Netflix launches app for iPod touch, iPhone devices

Netflix on Thursday introduced a version of its application for the iPhone and iPod touch, allowing subscribers of the entertainment service to watch streaming content on their portable devices. The company already has a version of its application for the iPad, designed for the bigger screen of that device.

A subscription to Netflix is required, which starts at $8.99 per month. Nearly two thirds of its 15 million subscribers use some version of its online offerings, which also are available for PCs and select Blu-ray players and TV sets. It additionally gives Netflix a foothold in an increasingly competitive mobile entertainment market.

News surfaced earlier this week that Apple too plans to further extent its content rental offerings, possibly introducing TV show rentals for 99 cents along with a new version of its AppleTV set-top device at its September 1st event.

Streaming content would be available over either 3G or Wi-Fi, and users will be able to fast-forward and rewind through the stream. If a user stops watching a stream, they would be able to pick up where they left off on another Netflix application, the company said.

"Apple has changed the game for mobile devices," CEO Reed Hastings said. "We're excited that our members can now carry Netflix around in their pockets and instantly watch movies and TV shows streamed from Netflix right to their iPhone or iPod touch."

The application is free and is currently available in the App Store. Users must be running iOS 3.1.3 or later.