Netflix, the largest online DVD rental service that offers users in the United States flat rate rental-by-mail and online streaming of approximately 100, 000 titles, has now added Apple Incorporated’s Macs to their list of devices that can run their streaming service.

For the time being, nevertheless, the feature is open to a limited number of new Netflix subscribers and only works on the Intel-based devices.

Netflix has stated on their „Watch Instantly” service’s System Compatibility web page that these shortcomings had arisen by virtue of Apple’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) terms that do not license third-parties.

Currently, the “Watch Instantly” feature is using Microsoft’s Silverlight technology to deliver the video content to Mac users. Silverlight was developed at Microsoft’s Redmond Research lab, which focuses on areas such as Adaptive Systems and Interaction, Adaptive Systems Interaction Focus, Advanced Compiler Technology and Communication and Collaboration Systems. The technology competes with Adobe Flash, SVG, Adobe Flex, Adobe Shockwave, JavaFX, Curl and the JavaScript programming language on the web browser plugins for animation, vector graphics and audio-video playback features market.

DVD rental service Netflix has partnered with Microsoft so that they deliver streaming movies to the latter company’s video game console Xbox. In addition, Netflix has also clinched a deal with Samsung to provide video content to their Blu-Ray DVD players.

Netflix ships 1.9 million discs to U.S. consumers on a daily basis, having approximately 8.2 million subscribers presently.

The Los Gatos, California-headquartered company has an 86 score on ForeSee Results’ Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index, where the American Customer Satisfaction Index is concerned, while the industry average is rated at only 75.