Coming soon...Netflix streaming in linux

[demosthene1]

Check out this link:
http://www.droiddog.com/android-blog/2011/05/google-bringing-netflix-to-chrome-chrome-os-and-linux-via-html5/

I'm excited! Can I now ditch Windows for good? I am a couple of programs away.

[dniMretsaM]

If it uses HTML5, it should work on browsers other than Chrome/Chromium which they don't explain in the article. Which is good since Chromium is not worth using. Anyway, it's good to see big companies supporting Linux! Hopefully we can get even more support (iTunes, CS5, etc.)!

[speedwell68]

If it uses HTML5, it should work on browsers other than Chrome/Chromium which they don't explain in the article. Which is good since Chromium is not worth using. Anyway, it's good to see big companies supporting Linux! Hopefully we can get even more support (iTunes, CS5, etc.)!

Why on earth would we want iTunes, it has to be the worst piece of software in the history of ever.

[BrokenKingpin]

Why on earth would we want iTunes, it has to be the worst piece of software in the history of ever.
++

It is great that netflix is coming to Linux, but from the article it does appear to be Chrome browser only, as you will need a chrome plugin to support it (even though it is through HTML5).

[doas777]

I've heard this before, so i am hopeful, but not holding my breath.

[PCLinuxGuy]

It will be interesting to see how it goes. Alot of people have been trying Moonlight and others to crack the silverlight coding and make it run, and some get close enough it locks up and crashes. I would've hoped Firefox 4 would also use HTML5 to run things like Chrome does so as not to be limited, but if it works on Linux to watch netflix then i'd be willing to have chrome/ium just for that and FF4 for other stuff.

[Bandit]

The problem isnt that Netflix isnt able to run on Linux, the issue is that they use Silverlight2 and Moonlight project doesnt have one of the updated encryption codecs that SL2 does.

Whats a pain in the butt, is they use scripting to check what OS you are using. Which is a poor programming habit I hope no one here ever does. So even if you were to install Moonlight with updated codecs required in the future, stupid Netflix web guys would still prohibit you. I would have found a workaround with a possible wine/SL2 install if they would just post what you need and not mindlessly block non Mac and Win OS's.

[tegwilym]

Wow, I saw that about the Android and thought "that is linux based isn't it?"
I'll be a very happy guy when I can watch Netflix on my MythBuntu machine. Then I don't need to depend on Microsoft (X-box). Hopefully one more step away from Microsoft's rubbish! :)
(although, I do like the X-box better than any Windows version)

Tom

[forrestcupp]

the html5 version of Netflix that works in linux is on track to be released the same time as the native linux steam client.
:)

[cptrohn]

The problem isnt that Netflix isnt able to run on Linux, the issue is that they use Silverlight2 and Moonlight project doesnt have one of the updated encryption codecs that SL2 does.

Whats a pain in the butt, is they use scripting to check what OS you are using. Which is a poor programming habit I hope no one here ever does. So even if you were to install Moonlight with updated codecs required in the future, stupid Netflix web guys would still prohibit you. I would have found a workaround with a possible wine/SL2 install if they would just post what you need and not mindlessly block non Mac and Win OS's.

I was under the impression that the real issue was that Netflix refused to release their DRM stacks to Linux devs to be able to stream it on a mainstream Linux distro? I mean the Roku players they sell to steam Netflix are Linux based already right?

[dniMretsaM]

HTML5 is not yet standardized, and different engines are using different proprietary extensions for their HTML5 support. Working in Chrome as HTML5 doesn't mean it will work in other browsers.

I think the major browsers (FF, Opera, etc.) will have enough HTML5 support to run it unless an effort is being made for it to only run on Chrome. And if that is the case, it shouldn't be long before they implement support. By the time Netflix actually gets off the ground, HTML5 will be more widespread anyway.

[Bandit]

I was under the impression that the real issue was that Netflix refused to release their DRM stacks to Linux devs to be able to stream it on a mainstream Linux distro? I mean the Roku players they sell to steam Netflix are Linux based already right?

Nah its just they use Silverlight ver2. If they used older ver 1 stuff then Mono would suffice and we could watch Netflix.

