The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Netflix unveils instant viewing

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"We are going into this with the knowledge that consumers want to watch [media] in various ways and we want to be there for them," said Frances Manfred, a senior vice president for NBC Universal. "For now, though, we know television is the vastly preferred option."

With its 8-year-old service on the verge of mailing out its billionth DVD, Netflix has been in no rush to change the status quo either.

But Hastings realizes Internet delivery eventually will supplant DVD rentals shipped through the mail, although he thinks it will take another three to five years before technological advances and changing studio sentiment finally tip the scales. By then, he hopes to have 20 million Netflix subscribers ready to evolve with the service.

Source: The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Netflix unveils instant viewing