PCs were the first to receive Netflix outside the usual mail-rental plan, streaming movies directly to consumer desks and monitors back in 2007. Since then, a number of devices have hit the market, bringing the streaming Netflix service into the living room without the need for renting DVDs through the mail. LG Electronics' new line of broadband-capable HDTVs will be the first time the Netflix service streams directly to the TV without an external device.

Last month LG Electronics announced that its new line of Network Blu-ray Disc Players, scheduled to hit retail outlets in the first half of 2009, will not only offer streaming content from Netflix, but the oh-so-addicting YouTube and CinemaNow services as well. Providing access to YouTube, consumers can stream millions of user-created videos straight from the Internet. As for CinemaNow, this service offers more than 14,000 titles from the major movie studios, broadcast and cable television shows.

LG Electronics says that its line of broadband HDTVs and Blu-ray players will make an appearance at 2009 CES (booth #8214) this week. The company expects to ship the HDTVs sometime this Spring. Currently LG Electronics has not revealed any price tags, or has not elaborated on the HDTVs' broadband capabilities outside the Netflix environment.

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