Netflix hires ReplayTV founder for Internet TV div

Monday, April 16, 2007

Netflix - an online DVD rental service - which has never denied wanting to get into the direct movie download business, has named Anthony Wood to run its newly-created Internet TV group.

Wood, founded ReplayTV - a service which competed with DVR giant TiVo until its acquisition by SonicBlue in 2001. Wood served as senior vice president of engineering and was responsible for the company's ReplayTV and Rio lines, so he is no stranger to streaming video content, and a natural choice for Netflix's internet TV group.

In June 2006, Netflix announced it was exploring different ways to deliver movies into the home now that broadband connections have become commonplace.

Last year it was rumored Netflix would use a set-top box to deliver movie downloads to customers. But the company at the time said this was inaccurate, and it has made no decisions on how it will roll out such a service. Netflix officials indicated a set-top box was only one possibility.

However, with Wood now on board, a set-top box to receive movies over the internet may materialize. The company has reportedly been working with TiVo on utilizing the digital video recorder as one platform for movie streaming.

Netflix says its interested in streaming movies to any internet-connected device - from high-definition plasma televisions to cell phones.

Wood will report to Netflix's chief product officer Neil Hunt.