Netflix Eyes iPhone Movie Streaming. Is the iPad Next?

You can get Netflix movies on your computer in an instant if you're a subscriber. Soon, you may be able to get them on your iPhone, too.

The website Hacking Netflix reports that the DVD distribution company hopes to join Ustream to stream films directly to Apple's mobile device. In a recent survey to its subscribers, the company asked, "How likely would you or someone in your household be to instantly watch movies & TV episodes on your iPhone via a Wi-Fi network?"

Unlike Ustream, however, it's expected that Netflix would only work over a WiFi connection (as the survey asks), not cellular service. But Matt Buchanan at Gizmodo suggests that the bigger issue would be over streaming rights... Except that Netflix already streams over the computer (albeit via Starz Play).

It would be a smart move for Netflix, which has seen more competitors offer DVD rentals, including DVD rental kiosk companies DVDNow and Redbox, while companies like Walmart are moving into on-demand or streaming. Last month, the giant retailer announced a $100 million acquisition of Vudu, which streams entertainment directly to TVs and Blu-ray devices. The move was seen as pitting Walmart squarely against Amazon's movie distribution business, but it also encroaches on Netflix territory, too.

Netflix has already begun turning its business toward streaming and away from DVDs, as in a deal it inked with Warner Bros. earlier this year to delay distribution of DVDs for 28 days in favor of more streaming rights. Furthermore, the company uses Silverlight's streaming technology, which works on the iPhone.

Of course, it's hard to imagine the tiny screen of the iPhone is the endgame here, especially when the iPad, expected to be a better platform for multimedia, is just around the corner. However, in last month's analyst call, CEO Reed Hastings said the company was focused on TV and Blu-ray "ubiquity," not Apple mobile devices. The survey, with its very direct question, seems to imply something else.