[Bandit]

HTML5 is not yet standardized, and different engines are using different proprietary extensions for their HTML5 support. Working in Chrome as HTML5 doesn't mean it will work in other browsers.
LOL true that.. Also most things dont work on Chrome that work on everything else.

Fx and Opera are supposed to be fully HTML5 compatible. Latest release of IE is supposed to also now be 5 compatible. But I can tell you from experience that they even dont have 4 fully transparent yet. Chrome for sure is in it own world and still far behind having Javascript or PHP working correctly if any at all. Chrome also doesnt work with XML style sheets.

[JasonGriffee]

I actually was talking to a Netflix CSR last weekend, and she said that Linux support was coming up right after Android.

[Nick.Browning]

Regardless of the DRM subject, Having Netflix on Linux is definitely going to draw a lot of attention to this platform and to the Chromium platform.

[uRock]

I look forward to being able to use Netflix on my Linux systems.

Let's keep the thread on topic.

[cgroza]

I noticed one of the requirements is Chrome. Will this feature be available with Firefox?
Or it will never work with firefox?

[dniMretsaM]

It's highly likely that FF will support it on release. If not, expect an update pretty soon.

[irv]

Why on earth would we want iTunes, it has to be the worst piece of software in the history of ever.

I am not a itunes fan, but I need it for college lectures. Banshee or Rhythmbox will not do the site for them.

[irv]

http://venturebeat.com/2010/05/20/netflix-talks-html5-but-not-for-video-adds-video-output-to-ipad-app/


Netflix director of Web engineering Adrian Cockroft teased yesterday that the company was looking into implementing HTML5 on its site — but not in the way you’d initially think. At first, it seemed as if Netflix was readying an HTML5 version of its video player — which would displace the Microsoft Silverlight player it’s currently using.

This was released May 20th, and if this be the case HTML5 won't be used for the video portion of Netflix.

Edit:

Basically, it looks like the Microsoft Silverlight video player is here to stay — at least, for now. Once HTML5 Video becomes more mature and supports strong DRM capabilities, it will become a more viable option. Unfortunately, that will probably take a few years.

[Ghost|BTFH]

"NETFLIX STREAMING IN LINUX COMING SOON!!!"

OR

You could do what I've done for a long time - run it in VirtualBox and be happy.

Cheers,
Ghost|BTFH

[irv]

"NETFLIX STREAMING IN LINUX COMING SOON!!!"

OR

You could do what I've done for a long time - run it in VirtualBox and be happy.

Cheers,
Ghost|BTFH

I tried running it in vbox on my Dell Inspiron 1521 and it runs too slow. The video would have to pause to much. I even increased my memory to it max. which is 4 gig. I have a AMD Turion64 processor but when sharing with the host it just wasn't enough to do the job.

[BrokenKingpin]

"NETFLIX STREAMING IN LINUX COMING SOON!!!"

OR

You could do what I've done for a long time - run it in VirtualBox and be happy.

Cheers,
Ghost|BTFH
Running it in Virtual Box is a huge workaround to an issue.

[irv]

Running it in Virtual Box is a huge workaround to an issue.

You are right, I don't even look at it as a work around. First you need a copy of Windows running in vbox so it is not Linux running Netflix but Windows. Second in my case I would need more processor to do this. And third if Netflix was any kind of company that really want us Linux users as customers then they should support us if they want our business.

Just a note: I wish Hulu didn't have all them commercials.

[joelstitch]

Thats great news. I hate watching Netflix trough VirtualBox, my computer gets slow and hot. Cant wait for this!

[SeijiSensei]

It's not all sweetness and light in the Netflix on Windows world, either.

Silverlight doesn't support video hardware acceleration (http://forums.silverlight.net/forums/p/186530/502551.aspx), so people with Atom-powered netbooks and graphics hardware like the NVIDIA ION platform generally can't watch Netflix streams at their best resolutions. Microsoft claims to be working on this, but it's apparently not included in the Silverlight 5 beta (http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/667422/silverlight-5-doesnt-appear-to-do-hw-acceleration-of-netflix-content) now being tested. Netflix gets a lot of complaints about this problem as well.

