Seagate’s FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player now has support for Netflix’s Watch Instantly. A free firmware update will enable the player to stream Netflix as well as content from YouTube, vTuner and Mediafly. This device just got a whole lot more competitive.

The unit also doubles as a UPnP / DLNA streamer to play content stored on networked PCs and drives, and you can get one for around $100 without a FreeAgent HDD.

We’ve been waiting for a Netflix iPhone app for a long time, but now Steve Swasey, Netflix’s VP of Corporate Communications was specifically asked if there’s an iPhone app in the future. You know, since we are getting one for the iPad. He says they are working on it.

And that’s no doubt good to hear if you’ve been waiting. But in the meantime, go watch Netflix on one of your other devices while taking comfort in Steve’s words, “We wouldn’t invite you to dinner without planning to serve dessert.” See that? They are planning dessert. It’s worth the wait.

The Netflix Streaming app is now official. Aside from Hulu, it’s probably one of the most anticipated apps for the iPad for watching shows and movies. There aren’t many details, but if you’ve used or seen Netflix Watch Instantly on other devices, it’s pretty self-explanatory.

Just download the free app and instantly watch TV shows & movies streaming from Netflix as often as you like. It’s part of your unlimited Netflix membership. It let’s you do all of the usual things like browsing movies and managing your Queue.

Netflix instant streaming discs for the Nintendo Wii started arriving in homes today to the delight of many Wii console owners. The service allows Wii owners who subscribe to at least the minimum $9/month plan with Netflix, to watch select streaming movies and television shows direct to their televisions.

Netflix subscribers keep the disc and must have it inserted in the console any time they would like to watch streaming content, while movies sent through mail will continue as they have in the past. Once the disc is inserted and selected from the Wii home menu, an activation code is presented. Users must enter this code on the Netflix website as a one-time activation to enable the streaming service.

We know that you Wii users have been dying to watch some Netflix instant content on your Nintendo console. Good news. The first batch of Netflix Watch Instantly discs for the Nintendo Wii have now been shipped.

If you already ordered one, you can track its status. Some of you will get them as early as tomorrow. You may not be getting HD, but at least you can enjoy the Netflix library of instant movies and TV while using a Wiimote.

The guys over at Engadget just had a quick look at Netflix for Windows Phone 7 Series, one of the third-party apps Microsoft is showing off at MIX10. It looks like what you would expect, lots of red with the Netflix logo.

But unlike some other mobile Netflix apps, this one has Watch Instantly support and it looks pretty decent, which is a score for the capabilities of Microsoft’s Silverlight-based dev platform. We wish it was available right now. Video below.

A recent Netflix survey asked an interesting question. “How likely would you or someone in your household be to instantly watch movies & TV episodes on your iPhone via a Wi-Fi network?” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings did say that Netflix streaming would come to the iPhone “eventually”. Apparently they are gauging the interest and getting ready.

Hopefully they can offer just such an app without running into too much trouble from the studios who are always worried about their rights.

Today we were able to try out the Samsung BD-C6500 1080p Blu-ray player, one of Samsung’s latest line of players featuring high-definition video along with the Samsung Internet@TV. The new players do a good job of grasping onto the future of digital media by bring internet connectivity into the player and directly into your TV.

The BD-C6500 player features the ability to playback full Blu-ray 1080p HD video along with Dolby Digital sound and output it through HDMI, S-Video, Optical and 7.1 analog audio. What’s really interesting about this player however is it’s integration to the internet and online media.

Sony was showing off its Dash personal internet viewer way back at CES. The device should arrive in April, but we are now learning that it will have the ability to stream Watch Instantly content from Netflix. This actually makes us excited about this one.

Demand Media will also be offering portals to content from eHow, Golflink and Livestrong.com, and it will also stream “online music videos, television, or film content on-demand” to the 7-inch touchpanel.

We often find ourselves wondering just what Nintendo is thinking with things like a lack of Wii colors, a lack of HD on the Wii itself, a lack of good games… What’s the deal Nintendo? Now Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo of America fame now claims that his customers do not want a feature that has become a standard.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 can stream full HD movies from Netflix at no extra cost and Reggie has stated his belief that “there really is no loss for the Wii consumer” because “the vast majority” of Netflix streaming content isn’t HD anyway. Reggie has also claimed that the 26 million Wii console owners out there have voted with their wallets and will be quite happy to continue with standard def. Say what?

The New York Times has an interactive Web app that lets you see the popularity of various Netflix titles by neighborhood in a several different cities. It’s a pretty interesting voyeuristic look at who is watching what. But it leaves you with more questions than answers.

For instance Why is The Curious Case Of Benjamin Butler so popular in Chicago? Or for that matter why are any of these people watching Doubt? Don’t they have paint to watch dry?

Netflix fans have something else to be happy about. Philips is now rolling out a bunch of Blu-ray players featuring Netflix Watch Instantly streaming. The BDP5110 and 5320 are both BD-Live players and have vTuner Internet radio.

The 5110 will arrive in Q1 for $169, while the BDP5320 comes with a WiFi dongle and will ship around the same time for $249. On the high-end, the BDP7320 sports all of those features plus DLNA access to stream video from networked devices or PCs.

The new Philips / Funai combo P&F is promising good looks and green habits with its stylish Eco TV series. The 4000, 5000 and 7000 series climb to be exact. 2010 sees the introduction of Netflix streaming, internet radio and Blockbuster Video On Demand on some models and HDMI 1.4 jacks on the 7000 models.

For once we have some prices and release dates for these guys right from the get-go, which is a big plus. Hit up the link below for the full rundown. The prices aren’t bad at all and te wait isn’t very long.

Well if you don’t have a home theater Netflix streaming option yet, but own an internet-connected Sony BRAVIA TV, Netflix just went live. Just as they promised back in July. You’ll be watching your favorite flicks in no time now.

All you have to do is apply the latest software update and you’re ready to go. What will it be? A drama? Action movie? Comedy? Comedy is PS3 owners having to use a “DVD” to get Netflix working on their console. Feel free to laugh at them.

We talked earlier this month about the announcement that the PS3 would be getting Netflix streaming service. Today marks the official live date for the PS3 Netflix deal. If you were wondering how Netflix got around that deal with Microsoft, Blu-ray is the answer.

The Blu-ray disc that has to be in the PS3 at all times uses BD-Live to access the Netflix streaming catalog. As long as the disc is in the PS3, you can stream until your heart’s content. The service is free to all Netflix members, but you have to request one of the discs.