Netflix and ABC readying iPad apps, NBC and CBS building iPad/iPhone-compatible sites

The iPad has just become every couch potato’s dream device. Today a slew of video-related news hit for the device, and even though it’s April 1, most of it seems legitimate. We have word of Netflix and ABC iPad apps, as well as CBS and NBC revamping their websites to stream video to the iPad and iPhone.
News of the Netflix application originally came from AppAdvice last night, and like many, I had initially assumed that it was an April fools joke. But after it was pointed out by Engadget that the Netflix and ABC app screenshots were coming directly from Apple’s servers, it seems less likely that the Netflix app is a prank.
From what we can tell, the Netflix iPad app appears to give you all of the functionality of the website. You can manage your queue, and browse for new Netflix titles. Most importantly, it will allow you to watch Netflix’s instant streaming titles on your iPad. We reported earlier last month that Netflix was surveying users on a potential iPhone application, and now that it seems we’re getting an iPad app, I’m sure an iPhone app isn’t far behind.
The ABC app will give iPad users access to all of the content currently streaming on ABC’s website, which includes shows like Lost and Greys Anatomy. Both apps are scheduled to be available on April 3, the iPad’s launch date. I also suspect that iPhone and iPod Touch users will be seeing it soon.
NBC and CBS are taking a different approach to making their content available. Instead of building apps, they are developing HTML5 versions of their websites that will be able to stream videos encoded in the H.264 format to the iPad and iPhone. NBC’s implementation is already online –  iPhone users can head to NBC.com to get their fill of content right now.
I suspect that many other websites will take a similar approach, instead of developing iPhone/iPad apps. Upgrading to HTML5 and H.264 standards will not only allow them to support the iPhone and iPad, but it will also ready them for other mobile platforms like Android and Palm’s Web OS.
The big question now is what will Hulu do about the iPad, given that so much of its prime content will now be available on the tablet via these other methods. News of a Hulu iPhone app has been floating for some time, but perhaps it’s been waiting for a bigger screen to truly show off its content.
Tags: apps, H.264, HTML5, video
Companies: Abc, Apple, cbs, nbc, Netflix