Despite all the optimism expressed here, I'm dubious we'll see a Linux player for Netflix. It's going to have to work with Silverlight and Silverlight DRM. I suppose if Netflix writes the code to build an app for Android they might be able to port it over to Linux. To be frank, the Linux market is such a tiny portion of the universe of Netflix users and potential users that I find it hard to imagine Netflix investing the resources it would take to build a native client for Linux.

[tgm4883]

"NETFLIX STREAMING IN LINUX COMING SOON!!!"

OR

You could do what I've done for a long time - run it in VirtualBox and be happy.

Cheers,
Ghost|BTFH

Awesome idea. Guess we don't need to worry about gaming either since we can just hook a console up to a tv tuner card :)

[Ghost|BTFH]

Hell, I'm a firm believer that if you want to play games, go get a PS3 or an XBOX360 and call it good.

[tgm4883]

Hell, I'm a firm believer that if you want to play games, go get a PS3 or an XBOX360 and call it good.

So if you want to watch movies then go buy the DVD?

[DarkDancer]

I'm a pc gamer only. Consoles are just a crutch.

[irv]

I really feel that people in general are very wasteful and some of these posts in this thread proves it. First I don't play games, so I won't buy a game machine. One of my older sons told me to buy a wii so I could watch movies and play games. I told him, “Why!” I don't like games and I have a computer to watch movies on. Why should I waste my money on something I don't really need or want. The way it is I have already put out some cash for a Roko box, (a lot less then a wii) so now I watch movie on a larger screen. But the truth of the matter is, I could of live without it.

I have a very nice car, but there are other cars that have features I like, maybe I should buy another car so I can have them Of course I can only drive one at a time. Give me a break.

[aysiu]

I really feel that people in general are very wasteful and some of these posts in this thread proves it. First I don't play games, so I won't buy a game machine. One of my older sons told me to buy a wii so I could watch movies and play games. I told him, “Why!” I don't like games and I have a computer to watch movies on. Why should I waste my money on something I don't really need or want. The way it is I have already put out some cash for a Roko box, (a lot less then a wii) so now I watch movie on a larger screen. But the truth of the matter is, I could of live without it.

I have a very nice car, but there are other cars that have features I like, maybe I should buy another car so I can have them Of course I can only drive one at a time. Give me a break.
A new car costs considerably more than a Wii.

[irv]

A new car costs considerably more than a Wii.
True. By the way I include myself in the wasteful. Boy do I want a 1953 MG.

[tgm4883]

True. By the way I include myself in the wasteful. Boy do I want a 1953 MG.

I don't think anyone is wasteful. Why should I judge what other people are doing with their money?

[Ghost|BTFH]

So if you want to watch movies then go buy the DVD?

You mean an outdated form of media storage that is on its way out? Thanks, I'll pass.

You let me know when a game console is considered an outdated form of gaming.

Computers are for work. Fringe users created games for them (right after they made ASCII porn) and companies (rightly so) saw a future in this and created a much simpler version of a computer in order to play games on.

Now, granted the systems blur the line between computer and gaming console in this day and age, but...

If you can show me a computer you can build that will play as many games as an XBOX360 or PS3 that costs less than $500, and has quality parts that will last many years, gives you as much performance in the games, stability, content and quality...you let me know, I'll look into buying one tomorrow.

Cheers,
Ghost|BTFH

[Daedal]

Just a note: I wish Hulu didn't have all them commercials.

yea but even so it's still less than watching tv normally never more than two commercials in a row and some of them only around 15 seconds long.
also, current season episodes.

now if only we could get some Doctor Who on hulu.

[BTGI]

OK lets see if I understand all these crazy posts about linux streaming netflix!

Still does not work yet, just asking and why?

Linux on mobile and other devices able to stream netyflix, Why them not my PC?

Theft prevention, not possible and if I stream it to my wii or my daughters windows PC I can still rip them off if I choose too. Doesn't take a linux PC or user to do that right?

I think we are getting closer to the truth when we talk about it being a marketing issue or politics, still confused as to why that is an issue unless maybe it represents too much of a threat to other systems already in place.

