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Well. There’s a reason why Netflix is successful. They spent a lot of money and time operating as a tech-heavy company before becoming a content-heavy company.

Well. There’s a reason why Netflix is successful. They spent a lot of money and time operating as a tech-heavy company before becoming a content-heavy company. Just as an example, their Open Connect appliances (https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/ https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/) are an impressive piece of technology that probably needed years of research. Launching a streaming service sounds simple in the paper but there are hundreds of complexities under the hood that ensure availability, speed, security, and reliability. If my Netflix experience wasn't as trivially smooth as it is (from a UX point of view) I wouldn’t pay for it.

freehunter 7y ago
Doesn’t Disney own Hulu? They shouldn’t be new to the streaming video world.
- whoisjuan 7y ago
  But just as a controlling shareholder. I don't think they have any input or say on Hulu's operation besides the typical influence you can exert as a board member even when it's from a vote controlling position. I may be wrong but I doubt they can use Hulu's streaming technology or IP in general unless they license it from Hulu somehow. If Hulu was an actual Disney subsidiary it would be different. Although Hulu is controlled by Disney, Comcast still owns a third part of it.
  - arjunbajaj 7y ago
    Not quite. Since March 2019, Disney fully controls Hulu [1]. In 2024, Comcast can sell its remaining stake to Disney. [1]: https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/disney-full-control-hulu-comcast-deal-1203214338/ https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/disney-full-control-hu...
  - xnyan 7y ago
    Disney is the the biggest kid at the pool in media and their is really nowhere in the entire entertainment industry where their influence can't be felt. Disney happens to 100% own hulu now, but even before that I don' see how you can look at their operations and not conclude they were in control.
- phamilton 7y ago
  Their actual state of the art streaming tech is from BamTech Media, which was developed by Major League Baseball and sold to Disney in 2017. Disney also owns ESPN and their streaming platform. So between Hulu, ESPN, and Bamtech they definitely aren't new.
  - whoisjuan 7y ago
    I think there's a big delta between having experience with operating those services and trying to launch a service that on its first day had 10 million users and its expected to be at 100 million users in 4 years. ESPN and MLB TV are probably pretty far from those numbers.
    - RubberShoes 7y ago
      We did a lot more than just MLB and ESPN ;)
paulddraper 7y ago
I thought I'd try out Disney+. Then I found out it doesn't support Vizio Smartcast/Chromecast. That's...bizarre. I guess I'll watch on my little laptop screen. Turns out it doesn't support Linux either. :/ EDIT: I eventually downloaded a Windows VM and watched it there. What could they possibly be gaining from that though??
- nvrspyx 7y ago
  I can't speak for Vizio Smartcast, but both the mobile app and desktop website both support Chromecast. I watched the first few episodes of The Mandalorian on my Chromecast last night. I started casting from my Linux desktop no less.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - paulddraper 7y ago
    Yep, the fix it to buy a separate Chromecast. IDK why the built-in one is incompatible; I've literally never seen this before. EDIT: Looks like if I buy a Mac, I could use Airplay with Smartcast. Or way until next month when they supposedly have support coming. https://support.vizio.com/s/article/Disney-App-EXT https://support.vizio.com/s/article/Disney-App-EXT
- xnyan 7y ago
  I love linux, I use it every day more than any other OS. I don't understand why other linux users act surprised that corporate America frequently ignores altogether or uses DRM methods that are not compatible, I don't think its right, i i don't think its good, but its not new or unusual or surprising. The reality is that linix makes up 2-4 percent of the desktop PC market which itself is fraction of mobile use and even then, most linux users have the capability to watch it on something else. More of their customers are on windows XP than all linux desktop distros combined. I don't think they consider it anything close to financially worth it and I don't know if I disagree, even if I wish it was otherwise.
  - 7y ago
scarface74 7y ago
Which has nothing to do with people reusing passwords on Netflix and other sites. Netflix isn’t doing anything special to keep from getting hacked.
- whoisjuan 7y ago
  At least on Netflix you can sign out devices. According to another comment in this post, it seems that Disney+ doesn't have that.

freehunter 7y ago

Doesn’t Disney own Hulu? They shouldn’t be new to the streaming video world.

whoisjuan 7y ago
But just as a controlling shareholder. I don't think they have any input or say on Hulu's operation besides the typical influence you can exert as a board member even when it's from a vote controlling position. I may be wrong but I doubt they can use Hulu's streaming technology or IP in general unless they license it from Hulu somehow. If Hulu was an actual Disney subsidiary it would be different. Although Hulu is controlled by Disney, Comcast still owns a third part of it.
- arjunbajaj 7y ago
  Not quite. Since March 2019, Disney fully controls Hulu [1]. In 2024, Comcast can sell its remaining stake to Disney. [1]: https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/disney-full-control-hulu-comcast-deal-1203214338/ https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/disney-full-control-hu...
- xnyan 7y ago
  Disney is the the biggest kid at the pool in media and their is really nowhere in the entire entertainment industry where their influence can't be felt. Disney happens to 100% own hulu now, but even before that I don' see how you can look at their operations and not conclude they were in control.
phamilton 7y ago
Their actual state of the art streaming tech is from BamTech Media, which was developed by Major League Baseball and sold to Disney in 2017. Disney also owns ESPN and their streaming platform. So between Hulu, ESPN, and Bamtech they definitely aren't new.
- whoisjuan 7y ago
  I think there's a big delta between having experience with operating those services and trying to launch a service that on its first day had 10 million users and its expected to be at 100 million users in 4 years. ESPN and MLB TV are probably pretty far from those numbers.
  - RubberShoes 7y ago
    We did a lot more than just MLB and ESPN ;)

paulddraper 7y ago

I thought I'd try out Disney+. Then I found out it doesn't support Vizio Smartcast/Chromecast. That's...bizarre. I guess I'll watch on my little laptop screen. Turns out it doesn't support Linux either. :/ EDIT: I eventually downloaded a Windows VM and watched it there. What could they possibly be gaining from that though??

nvrspyx 7y ago
I can't speak for Vizio Smartcast, but both the mobile app and desktop website both support Chromecast. I watched the first few episodes of The Mandalorian on my Chromecast last night. I started casting from my Linux desktop no less.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- paulddraper 7y ago
  Yep, the fix it to buy a separate Chromecast. IDK why the built-in one is incompatible; I've literally never seen this before. EDIT: Looks like if I buy a Mac, I could use Airplay with Smartcast. Or way until next month when they supposedly have support coming. https://support.vizio.com/s/article/Disney-App-EXT https://support.vizio.com/s/article/Disney-App-EXT
xnyan 7y ago
I love linux, I use it every day more than any other OS. I don't understand why other linux users act surprised that corporate America frequently ignores altogether or uses DRM methods that are not compatible, I don't think its right, i i don't think its good, but its not new or unusual or surprising. The reality is that linix makes up 2-4 percent of the desktop PC market which itself is fraction of mobile use and even then, most linux users have the capability to watch it on something else. More of their customers are on windows XP than all linux desktop distros combined. I don't think they consider it anything close to financially worth it and I don't know if I disagree, even if I wish it was otherwise.
- 7y ago

scarface74 7y ago

Which has nothing to do with people reusing passwords on Netflix and other sites. Netflix isn’t doing anything special to keep from getting hacked.

whoisjuan 7y ago
At least on Netflix you can sign out devices. According to another comment in this post, it seems that Disney+ doesn't have that.