Netflix Extends "Watch Instantly" To Mac Users 205
CNet is reporting that Netflix has opened up its "Watch Instantly" feature to Mac users (here is Netflix's blog entry). They accomplished this by using Microsoft's Silverlight technology on both platforms, abandoning the Windows Media Player solution that had been employed in the first, Windows-only, version. Silverlight's DRM capabilities meet Netflix's needs, apparently. Netflix warns that this is beta software. Mac users can opt in here, then watch instantly with Safari or Firefox 2+, with the Silverlight plugin in place. Movie selection is somewhat limited.
DRM pushes Silverlight (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:DRM pushes Silverlight (Score:5, Insightful)
I am really afraid of DRM giving Silverlight power and more distribution (and vice versa). While Flash has (or will have?) DRM capabilities too, another "competitor" on the DRM market could really make things even worse than they are.
On the contrary, more "competition" in the DRM realm is the best way to make things better than they are.
competing formats == more people frustrated and screaming "why the hell isn't this working" at the top of their lungs.
Of course, base silverlight without the DRM packages will work just fine at doing that. In fact, that's my guess at why it "meets their requirements".
Nothing makes a more "secure" drm than a codec and playback system with arguably the lowest market penetration and adoption rate as of this post. Security by obscurity at its best.
In the mean time, there's a better competitor [thepiratebay.org] to netflix for those who want their full HD movies in a watchable, savable, and compatible format.
Re:hilarious (Score:5, Insightful)
And they only pretty much did it because they found out it works easily with Silverlight in Intel based macs only.
Amazing that a company is switching _to_ Silverlight for a cross-platform solution. This is wrong on so many levels.
http://dotancohen.com/heb/wallashops.html [dotancohen.com]
Re:hilarious (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, you would probably be interested to learn that for example imeem is written in C# to be able to run it on both Windows and Linux. Silverlight in my, albeit biased, opinion, is much cleaner and neater than flash. Or WM solution for this case, obviously... MS has too much stigma for what it USED TO do, or what it still does but to significantly lesser extent
I don't see how the imeem reference is relevant. What am I missing?
While I won't go into the pros and cons of Flash, in comparison Silverlight currently runs on less platforms, has lower market market share on the platforms that it does run on, and has no superior DRM model. You can add to that your personal feelings about Microsoft and Adobe.
People will pay Netflix for the convenience (Score:1, Insightful)
When you come home from the pub at night after a few beers you don't want to wait for BitTorrent, you want it NOW!
If they can get it working on Xbox instead of PCs they could even have a hit on their hands.
Re:hilarious (Score:3, Insightful)
Does Shake for Linux get delivered by a naked Natalie Portman or come in a solid gold box or something? The OSX version is $499, and a look around the Apple site doesn't mention why the Linux version is for some reason worth an extra $4,500.
Re:Firefox FTW (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:hilarious (Score:2, Insightful)
Except that Xbox 360s will only stream Netflix if you have a pay-per-month Xbox Live account.
On top of your Netflix subscription.
They sell standalone Netflix streaming boxes for about $100. With no extra monthly fee.
Re:hilarious (Score:5, Insightful)
So can you please tell me where I can buy Linux versions of Final Cut Studio, Shake 4, Creative Suite CS, Flix Pro, Sound Studio, Toast, and Sony's XDCAM HD transfer apps please?
I cannot believe that you got modded troll for that. It is true, there are not enough commercial apps available for Linux at the moment. What I wouldn't do for Solidworks on my Ubuntu box!
For Creative Suite, write to these folks:
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/contact.html [adobe.com]
For Flix, write here:
http://www.on2.com/index.php?373 [on2.com]
Write to these folks asking about Sound Studio for Linux:
http://www.freeverse.com/support/ [freeverse.com]
This is the address for the people responsible for Toast:
http://www.roxio.com/enu/company/contact.html [roxio.com]
And the infamous Sony:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/corporate/contacts.asp [sonycreativesoftware.com]
Please, don't be shy and WRITE TO THEM! If we don't write and let them know that Linux is a viable OS with a strong user base, then they will never port their software to Linux.
Re:How to use it on Linux (Score:5, Insightful)
...Of course you have a valid Windows XP or vista Lic but given were talking about a payment service here, the small cost of obtaining any old windows lic if you don't already have one is not really an issue.
You are wrong; that 'license' is exactly the issue. Why should I have to pay for, install, and maintain another OS, to use a video on-demand service that I already payfor? Is it because they were too lazy and stupid to implement it using an open standard? Or because the mpaa is forcing them too?
Re:hilarious (Score:5, Insightful)
Hard to get excited when I still can't watch it on my mac (PowerPC) just as it was with the Olympics.
Don't get exited, then. Instead, write to Netflix and let them know that you, and the millions of other Ubuntu, PowerPC, Fedora, and other non-Windows || Intel Mac _still_ cannot use their service. Let them know that they need a cross-platform solution, not a pick-and-choose platform solution. Here is their address:
http://www.netflix.com/ContactUs [netflix.com]
Re:Reason #1 this is useless to me (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Reasons to hate Silverlight? (Score:3, Insightful)
If you trust Microsoft not to screw you over, there is no reason to avoid Silverlight. There is no reason to hate Silverlight (the tech) at all, however some might take issue with the strategic purpose of it (which can be *very* important to you as a user).
Personally I think it's an embrace, extend and extinguish move much like IE was in its time - when it becomes prevalent enough, the windows version will get more features and the mac/linux version be left to wither. For the full experience you'll be expected to go all Microsoft, all the time (see Office suite, Active-X, IE, PFS, Zune etc). Balmer loves that kind of move, and he's in charge now.
If you haven't learned that this is their SOP, by all means go ahead and use it, as you will learn a valuable lesson.
I switched to Mac for a reason (Score:1, Insightful)
And it was to get away from Microsoft.
Re:Reasons to hate Silverlight? (Score:4, Insightful)
I take your point. On the other hand, I don't see the individual Mac (or Linux, etc) user having a whole lot of leverage in this situation. Up until now with Netflix's streaming video, the Windows version hasn't merely had "more features" but rather all the features since Macs haven't been supported at all. And since streaming video is not the primary reason I (or I'd venture to guess most people) subscribe to Netflix, I'm not about to fire Netflix over this lack... which means they're not particularly motivated to fix it.
The counter-argument is that clearly Netflix must perceive some benefit from having their subscribers stream video, else they wouldn't be offering the service at all. But the question as I see it is whether my refusal (and that of some other subset of Mac using Netflix subscribers) to adopt Silverlight and thus the streaming service would make enough of a dent in their overall business strategy to warrant a change in the technology they've adopted. My guess is that it wouldn't.
So I'm not quite sure what the "valuable lesson" is that I'm expected to learn. That I as an individual have very little leverage over ginormous corporations? And that they want to screw me? I learned those ones a long time ago.
Darn, I said I didn't want to discuss business strategies. Oh well.
Re:hilarious (Score:5, Insightful)