Netflix (Finally) Details Its Australian Launch Plans

Netflix revealed plans late last year to expand into the Australian market in March of this year, and that time is finally upon us: the service will be available to Australian users on March 24, exactly 3 weeks from now. Questions about what kind of content and specifics on pricing were left up in the air, however, and though the video streaming service still hasn't revealed what subscribers will be paying, there have been a couple announcements today fleshing out the other particulars.

Australian users will be offered three different subscription options, a Basic one, Standard, and Premium. Basic will get you standard definition streaming to a single screen, while Standard boosts that to two screens and is in HD when applicable. Those who shell out for Premium will get 4K UHD when available on up to four screens.

Netflix has also revealed some partnerships for the regional launch, including one with iiNet, which said in a statement today, "iiNet fixed line broadband customers, across all brands, will have access to hours of the latest television and movie content, quota-free, after the Internet Service Provider today announced a partnership with Netflix."

The question remains, however: will Australians who are already subscribed to Netflix via a VPN bother switching over to a legit account? That question likely depends on the service's prices, which makes it not entirely surprisingly that Netflix is waiting until the launch to reveal that information. If the Australian version's pricing works out to be higher than the US or other versions that an Australian user might already be using, there's little incentive to switch unless the Australian iteration will offer perks the others do not.

VIA: CNET