Approached for comment by Fairfax Media, a Netfix spokesperson said: "We do not comment on rumour or speculation. Details of the local Australian launch have yet to be announced." Netflix's Australian launch date and pricing has reportedly leaked. Credit:Bloomberg In the United States, Netflix is available on three different plans –$US7.99, $US8.99 and $US11.99. Tech Guide said the Australian version of Netflix would also have a three-tier offering, although only disclosed the starting plan's cost. Tech Guide is at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, along with several other Australian technology publications, where Netflix held a briefing with Australian journalists on its upcoming Australian launch plans. But the company refused to talk about Australian pricing and the shows that would be available locally.

It also dismissed reports that up to 200,000 Australians were using virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass "geo-blocks" preventing them from using the US Netflix. "We think the rumours are a little exaggerated because no one really knows," said Netflix's vice-president of product innovation, Todd Yellin. "We'd be curious ourselves." Mr Yellin did, however, seem to accept that the content available to Australians on day one might not be what they expected. "The catalogue that the Australians will see on day one will improve on day 30, and day 90, or every couple of weeks – sometimes every day, as we have more content coming in," Mr Yellin said. "So they shouldn't look at it as, 'This is what you get at Netflix?' when they look at the catalogue on day one. They should look at, 'Wow! This is what I get now, and that thing is just going to keep growing and getting better and better'."

During the briefings, Neflix tried to stop journalists asking about a reported crackdown on the use of VPNs to access US content in countries other than the US. "Before we were allowed to sit down to our briefing, a Netflix spokesperson came out and asked us not to discuss the virtual private network issue with the attendees, saying that the story was wrong from the start," technology blog Gizmodo reported. Netflix previously confirmed it would launch in Australia this March but did not confirm the exact launch date or pricing. The launch date comes as Fairfax Media and the Nine Network's joint venture streaming service Stan revealed on its website earlier this week that it would launch at the end of January at a starting price of $10. Foxtel is also launching a Presto-branded TV streaming service in the first quarter of 2015 to complement its Presto movie streaming service. It has not yet announced pricing.

with Hannah Francis, who travelled to CES as a guest of Samsung