Lovefilm Announce Samsung Streaming Service

By Helen Storey Staff Writer 22 January 2010

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IS the walk to the front door getting too much? Or, more realistically, are you tired of waiting for your online DVD rental service to deliver?

If so, you could benefit from the latest Lovefilm streaming service.

Internet@TV

The online streaming service - which will allow Lovefilm subscribers to access Lovefilm's 60,000-strong DVD rental catalogue using their remote - will be made available through new Samsung TVs.

The televisions will provide the service through a platform called Internet@TV which will allow users to download apps and widgets for a range of other services, including BBC's iPlayer.

"LOVEFiLM are very excited to be part of Samsung's compelling Internet@TV service," said Simon Calver, CEO of LoveFilm DVD rental.

"We are delighted to be able to provide our unlimited subscription customers with a new and exciting way to access LoveFilm's vast catalogue of movies through their Samsung devices at the touch of a button."

The end of online DVD rental by post?

The service will be available for subscribers to LoveFilm's unlimited dvd rental package (currently starting from £12.99 per month), giving current users much better value for money and the chance to bypass the Royal Mail.

Lost, damaged or even stolen discs will become a thing of the past and we have to say that the idea of having a catalogue of over 60,000 titles available from our television set is more than a little bit exciting.

This is one of a number of recent changes by LoveFilm that suggest it could be slowly switching tack from a postal service to an online-only one.

...but wait. That's not all!

Apparently, Sony has got in on the act too and will be releasing a streaming service for LoveFilm users through its new Bravia television sets.

A comment that it may be built into the XrossMediaBar menus (a snazzy navigational tool used in Sony's TVs and consoles), has had the rumour mill operators out in full swing, with all fingers pointing squarely at a possible PS3 streaming service.

This would be a welcome move for UK PS3 fans, as it would be the first service of its kind to hit British shores.

Across the pond, US rental giant, Netflix, currently offer a streaming service for the PS3, Xbox 360, and more recently, the Nintendo Wii.

Other rumours flying around are that we could soon be seeing the LoveFilm service on our set-top boxes and even Blu-ray players.

Both Sony and LoveFilm are yet to make an official announcement but our fingers are crossed that the rumours are made firm fact.

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