Now here is my analogy of this problem, correct me if I am wrong as I'm sure someone will try. I am an older man 40 + age, I operate very well with most all functions necessary to perform most tasks needed. Ie I can probably still do a back flip and run pretty fast, I can hold my own for the most part. I can drive a car very well and even a motorcycles, I create creative music and do some video stuff too. Ok, in comes in my teenager kid who just bought a new car and says hey dad you want to go for a ride in my new car. I get into the car and she takes me for a spin. I say wow let me drive. So she gets out of the car hands me the the key, I get into the car and the car starts to sound an alarm and says, Our apologies — driving is not supported for your operating body!

I think it's time to get the petitions ready and start talking to some serious attorneys and file a class action law suit over this issue. Lets stop talking about it and make this happen. This is a form of coercive monopolism and anti trust/discrimination activities in my opinion!!!

[Macskeeball]

I think it's time to get the petitions ready and start talking to some serious attorneys and file a class action law suit over this issue. Lets stop talking about it and make this happen. This is a form of coercive monopolism and anti trust/discrimination activities in my opinion!!!

It's their choice what operating systems they want to support. Porting the streaming service would cost them time, energy, and money. Movies are probably watched on televisions more than on computers, and desktop Linux has a small marketshare. Contact Netflix if you want, and use a competing service (or Netflix DVD-by-mail) if you want. A lawsuit, however, would make no sense. Netflix gets to choose how to use their resources, and consumers get to choose how they spend their money.

[tgm4883]

Now here is my analogy of this problem, correct me if I am wrong as I'm sure someone will try. I am an older man 40 + age, I operate very well with most all functions necessary to perform most tasks needed. Ie I can probably still do a back flip and run pretty fast, I can hold my own for the most part. I can drive a car very well and even a motorcycles, I create creative music and do some video stuff too. Ok, in comes in my teenager kid who just bought a new car and says hey dad you want to go for a ride in my new car. I get into the car and she takes me for a spin. I say wow let me drive. So she gets out of the car hands me the the key, I get into the car and the car starts to sound an alarm and says, Our apologies — driving is not supported for your operating body!

No offense but your analogy isn't valid, and here is why.

Your daughter (lets call her Vista) can drive the car just fine. You would also like to drive the car (You came before your daughter, so lets call you XP), so you ask for the keys get in and drive just fine. Why is this possible you ask? Because the car was engineered for humans (Windows) to drive. It would be expected that any human (within reason) could get into the car and drive it just fine. However, you then give the keys to your pet golden retriever. You dog gets into the car and can't even turn it on. That is because your dog is very different from a human, and the car company didn't spend the resources to make your car compatible for a dog to drive it.

I don't really understand where the class action lawsuit (or any type of lawsuit) talk comes from for this argument. I'm not a lawyer, but any person with a basic understanding of the law should know that a private company that never advertised anywhere that their product would work under a certain circumstance (Linux) would never be held accountable for something that unsupported. It's not a safety issue and there was no misleading in advertised services.

If you need a real world example, look at Apple. Locked down app store. ITunes works on Windows and Mac only. Most (if not all) of their services only work with other Apple products. Yet no lawsuits requiring them to port their software to other OS's. No lawsuits requiring them to open up their app store. No lawsuits requiring them to make their services available to Android or Windows Phone 7.

Is it terrible that they don't support Linux. I think so, probably because I use Linux. Do I blame them for not supporting Linux? Not one bit.

