Los Gatos, Calif. - Online DVD rental service Netflix (NASD: NFLX) on Tuesday introduced the Netflix Player, a $100 set-top box made by Roku that lets subscribers stream some of the company's library of films and TV episodes directly to their televisions. The Roku device currently offers access to 10,000 titles, or about 10% of Netflix's total catalog.

CNET's Crave blog published a review that criticized the relatively meager selection of films available through the device, but praised both its low cost and its advantage over a la carte download services like Apple TV, in that Netflix subscribers paying at least $8.95 per month get unlimited streaming at no extra charge.

Along with the Roku device, two other Netflix players with added features like DVD or Blu-ray playback are expected to launch in the second half of 2008, from manufacturers including Korea's LG Electronics.

The Associated Press reports that Netflix also paid $6 million for an undisclosed stake in Roku earlier this year.

Related Links:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080520/aqtu037.html?.v=51

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080520/netflix_tv.html (AP)

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9947582-1.html

http://www.roku.com/netflixplayer