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As noted by Business Insider, Netflix today revealed in its quarterly earnings release (PDF) that the new Apple TV released at the end of September has already surpassed the iPad in terms of number of hours of Netflix content streamed.
The devices with large installed bases - meaning Windows and Mac laptops, Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo Wii - are the most popular devices for watching instantly from Netflix. AppleTV has done very well for us, and in just four months has passed the also-growing iPad in Netflix viewing hours.
While it should not be a surprise that the Apple TV is seeing strong performance when it comes to Netflix streaming due to its position as a set-top box for viewing content on a traditional TV, it is somewhat remarkable given the disparity in sales volumes between the two Apple products.
Apple's most recent earnings release revealed that the company has sold nearly 15 million iPads, while the Apple TV only reached the one-million mark at the close of the year. While not all of the sales of either device have occurred in markets where Netflix offers streaming content, iPads still likely outnumber Apple TVs by at least an order of magnitude in Netflix's markets.
