Upcoming LG Blu-ray player will stream Netflix videos

Netflix continues its assault on the living room with its latest streaming set-top device—this time, a Blu-ray player from LG, due to hit stores in September.

The LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player will sell for "well less than $500," according to the Wall Street Journal, and it'll also be capable of playing Blu-ray discs with Net-enabled BD-Live features.

According to the official LG press release, the BD300 will come with an Ethernet port but no wireless capabilities, unlike the Wi-Fi-ready, $99 Roku Netflix Player that was unveiled in May.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Netflix announced that its streaming video service will be coming to the Xbox 360 this fall—so now, counting the new LG Blu-ray deck, we're talking three devices (and counting) that'll let you stream Netflix's catalog of 12,000-plus "Watch Instantly" movies and TV shows over the Net.

Netflix and LG first announced their partnership back in January at CES, but didn't reveal any specific products at the time.

As far as the BD300 goes, LG hasn't coughed up much in terms of specs. While I'm sure the deck will deliver full 1080p resolution for Blu-ray discs over HDMI, it's not clear what the top resolution will be for streaming Netflix videos.

The Roku box only puts out a 480i signal, which is weak even by SD standards. Then again, the Netflix streaming service has an ace up its sleeve—unlimited free videos if you're a Netflix subscriber.

Overall, Netflix has an interesting strategy here—rather than building a proprietary box like Apple and Vudu, it appears to be licensing its service to all comers, a shotgun approach that might end up appealing to a wider variety of viewers.

That said, if the BD300 ends up being as pricey as I think it'll be ("less than $500" = about $400, to my mind), it may end up appealing only to the deep-pocket set. Something in the $200 range would be more like it.

What do you think—would you rather get a separate Netflix box, or a combo device like the BD300 or the soon-to-be-updated Xbox 360?

Related:
LG Electronics Device to Deliver Movies Online [The Wall Street Journal]