Facebook’s Portal TV, its screen-less camera device you plug into a big screen, is getting Netflix. The company announced the update today, further rounding out what streaming apps are available through its family of video chat devices and making the Portal platform even more of a streaming stick competitor. (The Portal TV already supports Amazon Prime Video, Showtime, and Sling TV.)
Along with the Netflix news, Facebook says it’s introducing a new remote for Portal TV that includes quick-launch buttons for Prime Video, Facebook Watch, and Netflix, so people can immediately sit down and begin streaming. That remote will start shipping with Portal TV devices today and will be in stores in the “coming weeks.”
Netflix doesn’t appear to be available on the regular Portal just yet, although Facebook also says today it’s bringing Zoom to the Portal Mini, Portal, and Portal Plus to give people the option to use it for video calls. (Zoom previously announced support for Portal was on the way in August.) As usual, the Portal’s camera will train on whoever’s speaking.
Zoom, along with Netflix, will also be on competitor devices, including the Amazon Echo Show and the Google Nest Hub Max. Google made Netflix available on the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max in July, and Amazon says it should be coming to the Echo Show soon. Now Facebook just needs to roll Netflix out to all its Portal devices and it’ll be on equal footing with its competition.
