The move gives owners of the Samsung BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray disc players access to more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes from the Netflix Web site.

The player will be Sony’s first Blu-ray product to offer any type of streaming option.

Instantly streaming content from Netflix to the TV set via the new Blu-ray player must rely on a typical wired broadband connection and a queue-based user interface maintained by subs, which have long been the trademark attributes of Netflix.

The updated players will access Netflix’s current library of about 12,000 titles.

Sharp said it would introduce a Blu-ray Disc player with recording capabilities that will first be released in Japan next month.

Sony still plans to introduce its first Blu-ray Disc recorder-player in Japan later this year, as the firm deals with delays in production of its Blu-ray players and some Sony movie content in the latter half of 2006. At a Sony event last week in Tokyo to promote some of its upcoming devices, the company said HD produ

Samsung Electronics America's first Blu-ray disc players have been shipped to U.S. retailers for availability starting this Sunday, June 25. Samsung's player ( model BD-P1000 ) for the next-gen disc format means that both high-def DVD formats will start to go head-to-head in the marketplace by next week. Sony Pictur

The company knows that it doesn't have enough Blu-ray discs to distribute as quickly as possible to requests.