Tuesday, May 20, 2008    Text size: 

Netflix teamed up with electronics manufacturer Roku.com to build and distribute the machine, which costs $99.99 and removes the whole mail-and-return process from the Netflix experience.

In the adult industry, SugarDVD.com remains the leading XXX counterpart to Netflix. SugarDVD Content Manager Justin Brand told XBIZ that the company has considered making a box similar to Netflix's.

"We think it's a great idea, but we don't know how it'll resonate with Netflix's customers, or with our customers, for that matter," he said.

Brand added that although SugarDVD has been concentrating on VOD delivery, they'll keep an eye on the success of the Netflix box.

To date, Netflix doesn't offer any hardcore adult content, but a simple search for "sex" returns dozens of adult titles, including the documentary "Sex: The Annabel Chong Story," which chronicles Chong's experience doing a large-scale gangbang.

Installing the player gives the consumer instant access to more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes.

Netflix Chirman and CEO Reed Hastings said that his company and Roku only moved forward with this project once they were able to cheaply produce an easy-to-use box.

"It allows consumers to use the full power of the Netflix website to choose movies for their instant queue, and then automatically displays only those choices on the TV screen," he said. "That's a major improvement versus the clutter of trying to choose from 10,000 films on the TV. Second, there are no extra charges and no viewing restrictions."

Besides the $99.99 price of the box, consumers will still have to pay their monthly Netflix fee to be able to use it. Also, the 10,000 movies available for the box represent only a fraction of Netflix's total library of 100,000 movies. Video quality reportedly borders on DVD quality, but nowhere near high-definition.

For more information, visit Roku.com.