Netflix will be available Monday as an ordinary cable channel, thus helping out the few remaining people who hadn’t caved and purchased a Roku. It’ll work as an app through cable boxes, but for now it’s only going to be an option with RCN, Grande Communications and Atlantic Broadband, according to the Washington Post.
As the Post puts it, this will give people “the ability to watch the Netflix content they would otherwise be able to get only on their PCs, tablets, and phones, or with a third-party set-top box.” That’s a pretty healthy list of places you can watch Netflix already, so this might not be totally life-changing for too many people. On the other hand, given that Netflix reportedly worked on the deal for multiple years, it might be a sign that Netflix may be planning to get in on the concept of appointment television. For now, the channel will offer the usual access to your Netflix account, and subscribers to the participating cable companies can access the app Monday.
Notably, the Netflix app will not be available for Comcast subscribers, despite the recent deal the company worked out with Comcast to make sure its subscribers get good internet speeds.
In other words, the debate about whether the future of television is in binge watching or social media-enhanced live viewing rages on.
