Downloader: iPad will get a Netflix streaming video app

Thursday, April 1, 2010

iPad will get a Netflix streaming video app

Everyone's talking about the iPad as the next big thing in eReaders, but could it also be a killer device for watching movies? Sure, if Netflix has anything to say about it. The Wall Street Journal says Netflix has an iPad app in the works, which means subscribers can stream movies to their iPads, without going through Apple's iTunes.

This may come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Apple's feelings on competition. The iTunes movie store is a different kind of service than Netflix, though. It allows users to rent movies a la carte, with no subscription, and play them later without an Internet connection. Netflix certainly packs a big library, though, and if you're a frequent movie watcher, it's a lot cheaper than buying or renting individual flicks on iTunes. The Netflix app itself is rumored to be free.

There may also be an iPhone/iPod Touch version of Netflix down the line, but right now, sources have only confirmed the iPad app.

The screenshot above is from AppAdvice, who may be playing an April Fools' joke. The Wall Street Journal isn't known for its sense of humor, though, so I'm going to say it's a safe bet that this app is real (even if it might not look like AppAdvice's image).