San Francisco (CA) - Most Netflix subscribers now have unlimited access to digital video downloads, as the Internet service has gotten rid of hourly limits this week.

Netflix began offering movies via digital streaming last year, but restricted users to one hour per month per subscription fee. For example, someone with a $20/month plan would get 20 hours of streaming per month.

That limit has now been lifted, except for users paying the most basic plan which is around $5 per month. "In talking with members … the idea of streaming unlimited movies and TV episodes on a PC resonated quite strongly," said Netflix chief marketing officer Leslie Kilgore.

Around 6,000 TV shows and movies are part of Netflix's digital streaming service. The move to open up access to these programs comes just as Apple is expected to unveil a new competing service. During today's Macworld keynote, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is rumored to be announcing a new iTunes rental service, allowing users to access movies and TV shows for a smaller price.

However, Netflix's service is currently only available on Windows computers, not Macs. Additionally, users need Internet Explorer to stream Netflix videos.