How bad do you want netflix in Linux?

[jdeslip]

Original Article: http://www.berkeleylug.com/?p=99
Digg It: http://digg.com/linux_unix/How_bad_d...tflix_on_Linux

How bad do you want Netflix on Linux? Do you want it enough to beg Microsoft for it?

Miguel de Icaza recently revealed in his blog, http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2009...omment-9068857, that Netflix won’t be coming with Moonlight 2.0 (as was largely anticipated) unless Microsoft actively intervenes and ports its DRM stack to Linux.

Miguel suggested that we put some pressure on Netflix and Microsoft directly, asking that they do this. There was a thread created on the Silverlight forum pleading with Microsoft to port its DRM stack over. So far, the responses on the thread vary between desperate sob stories and cookie cutter anti-MS attacks.

What is the solution to this mess? Clearly, Netflix shouldn’t have chosen an engine that doesn’t have cross-platform support for its streaming video service. But, what can Linux Netflix users do now? Well, you could cancel your account, as many are suggesting. But, I like the Netflix regular disc service too much for that. You can run an XP virtual machine in VirtualBox. This works quite well. However, firstly, it isn’t really linux, and secondly, it doesn’t really help people running Boxee or MythTV (i.e. me). netflix_logo1

Is it better to compromise our principles a bit to get a service we really want? Should we boycott Netflix until they change services? Perhaps we should just spin around in circles and cry because we are so confused… Ok, that is just me, again.

[Polygon]

annnnd of course. We have a port of silverlight to linux! but of course there is that one pesky library which we don't have which makes silverlight (or moonlight) essentially useless to us. I have pretty much now lost faith in the moonlight project.

Oh well.

[jdeslip]

Ya, I was actually excited for moonlight 2 because I thought Netflix was coming... Now, not so much.

[t0p]

Hell, if you need Netflix that bad then run *******. I really couldn't care less about having DRM ported to Linux.

[jdeslip]

Look, in a perfect world there would be no silverlight. But, when 90% of my desktop is open source, I am willing to give in a little to watch netflix... And, while I think the freedom is great, I actually use linux primarily because it is better than the alternatives to satisfy my needs. However, one need it does not satisfy is streaming netflix (without resorting to a virtual machine) - and I would like it to.

[dragos240]

I couldn't care less.

[kennethmsmith]

oh what a world we live in... if you pay for software, you can get your media content for free in some cases. However, if you run free software, you often have to pay extra for an outside device or piece of software to get your media content.

I run Windows Vista Home Premium with a Wubi install of Ubuntu 9.04 on an HP DV6000 series laptop. I have a netflix account, but I mostly watch the content from it through my Roku box that I bought for $100 to stick under my TV. I'm satisfied with this setup for now.

[CharmyBee]

I would care because it's my ticket for unscathed Quantum Leap in the future.

[LowSky]

I would rather have Netflix on my PS3

until then I am perfectly fine running Hulu on my Computer.

[jdeslip]

I love Hulu. But it doesn't have the same selection of movies that Netflix does. For my myth(boxee)box, I'd love to have both. Alas, it is not a perfect world.