3 ms·

Can someone explain this tweet to me? > But when @netflix and other content providers decline the use of their apps outside of integrated devices this is the h

Can someone explain this tweet to me? > But when @netflix and other content providers decline the use of their apps outside of integrated devices this is the hell we live in. I don't understand. I can just open a web browser on a little media center PC, connect it by HDMI, point it to Netflix and play a movie, right? (Admittedly I haven't tried because our Panasonic has Netflix and no ads or spy apps that I've noticed) But what exactly does Netflix forbid that @buro9 is referring to? And does anyone know what their reasoning is for doing so? I ask because I'm rather interested in the concept of buying a dumb TV once this one breaks (hopefully long from now), but I do like me my Netflix. Lots of people in this thread suggest buying a dumb TV but I don't understand why Netflix and friends would disallow customers using that.

NotSammyHagar 9y ago
You can definitely watch netflix on a computer connected via hdmi, running either windows or macos. You can watch netflix with a chromecast, with nvidia shield, there are endless choices. I like these external devices because i feel they are less likely to spy on me than crapware in a tv.
- friedman23 9y ago
  But netflix is tracking the same exact information that this Samba app is tracking
  - buro9 9y ago
    Take a look at the Samba patents. Samba have patents for how to communicate and track across the boundaries of security sandboxes for example. Whereas Netflix on my Android that has NetGuard really is just talking to netflix.com and apparently not doing anything else bad. I have zero expectations that an app won't track in-app use for that app... but Samba is (with the consent of the hardware provider who owns the local instance of Android) tracking everything it can across apps.
corrigible 9y ago
High-quality streaming doesn't really work outside of their dedicated apps, IIRC
- Spivak 9y ago
  So run tbe app on whatever device you want and play it on the TV. The web browser wasn't really a hard requirement.
buro9 9y ago
Content owners dictate in contractual terms the availability of their content in high definition (UHD, 4k, etc) be determined by the app securing access to the content. The result is that the higher quality content is only available on apps on closed platforms. So if you got a dumb panel and wanted high definition content, you'd still need to hook up something like the Nvidia Shield... essentially a closed platform (Android again in this instance).
- skrebbel 9y ago
  Right! Ok this makes sense. Any clue on why content owners do this? It seems a bit arbitrary. Fortunately I'm the opposite of a videophile - I don't even know how High the Definition of our TV is. But I see your point, so indeed, a 4k dumb TV won't be able to show most Netflix content in 4k, correct? That's a major shame and pretty ridiculous. edit: I just noticed that Netflix actually supports UHD on the Windows 10 app and on Microsoft Edge[0]. So running Windows on the media center PC appears to be a practical option. [0] https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13444 https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13444
  - pjc50 9y ago
    > Netflix actually supports UHD on the Windows 10 app and on Microsoft Edge Still a closed platform :) It's the DRM problem. They insist on these limitations as an anti-piracy measure. Fundamentally the only way to decode 4k in real time is to pass it fairly-unmodified to the video hardware, and at that point in a non-closed system a driver could steal it. Or just record it off the screen from the inside.
    - skrebbel 9y ago
      > Still a closed platform :) Sure, but not a smart TV and that's the part I personally care the most about. I doubt Microsoft, even with all their telemetry nonsense, will ever include something as ridiculous as samba.tv. Also, they employ more than 0 UI designers. Thanks for the explanation btw. So it's basically the 4k video version of copy-protected CD's. And that was a great idea that totally worked!
CalRobert 9y ago
You have just hit upon why HDMI is stupid. If you used a DVI cable you could indeed do that. But HDMI was pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed despite no real benefit (having sound and video separate is an ADVANTAGE if you want to easily handle sound with different hardware..) and now, well, you can't.
- Spivak 9y ago
  Huh? If you're coming from a PC you can definitely direct the audio separate the video. If you're using a set-top/streaming box you typically just send the audio back out the TV. The number of people with dedicated audio equipment is too great for any TV manufacturer to break this.
nbsd4life 9y ago
Netflix uses DRM so they control the hardware and software it runs on. I'm specifying hardware too because of HDCP - you can't just connect it to some random monitor because it might not support 'DRM for monitors'.
mr_toad 9y ago
Fortunately, there are 4K torrents.

NotSammyHagar 9y ago

You can definitely watch netflix on a computer connected via hdmi, running either windows or macos. You can watch netflix with a chromecast, with nvidia shield, there are endless choices. I like these external devices because i feel they are less likely to spy on me than crapware in a tv.

friedman23 9y ago
But netflix is tracking the same exact information that this Samba app is tracking
- buro9 9y ago
  Take a look at the Samba patents. Samba have patents for how to communicate and track across the boundaries of security sandboxes for example. Whereas Netflix on my Android that has NetGuard really is just talking to netflix.com and apparently not doing anything else bad. I have zero expectations that an app won't track in-app use for that app... but Samba is (with the consent of the hardware provider who owns the local instance of Android) tracking everything it can across apps.

corrigible 9y ago

High-quality streaming doesn't really work outside of their dedicated apps, IIRC

Spivak 9y ago
So run tbe app on whatever device you want and play it on the TV. The web browser wasn't really a hard requirement.

buro9 9y ago

Content owners dictate in contractual terms the availability of their content in high definition (UHD, 4k, etc) be determined by the app securing access to the content. The result is that the higher quality content is only available on apps on closed platforms. So if you got a dumb panel and wanted high definition content, you'd still need to hook up something like the Nvidia Shield... essentially a closed platform (Android again in this instance).

skrebbel 9y ago
Right! Ok this makes sense. Any clue on why content owners do this? It seems a bit arbitrary. Fortunately I'm the opposite of a videophile - I don't even know how High the Definition of our TV is. But I see your point, so indeed, a 4k dumb TV won't be able to show most Netflix content in 4k, correct? That's a major shame and pretty ridiculous. edit: I just noticed that Netflix actually supports UHD on the Windows 10 app and on Microsoft Edge[0]. So running Windows on the media center PC appears to be a practical option. [0] https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13444 https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13444
- pjc50 9y ago
  > Netflix actually supports UHD on the Windows 10 app and on Microsoft Edge Still a closed platform :) It's the DRM problem. They insist on these limitations as an anti-piracy measure. Fundamentally the only way to decode 4k in real time is to pass it fairly-unmodified to the video hardware, and at that point in a non-closed system a driver could steal it. Or just record it off the screen from the inside.
  - skrebbel 9y ago
    > Still a closed platform :) Sure, but not a smart TV and that's the part I personally care the most about. I doubt Microsoft, even with all their telemetry nonsense, will ever include something as ridiculous as samba.tv. Also, they employ more than 0 UI designers. Thanks for the explanation btw. So it's basically the 4k video version of copy-protected CD's. And that was a great idea that totally worked!

CalRobert 9y ago

You have just hit upon why HDMI is stupid. If you used a DVI cable you could indeed do that. But HDMI was pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed despite no real benefit (having sound and video separate is an ADVANTAGE if you want to easily handle sound with different hardware..) and now, well, you can't.

Spivak 9y ago
Huh? If you're coming from a PC you can definitely direct the audio separate the video. If you're using a set-top/streaming box you typically just send the audio back out the TV. The number of people with dedicated audio equipment is too great for any TV manufacturer to break this.

nbsd4life 9y ago

Netflix uses DRM so they control the hardware and software it runs on. I'm specifying hardware too because of HDCP - you can't just connect it to some random monitor because it might not support 'DRM for monitors'.

mr_toad 9y ago

Fortunately, there are 4K torrents.