Netflix Considers Streaming Only Subscription

Netflix now offers streaming movies and television shows through Xbox Live but in order to use this feature, Xbox Live Gold subscribers need to sign up for a general Netflix subscription. Why pay for the mail-order subscription if you're only going to use the streaming service, though?

According to Reuters, Netflix will offer its online streaming film services as a standalone subscription in the future. "We're likely to do that in the foreseeable future," said Netflix Chief Financial Officer Barry McCarthy at the Jefferies 5th annual Internet and Media Conference.

There's no mention of how much a streaming-only subscription would cost but it'll at least be cheaper than the normal subscription - if not, what's the point? McCarthy mentions that they'd continue to offer the general subscription with both streaming and mail-order rentals even when they started this initiative. Netflix also allows subscribers to watch streaming films through personal computers, LG Electronics products, and Roku set-top boxes. At the beginning of February, Microsoft announced that over 1 million Xbox Live users had used the Netflix service since it first became available on the Xbox 360 last fall.