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Wait, so why can't I run Netflix on Ubuntu, then? If they're using HTML5, then shouldn't they have solved the problems with DRM preventing support for Linux?
by cryptoz 16y ago
Wait, so why can't I run Netflix on Ubuntu, then? If they're using HTML5, then shouldn't they have solved the problems with DRM preventing support for Linux?
- kenjackson 16y agoBut streaming video to a console allows them to not really have to worry abuot the DRM issues. They probably stick with a Silverlight solution on PCs until they can do DRM on HTML5.
- pornel 16y agoBTW: there are many people waiting for W3C to add DRM to HTML5 video, but: • <video> supports DRM already in shipping browsers — Safari on Mac plays FairPlay-restricted files. • DRM by definition is in opposition of being open and interoperable, so it's impossible for HTML spec to do anything about it.
- mikeryan 16y agoSo its a custom webkit build, and I'm guessing the custom part is to either add a DRM'd media player to webkit. Or make use of an underlying PS3 media player which supports DRM.
- va_coder 16y agoMy Roku box runs Netflix and I believe Roku is Linux.
- mikeryan 16y agoRoku provides a secured media player which supports the necessary DRM. Right now none of the major browsers (AFAIK) are supporting a DRM'd streaming media format for the HTML5 video tag. Note that on the PS3 Netflix isn't just providing a webpage, they're providing the whole damn browser, so they can either add DRM'd support in the browser or can extend the browser to allow the ability to call a native PS3 media player which support DRM. Neither of these two paths are feasible on your own Linux system. Note its not Linux which is the problem, its the lack of necessary support built into the media players which run on Linux which cause the problem.
- matwood 16y agoIt does make you wonder how hard it would be for NF to offer the same browser to people on linux that they could use just for NF steaming?
- sudont 16y agoWell, since it’s DRM, I assume it would have to be a closed-source plugin. How well would the linux community support this, especially if it’s only targeted to a single webkit browser?
- matwood 16y agoI'm not even talking about a plugin, but just distribute the whole browser as a NF app for linux. Some of the OSS purist are still against any closed source apps, but that doesn't stop closed source game binaries or other enterprise software like Oracle from releasing app that run on linux.
- drivebyacct2 16y agoMicrosoft will not lease it's DRM Silverlight components to the Moonlight project. It's that simple. Complain to Microsoft. Or beg Netflix to change their streaming support.
- Terretta 16y agoNetflix has been running on Linux for a while: http://www.tivo.com/linux/index.html http://www.tivo.com/linux/index.html