Sep 22, 2010 14:45 GMT  ·  By

Netflix, the popular DVD rental turned online streaming service, has now been launched in Canada, the first international market. Just the streaming part of the service is available and it enables Canadians to watch a large number of movies and TV episodes over the web on their computers and a number of devices.

“With our launch today in Canada, Netflix is focused on adding meaningfully to the entertainment choices available to Canadian consumers,” Reed Hastings, the company’s co-founder and CEO, said at the inauguration of the service in Toronto.

“Convenience, selection and value are at the heart of the Netflix service, and it is our hope that this resonates with Canadians,” he added.

The Netflix streaming service will be available for $7.99 a month. Visitors can also get a one-month free trial. The Canadian version of the service is available over at netflix.ca.

The service is now available on PCs and Macs, over the web, but also on media devices, Blu-ray players from Samsung and Toshiba and game consoles, Nintendo Wii, Sony PS3.

It's also available on iOS powered devices like the iPhone, iPad and the iPod Touch. Netflix has said that the service will be coming to the Xbox 360 later this year.

Support for more devices will be added including more Blu-ray players, internet-enabled TVs, and even the recently re-launched Apple TV.

Netflix has an extensive catalog available in Canada as well, with licensed content from Lionsgate, MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox and Universal Pictures, as well as local distributors.

The service will be available in English for now, but Netflix is working on making it available in French as well.

Netflix has no plans on bringing its DVD-rental service to Canada. While mail DVD rentals are still the bulk of the business for Netflix, it is positioning itself as a strong contender in the streaming market as well.