A lot of what we watch on TV nowadays comes streaming in from the internet, but not every TV is cut out to do that well out of the box. In an attempt to make sure that viewers have a good experience, Netflix announced today that it is beginning to give some TVs a seal of approval as part of a new "Recommended TV Program." However, it'll take more than a Netflix app for a TV to get that approval: Netflix says that it'll be recommending TVs that perform well, are easy to navigate, and offer interesting new features for streaming services.
"When you see a TV with the Netflix Recommended TV logo, it means that TV will provide an excellent Netflix experience, based on criteria our members tell us matter most," Neil Hunt, Netflix's chief product officer, says in a statement. More of that criteria will be announced this spring, but for now Netflix says that it's looking for TVs that are fast — it wants them to be able to turn on instantly and to quickly launch apps and resume video playback. Netflix expects TVs from Sony, LG, Sharp, and Vizio, as well as those running Roku TV, to be among the first to receive its recommendation.
Netflix announced the new program on stage at LG's press event this morning. Alongside the Recommended TV Program, Netflix also said that LG's new TVs will be able to stream Netflix in HDR, or high-dynamic range. This statement doesn't really make any sense on the surface — HDR is a photography technique meant to increase detail in a photograph — but the implication is that Netflix will probably begin sending higher quality video streams to TVs that have the display technology to actually make it look good.