[BTGI]

Well maybe there is more than one way to look at this, that is what has given them the ability to do what they insist on doing in the first place with these business tactics. Key word "insist". Dog and Human analogy = Apples and Oranges. Linux and Window or Mac = equally capable OS's to get this very simple job done. Possibly at no cost even, many people might be willing to do this for free, and probably even free for them!!! We are talking about capable systems here and this is very clear discrimination to a group of users and there choices being prohibited under anti competitive measures. Also I already own a netflix account so I should be able to put my Chevy motor into my Doge after I have made the purchase of my car (PC). If I want to drive my car down the road with chickens pulling it, Ford has no say in the matter. Only if I decided to sell this chicken mobile would they have grounds to prohibit or block me from doing so. Now if the police decided to stop me from driving this possible road hazard vehicle they would have the authority to do so, but not the car manufacturer. This is where it goes to their favor though, because they are leasing the netflix service, not selling it. However, if they are concerned with theft and copyright issues which by the way are really mute and idiotic points of reasoning. Then the laws to deal with that are already on the books and enforced by law officials. Otherwise this would be very similar to a leased car service saying to you that, you can lease this car only if your skin is blue but if you are green, sorry you are considered not acceptable because your skin is green and we have to protect ourselves from theft, and what not. Also I have been informed that the free software foundation has or is looking into possible legal suits against these unethical business tactics already. You see it really makes not much difference with our opinions on this matter as much as it would matter to convince the authorities to see something in a certain way or light. Sometimes, it comes down to just how the judge interprets something of this magnitude. How many years did MS get by with it's anti trust tactics? Not until major anti trust law suits were brought forward did anything get done with those issues!

[Macskeeball]

Well maybe there is more than one way to look at this, that is what has given them the ability to do what they insist on doing in the first place with these business tactics. Key word "insist". Dog and Human analogy = Apples and Oranges. Linux and Window or Mac = equally capable OS's to get this very simple job done. Possibly at no cost even, many people might be willing to do this for free, and probably even free for them!!! We are talking about capable systems here and this is very clear discrimination to a group of users and there choices being prohibited under anti competitive measures. Also I already own a netflix account so I should be able to put my Chevy motor into my Doge after I have made the purchase of my car (PC). If I want to drive my car down the road with chickens pulling it, Ford has no say in the matter. Only if I decided to sell this chicken mobile would they have grounds to prohibit or block me from doing so. Now if the police decided to stop me from driving this possible road hazard vehicle they would have the authority to do so, but not the car manufacturer. This is where it goes to their favor though, because they are leasing the netflix service, not selling it. However, if they are concerned with theft and copyright issues which by the way are really mute and idiotic points of reasoning. Then the laws to deal with that are already on the books and enforced by law officials. Otherwise this would be very similar to a leased car service saying to you that, you can lease this car only if your skin is blue but if you are green, sorry you are considered not acceptable because your skin is green and we have to protect ourselves from theft, and what not. Also I have been informed that the free software foundation has or is looking into possible legal suits against these unethical business tactics already. You see it really makes not much difference with our opinions on this matter as much as it would matter to convince the authorities to see something in a certain way or light. Sometimes, it comes down to just how the judge interprets something of this magnitude. How many years did MS get by with it's anti trust tactics? Not until major anti trust law suits were brought forward did anything get done with those issues!

Paragraphs. Use them.

[Dustin2128]

You mean an outdated form of media storage that is on its way out? Thanks, I'll pass.

You let me know when a game console is considered an outdated form of gaming.

Computers are for work. Fringe users created games for them (right after they made ASCII porn) and companies (rightly so) saw a future in this and created a much simpler version of a computer in order to play games on.

Now, granted the systems blur the line between computer and gaming console in this day and age, but...

If you can show me a computer you can build that will play as many games as an XBOX360 or PS3 that costs less than $500, and has quality parts that will last many years, gives you as much performance in the games, stability, content and quality...you let me know, I'll look into buying one tomorrow.

Cheers,
Ghost|BTFH
Well computers allow for much more graphically exquisite environments than consoles because they're not made with crappy 2005 hardware. I figure you're going to shell 30$ for the case, 50$ for the PSU, 50$ for the motherboard, 50$ for the hard drive, 100$ for the ram, 100$ for the processor, and 100$ for the graphics card assuming you already have a monitor (we're comparing to consoles though). Brings us to 480$, you get a system that can handle stuff 2 generations ahead of current consoles, and you'll be good at least through the PS4 and Xbox 720 if specs currently being discussed are accurate.

[Thewhistlingwind]

Graphics: I still don't care

I quit playing my Xbox because I wasn't having fun anymore. After ten years I'd had enough.

