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The saddest part of this story is that Netflix/Amazon/younameit will continue to ignore and block Linux users as the niche market they are -- even if a future F
by bigfoot 9y ago
The saddest part of this story is that Netflix/Amazon/younameit will continue to ignore and block Linux users as the niche market they are -- even if a future Firefox or Chrome version comes with the new standardized DRM everyone asked for. Lose/lose situation.
- richard_mcp 9y agoWhy would they do that? Are you assuming these companies will want to block Linux users out of some random, malicious spite?
- bigfoot 9y agoNo. For simple economic reasons, such as too much testing effort vs. too little revenue.
- ArchReaper 9y agoFor "simple economic reasons" you believe companies will go out of their way to block Linux users for some reason? If the browser supports it, that's all that really matters.
- thephyber 9y agoCompanies browser-sniff, rather than feature-sniff. They shouldn't. But they usually do.
- rocqua 9y agoTo support EME on linux, they need to create an EME plugin for linux. Leaks in that plugin would kinda break DRM, so it needs to be designed well. Writing and maintaing a crypto plugin is quite expensive.
- AndrewCHM 9y agowouldn't it be Google or Adobe who would write the plugin? its not like they lack the developers or the such
- tedunangst 9y agoThat plugin is called widevine and it's been shipped with chrome for Linux for a year or more. It's already done. They don't need to do anything.
- bigfoot 9y agoBut don't get me wrong, I'd love to see your optimism come true here.
- tdy721 9y agoThis does not add to the conversation. But it makes me giggle. And I'm not really a Linux user... I'm assuming you are? And trying to foment a revolution? If I'm wrong see the first sentence.
- AnssiH 9y agoCorrect me if I'm wrong, but the new "standardized DRM" is just EME which all major browsers, including Firefox and Chrome, already implement, and which has been used by e.g. Netflix for several years now. And Netflix works on Linux on Chrome and Firefox already, using those APIs. The actual Content Decryption Modules are not part of the standard, though. Firefox and Chrome use Google Widevine.
- cpeterso 9y agoNetflix works with EME on Chrome and Firefox. Netflix doesn't block Linux users. They just don't provide customer support for troubleshooting on Linux.
- flukus 9y ago> Netflix doesn't block Linux users. They don't block (anymore) they just offer a degraded experience, 720p resolution only. Piracy still offers a superior product.
- Buge 9y agoThat's not degraded only for Linux. The 720p limitation in Chrome and Firefox is also there for Windows and Mac.
- Aissen 9y agoNot Win10 + Edge or on ChromeOS. This is due to the level of obfuscation of the keys (hardware-assisted vs software only).
- looklittlejohn 9y agoI think we're splitting hairs here. The point cpeterso was trying to make is that while Netflix is a large company that advocated for EME, Netflix is also trying to cater to all audiences. And with their track record of open-sourceing lot she of their internal systems, I feel it's safe to say Netflix as a company isn't nearly as corrupt as some of the other advocates for EME.
- Aissen 9y agoI wouldn't be so sure. As Netflix becomes a media giant (it's already bigger than many), they'll adopt their policy for DRM. If not, why don't you have less restrictions on "pure" Netflix Originals content ? We'll see in the coming months if the Originals mean higher quality on Linux or not. I wouldn't bet on it.