Linux vs Netflix

[bobglaub]

I just wanted to add my .02 cents.

I think it's funny that people think everything can be hacked and that it's just so easy to do, when netflix has stopped us linux users for quite a while now from successfully watching streaming movies and what-not. I for one, have canceled my netflix subscription due to lack of netflix support. i will continue to find ways to watch the movies and shows I want, whether they be by legal means or not.

I often find myself stranded at various airports for hours at a time, and it would be oh so nice if I were able to log into a netflix account and watch a movie to help pass the time, but alas, such is not the case. the virtual machine route will nto work for me as i have a netbook. And so, i find myself hitting up the old sites that haven't let me down for years, the torrents. Hulu does work, but there is only so much on hulu. And so it goes, another 18 hour layover, with no movies to watch. browse the internet, chat on facebook with old friends, and read forums regarding people hacking silverlight DRM. which from the looks of it, may never happen.

to the guy that said he'd have to rip a CD containing the DRM, then mount it virtually on his netbook, that is EXACTLY the reason why they won't release the disc. people would just download it from a torrent site. I agree, my netbook wouldn't allow me to use a disc either, so perhaps they could release a coded USB pen drive that has to connect to their site, and it's registered with your account. I think a lot of netbook users use linux because Windows will kick your netbook's a$$. at idle, with windows 7 starter (it's what this netbook came with) windows used up 70% of my ram. just to sit there. it was pathetic. the only reason I still have windows 7 on my desktop at home is so I can run Flight Simulator X. Eventually, once x-plane catches up to fsx, i'll switch over to that software completely, and i'll never have to use windows again. unless I want to watch a netflix movie.

[Perkins]

Just talked to my brother. You can get the Netflix version of silverlight to run in wine along with the windows version of firefox, and it will play most things, but not Netflix. He thinks there's some part of the DRM code that doesn't quite run right yet.

I'm not sure what they're hoping to accomplish with their DRM... I mean, what's to prevent me from plugging the video out on my computer into the video in on my VCR and making as many copies as I like?...

[oldsoundguy]

Streaming is one thing .. they can and should correct that just because Windows itself is slowly losing market share (another 1 1/2% lost world wide this month according to W3C)(Most going to Apple because of laptop sales for back to school)(Apple has over 50% of the US university laptop sales)

They have already blown it on their mail service. My brother has been a member for several years and still has disks delivered. Used to be OCCASIONALLY one would not work in his stand alone player .. now it is OCCASIONALLY one WORKS in his player.
He winds up returning more than he watches.

Netflix grew too fast too quickly and lost their view of quality control and the fact that they provide a SERVICE that CAN be replaced by someone else .. simply because they can not hold a PATENT on their implementation of OTHER'S ideas ... which is the foundation of their business plan ... they just did it FIRST.

"On Demand" may be their competition eventually for streaming content as their libraries expand.

[Moonf4]

I used to work for a video encryption company. The Movie Studios are the one who dictate that content protection methods have to be used. I would say it is a safe bet that Netflix has no choice or option in the matter. My old companies customers were ISP's and telco's around the globe. If they wanted to offer their customers Pay per view movies, the movie studios would say fine, you go out and buy and implement one of these DRM solutions and we will provide you the feeds with our content. No DRM, no content.

I would imagine it is the same for Netflix. The movie studios most likely dictated that they can stream to PC and MAC and any hardware vendor that implements DRM into their device, but not to any open linux platform. As several people have seen, most of the HD media players run linux, but it is not an open version that any home owner can mess around with, so it is not a linux issue preventing a linux netflix client. They just can't offer it.

[glave]

I used to work for a video encryption company. The Movie Studios are the one who dictate that content protection methods have to be used. I would say it is a safe bet that Netflix has no choice or option in the matter. My old companies customers were ISP's and telco's around the globe. If they wanted to offer their customers Pay per view movies, the movie studios would say fine, you go out and buy and implement one of these DRM solutions and we will provide you the feeds with our content. No DRM, no content.

I would imagine it is the same for Netflix. The movie studios most likely dictated that they can stream to PC and MAC and any hardware vendor that implements DRM into their device, but not to any open linux platform. As several people have seen, most of the HD media players run linux, but it is not an open version that any home owner can mess around with, so it is not a linux issue preventing a linux netflix client. They just can't offer it.

This is what people truely fail to realize. DRM isn't about protecting the content AT ALL. DRM is just another outlet for the industry to make money. They make their content outlets use DRM, so the DRM has to be licensed from approved solutions, which the entertainment industry also has vested interests in. The industry itself doesn't think DRM is protecting anything, as you can already download 99.9% of what is out there already. It's all about filling their pockets at the expense of the honest customers.

[mojotexas]

Why is this thread marked as SOLVED when it should maybe be marked UNSOLVEABLE?

[Shibblet]

I recently signed up for NetFlix. It comes built in to my new Blu-Ray player from LG. Great feature too. Streaming content is really nice.

I also have a friend who has a PS3, and he has a NetFlix Disc that is loaded in the PS3 to allow him to stream movies to his console. There is also a disc for the Wii. Both of these discs are provided with your NetFlix subscription.

You do not need a disc to use NetFlix on the Blu-Ray players, the ROKU, any NetFlix ready device... and the XBox 360. Apparently "Silverlight" is built into the XBox and DRM as well.

So... if you have DRM in your XBox, you have a disc that allows playback on PS3 and Wii, you have DRM built into the "NetFlix Ready" devices, why the heck can't you have a Linux App that has DRM built in for Linux users?

Seems reasonable to me. People don't want to skirt the DRM, they just want to use the streaming service. I mean, really! $8.99 a month is an AWESOME price to allow people to stream all of the movies and TV shows that they want. Linux users want that too.

NetFlix needs to make an app.

[Perkins]

So... if you have DRM in your XBox, you have a disc that allows playback on PS3 and Wii, you have DRM built into the "NetFlix Ready" devices, why the heck can't you have a Linux App that has DRM built in for Linux users?

Reed Hastings is on the Micro$oft board of directors and has been quoted as saying that it's amazing to work with them and see the strategies that have made their company so successful. Need I say more?

[sheena2010]

I am sure that Netfix has to agree to use DRM if they want the content from the media companies. I don't blame them. There seems to be a simple solution to this. The ROKU box runs Linux. That means the DRM code for Linux already exists. I would be happy to pay $10-$20 for a proprietary app that would allow me to watch Netflix on Linux.



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[dhughes]

Why is this thread marked as SOLVED when it should maybe be marked UNSOLVEABLE?

Exactly!

I Googled 'Netflix and Linux' saw this thread and [SOLVED] in the search results, sifted through five pages of comments only find it's all been a waste of my time.