Netflix has started to put their stamp on TV brands that support their streaming content, but two big brands are missing Samsung and Panasonic.
Among the big TV winners are LG, TCL, Sony, Hisense and Sharp.
Missing from the list issued by Netflix is Samsung who later this week is set to announce their Australian TV line-up for 2015 and Panasonic who has announced Netflix enabled apps for their cheap TV’s but not their premium $5,900 4K WT 600 TV.
ChannelNews understands that Samsung will be making a Netflix announcement in Australia this week despite their omission from the current list of certified TV’s.
What this certification means is that Netflix has worked with TV manufacturer to deliver a TV that streams Netflix content more efficiently than a none certified TV.
Key specifications are that a Netflix certified TV delivers a fast app launch and video playback, that the TV remote has a dedicated Netflix button for quick app access.
Analysts claim that the Netflix certification of TV’s in Australia could have a major impact on Foxtel, due to the Netflix logo and access to their streaming service being present on the remote control.
Netflix claim that their certification logo indicates that the TV’s are “built for a superior Internet TV experience.”
The Netflix Recommended TVs, will also sport a special logo at retail outlets.
TV sets include the LG 4K UHD TVs with webOS 2.0, Sony Android Full HDTVs and Hisense, and TCL.
Netflix said it is “particularly excited” about the Instant On functionality of the Sony TVs, which turn on quickly and return to what you were previously streaming, much like a smartphone or tablet. They also have a dedicated Netflix button.
“The LG 4K UHD TVs with webOS 2.0 have made special optimisations to make streaming services like Netflix launch much faster, and all of these devices offer improved user interfaces, allowing you to move seamlessly between live TV and Internet TV services,” Netflix said.
All of the new LG models include LG’s WebOS 2.0, an updated version of the company’s smart-TV platform.
