Netflix gets more mobile

Netflix's iPad application, which allows consumers to stream video content straight to the device, is getting good reviews. The company also just announced it will create apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Of course Netflix wants to keep pace with its mobile-savvy customers. However, the company is likely also playing defense in a way by shifting some of its attention to live streaming for mobile devices.

Ethan Epstein of Slate's The Big Money Web site profiled Netflix's relationship with the US Postal Service last month, after the agency announced its plans to shift to a five-day per week delivery schedule. The service reduction is a major problem for the DVD-shipping company, he says.

“The elimination of Saturday delivery would mean that Netflix subscribers will have to endure two consecutive days of no service – nothing to scoff at in a time when consumers have come to expect high speeds and (nearly) instant gratification,” he notes, adding that “higher postage costs will pose another serious problem.”