Technology, Netflix Instant Watch | featured news

If you're a seasoned Netflix instant streaming user, it may surprise you to know that the company has always had an official policy of limiting the number of simultaneous streams you're using. Now, Netflix has made that policy more concrete by producing an error message if you attempt to access your streaming account when it is already in use.

Move over, Web surfing. Netflix movies now take up more of the Internet pipes going into North American homes. A study published Tuesday by Sandvine Inc. shows that Netflix movies and TV shows account for nearly 30 percent of traffic into homes during peak evening hours, compared with less than 17 percent for Web browsing.

Miramax has become the latest movie studio to make its movies available for streaming on Netflix's online subscription service.