Sun Microsystems is introducing a new platform for streaming on-demand video over IP networks that promises to deliver 160,000 streams of Internet television.

Sun Streaming, with a suite of Sun software to manage the system, delivers 160,000 video streams, or 40,000 high-definition TV streams, simultaneously at 2M bps (bits per second). Fifteen of these systems, at about 5,000 titles per system, theoretically could stream the entire library, all at once, of 75,000 DVD titles from Netflix, which distributes DVD rentals by mail.

“The most natural way for people to enjoy video is to download it from a server,” said Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun and designer of the Sun Streaming System.

The Sun Streaming system uses four Sun Fire x4100 servers, one x4500 storage/server and a new product, the Sun Fire x4950 streaming server, based on server technology developed by Kealia Inc., which Sun acquired in 2004.