[tgm4883]

Wow you make things hard to read. For your convenience http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragraph


Well maybe there is more than one way to look at this, that is what has given them the ability to do what they insist on doing in the first place with these business tactics. Key word "insist". Dog and Human analogy = Apples and Oranges.


Why, because you say so?




Linux and Window or Mac = equally capable OS's to get this very simple job done.


We can agree that the three are equally capable.



Possibly at no cost even, many people might be willing to do this for free, and probably even free for them!!!


Well now that isn't true. Only way it can be no cost is if they didn't have to do any additional work to get it working on Linux systems. If that were the case, we could all use User Agent Switcher and watch streaming fine. Since that doesn't work here there must be something else going on.



We are talking about capable systems here and this is very clear discrimination to a group of users and there choices being prohibited under anti competitive measures.


It's not anticompetitive measures. If Netflix released an OS (lets call it NetflixOS)AND Netflix streaming only worked on NetflixOS then it would be anti-competitive. But since

A) Netflix doesn't have an OS
and
B) Netflix already supports many platforms (Android, Windows, Mac, etc)

then this isn't anti-competitive practices.



Also I already own a netflix account so I should be able to put my Chevy motor into my Doge after I have made the purchase of my car (PC).


Now this is really an Apples to Oranges comparison. Again, your analogy doesn't fit. I'm starting to think you don't really understand how computers and operating systems work. Changing engines in a vehicle would be be like changing an operating system in the computer.



If I want to drive my car down the road with chickens pulling it, Ford has no say in the matter. Only if I decided to sell this chicken mobile would they have grounds to prohibit or block me from doing so. Now if the police decided to stop me from driving this possible road hazard vehicle they would have the authority to do so, but not the car manufacturer.


What?!? Have you been drinking?



This is where it goes to their favor though, because they are leasing the netflix service, not selling it. However, if they are concerned with theft and copyright issues which by the way are really mute and idiotic points of reasoning. Then the laws to deal with that are already on the books and enforced by law officials.


Idiotic points of reasoning in your opinion. The content holders disagree, and it's the content holders that make the rules that Netflix has to adhere to.



Otherwise this would be very similar to a leased car service saying to you that, you can lease this car only if your skin is blue but if you are green, sorry you are considered not acceptable because your skin is green and we have to protect ourselves from theft, and what not.


Again, I have NFI what you are talking about. I seriously think you might be drunk.



Also I have been informed that the free software foundation has or is looking into possible legal suits against these unethical business tactics already.


You are either hugely misinformed, or you are a troll. For the reasons I have stated before, there is no grounds for a lawsuit here.

Even if there was grounds for a lawsuit, the FSF wouldn't be pro-netflix on Linux because it would involve DRM. You might want to read up on the FSF stance on DRM (http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/drm.html) before you start making stuff up.



You see it really makes not much difference with our opinions on this matter as much as it would matter to convince the authorities to see something in a certain way or light. Sometimes, it comes down to just how the judge interprets something of this magnitude.


There would be no wiggle room here. There is no grounds for a lawsuit. I doubt this would make it to civil court.



How many years did MS get by with it's anti trust tactics? Not until major anti trust law suits were brought forward did anything get done with those issues!

MS got in trouble for it because they were using their virtual monopoly to enter other markets and drive out competition by bundling software with Windows (most notably Internet Explorer) and by making backroom deals to stifle competition (see Java).

In comparison, Netflix is no where near a virtual monopoly (see Amazon VOD, Walmart VUDU), and stands nothing to gain by not supporting Linux (although it would cost them at least a little bit to either A) switch to a non-silverlight option or B) create a netflix application for Linux to allow streaming).

One more thing, it isn't Netflix that isn't supporting Linux (well sure they don't support Linux, but in a way they don't support Windows or Mac either). They support Silverlight. And the Linux equivalent of Silverlight (Moonlight) doesn't support the DRM requirements to stream the video.

In conclusion, please do a little more research on the facts you wish to bring up. There is no grounds for a lawsuit against Netflix from anyone on this matter. Netflix has in no way wronged you.

[Sef]

Locked. This thread has gotten off-topic.