Netflix One-Click Remote Buttons Promised By Sony, Toshiba, Roku & More

As smart TV options get more and more comprehensive, actually deciding which service you're going to use takes some planning. Netflix has sensibly decided that the best place to be isn't just on a menu but as a dedicated button on the remote control, and so has agreed deals with various manufacturers to get placement on their TV, Blu-ray and media streamer controllers.

Best Buy's own Dynex brand, Haier, Memorex, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba will all slap a Netflix button on certain remotes for select models of their Blu-ray players, while Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba also will place the Netflix one-click button on remote controls for select new Internet-connected TVs. Finally, the Boxee, Iomega and Roku STBs will get Netflix buttons on their remotes as well.

The service itself will be unchanged, but Netflix is obviously hoping that more straightforward access to the service will gain them extra mind-share. Oh, and before you ask, that janky remote control mock-up above is the handiwork of Netflix. For shame!

Press Release:

Streaming From Netflix Will Soon be Even More Convenient With Netflix One-Click Remotes Introduced by Major Consumer Electronics Makers

Members to Benefit with a Netflix One-Click Button on Remote Controls for New Internet Connected TVs, Blu-ray Disc Players and Other Devices that Stream from Netflix

LOS GATOS, Calif., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) today announced that streaming from Netflix on TVs will soon be as easy as one click of a remote control as a number of the world's leading consumer electronics companies have joined in a development effort to place Netflix-branded one-click buttons on remotes that operate Internet connected TVs, Blu-ray disc players and other devices that connect the Internet to the TV.

Beginning this Spring, buttons that specify "Netflix" – including some featuring the iconic red Netflix logo – are planned to be situated prominently on remote controls that operate certain new Blu-ray disc players from a variety of companies including Best Buy's in-house Dynex brand, Haier, Memorex, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba. Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba also will place the Netflix one-click button on remote controls for select new Internet-connected TVs. Remote controls for the Boxee, Iomega and Roku set-top boxes also will feature the Netflix one-click remote.

"For members who want even more convenience when instantly watching TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix, the answer is about to be right in their hands," said Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt. "No more turning on the TV, going to a home screen and searching for the Netflix icon. With the Netflix one-click remote, it's simply a matter of pushing the Netflix button to instantly watch any of the vast selection of TV shows and movies available to stream from Netflix."

The Netflix one-click remote is the latest in a series of rapid technological advancements by Netflix to enable Netflix members to instantly watch TV shows and movies streamed by Netflix over the Internet. Today there are more than 250 Netflix ready devices on the market.