4 ms·

>Isn't Chromium completely open source? No, especially not if you want to watch videos, the DRM plugin is a binary blob that only Google approved browsers get

by josefx 4y ago

>Isn't Chromium completely open source? No, especially not if you want to watch videos, the DRM plugin is a binary blob that only Google approved browsers get to run. Then there are all the Google services that will break in unexpected ways in your browser, sometimes just because your user agent isn't identical to Chromes if past reports from Firefox users are any indication. Basically expect to be shit on by the biggest internet giant around at ever possible corner.

ElCheapo 4y ago
I mean, if the DRM wasn't a blob it would be open source. Andnif it were open source it wouldn't be DRM...
- heavyset_go 4y ago
  It's possible to have DRM that's open source using cryptography.
  - easrng 4y ago
    Secure DRM requires that your device have keys that are burned-in that you can't access. It's impossible to have an open implementation of a non-broken DRM system.
- josefx 4y ago
  It could be controlled by a third party that isn't trying to dominate the browser market. And Google already caused issues years ago when it side loaded that plugin on open source distros and initially refused to provide an option to disable this behavior in chromium.
whoisthemachine 4y ago
Firefox supports all DRM content I have come across, clearly there are ways to implement DRM that don't involve Google.
- josefx 4y ago
  Open Addons an Themes, click on Plugins, by default you should see a line that says "Widevine Content Decryption Module provided by Google Inc." . Note the Google Inc. .
  - whoisthemachine 4y ago
    Fair, and I didn't know that or had forgotten it, but I think Firefox is still relevant to the parent's comment, and the context of the topic: > No, especially not if you want to watch videos, the DRM plugin is a binary blob that only Google approved browsers get to run. So it might be better to say that you don't need to be locked into Google's browser (or a fork of its OS base) in order to consume a wide variety of online content, and you can thus avoid this issue with Chrome extensions entirely. And at least with Firefox it is just a plugin, so presumably could be replaced with a binary blob from someone else if Google's influence became worrisome enough (and I do wonder, isn't it already worrisome enough??).
- heavyset_go 4y ago
  Depends on the browser and platform. WideVine support on Firefox for Linux is limited, one of the biggest effects of this is that some video platforms refuse to serve up high definition video to Firefox users on Linux. Netflix, for example, will only allow you to watch video at 720p on Firefox for Linux. The existing WideVine support comes directly from Google.
  - fomine3 4y ago
    Chrome and Firefox on Windows is also limited to 720p so it's on par. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23931 https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23931

by josefx 4y ago

ElCheapo 4y ago

I mean, if the DRM wasn't a blob it would be open source. Andnif it were open source it wouldn't be DRM...

heavyset_go 4y ago
It's possible to have DRM that's open source using cryptography.
- easrng 4y ago
  Secure DRM requires that your device have keys that are burned-in that you can't access. It's impossible to have an open implementation of a non-broken DRM system.
josefx 4y ago
It could be controlled by a third party that isn't trying to dominate the browser market. And Google already caused issues years ago when it side loaded that plugin on open source distros and initially refused to provide an option to disable this behavior in chromium.

whoisthemachine 4y ago

Firefox supports all DRM content I have come across, clearly there are ways to implement DRM that don't involve Google.

josefx 4y ago
Open Addons an Themes, click on Plugins, by default you should see a line that says "Widevine Content Decryption Module provided by Google Inc." . Note the Google Inc. .
- whoisthemachine 4y ago
  Fair, and I didn't know that or had forgotten it, but I think Firefox is still relevant to the parent's comment, and the context of the topic: > No, especially not if you want to watch videos, the DRM plugin is a binary blob that only Google approved browsers get to run. So it might be better to say that you don't need to be locked into Google's browser (or a fork of its OS base) in order to consume a wide variety of online content, and you can thus avoid this issue with Chrome extensions entirely. And at least with Firefox it is just a plugin, so presumably could be replaced with a binary blob from someone else if Google's influence became worrisome enough (and I do wonder, isn't it already worrisome enough??).
heavyset_go 4y ago
Depends on the browser and platform. WideVine support on Firefox for Linux is limited, one of the biggest effects of this is that some video platforms refuse to serve up high definition video to Firefox users on Linux. Netflix, for example, will only allow you to watch video at 720p on Firefox for Linux. The existing WideVine support comes directly from Google.
- fomine3 4y ago
  Chrome and Firefox on Windows is also limited to 720p so it's on par. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23931 https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23931