4 ms·

Netflix does not offer 1080p+ content to people watching on a Linux desktop. There is no technical reason for this, Linux browsers are capable of playing 1080p+

by yesco 3y ago

Netflix does not offer 1080p+ content to people watching on a Linux desktop. There is no technical reason for this, Linux browsers are capable of playing 1080p+ content of course. So why do you think Netflix does this? Rather than deal with hypotheticals let's focus on reality, a lot of people have put a lot of effort into ensuring that web browsers can run the same content on every platform. This is already a solved problem, even if imperfect. The only genuine reason a device might not be able to play a browser supported 4k video is because it's too resource expensive (rare) and this is simply an immutable property of computers that isn't going to change unless you are expecting all users to use the exact same hardware forever.

ToucanLoucan 3y ago
> Rather than deal with hypotheticals let's focus on reality Imagine coming into a discussion telling of a thing you experienced and then the reply is: I don't want to discuss hypotheticals, which is great because a) this isn't a hypothetical, it's the reason I quit my last job and b) you replied to my comment, which is the only way you could possibly even have the chance to discuss this. I am explaining (admittedly with low detail because Internet) an actual situation I experienced, and it's not like there aren't all manner of entertainment product available on the market which requires a floor of technical power to consume in a way the average consumer would deem acceptable, be that hardware requirements like VR or other bespoke controlling apparatus, or looser ones like the minimum requirements on videogames, or more is-or-isn't ones like the ability for streamer boxes, phones or tablets to playback video of a given resolution and at a given frame rate.
- yesco 3y ago
  > I mean, what if there are actual technical limitations of whatever browser you'd like to use that prevent, for example, the on-the-fly playback of 4K video? This is the core of what you were asking, perhaps my answer was too roundabout for you. What I'm trying to tell you is that: - This question is a hypothetical because it's not true, you can encode videos to play on every platform so long as it's browser supported, this is not 2013 - There is not a technical floor in video playback of even 4k videos unless you are playing on something like a first gen raspberry pi, and even then, bandwidth constraints necessitate multi-quality video support regardless - VR and other "manners of entertainment" are moving goal posts and irrelevant to this discussion - Streaming content to multiple platforms is a solved problem, if you failed to accomplish this then it sounds to me that you probably couldn't do your job - Using platform based attestation to resolve this technical incompetentcy is an unreasonable solution to the problem and deserving of complaints
andrepd 3y ago
>Netflix does not offer 1080p+ content to people watching on a Linux desktop This is the reason I refuse to use streaming platforms even though I have enough money to pay for them. It's not a question of money. It's a question of: paying money to install spyware on my computer for the privilege of streaming low-quality video on a list of pre-approved devices? That is simply not gonna happen.
jofla_net 3y ago
You're absolutely right, and its pathetic. There is no reason for anything to just "not work" on linux. As far as technical limitations go, computers have hit a zenith over 10 years ago. Yes sometimes things change, i remember when youtube's codec was altered and suddenly perfectly good hardware was unable to stream videos any longer. This was however still a technical change, as it allowed for more efficient packing of content. I digress. What we're seeing now, is purely political, or at the very least business-strategic, and linux is being purposefully omitted as an un-attested platform since it precisely gives users too much control/takes away revenue from someone's bottom line. The same thing could be said for console games which never hit pc at all either. And the last example which i think really brings it home is that ms teams not only doesnt work on firefox, linux is also off the table. Not because of any technical limitations in the least, as an off the shelf dell laptop + ubuntu + ff will give you a working video conferencing solution with google meet. Out. Of. The. Box. So it certainly isn't technically limited. It is rather chosen to be this way to force users into windows + edge or their native app solution.

by yesco 3y ago

ToucanLoucan 3y ago

> Rather than deal with hypotheticals let's focus on reality Imagine coming into a discussion telling of a thing you experienced and then the reply is: I don't want to discuss hypotheticals, which is great because a) this isn't a hypothetical, it's the reason I quit my last job and b) you replied to my comment, which is the only way you could possibly even have the chance to discuss this. I am explaining (admittedly with low detail because Internet) an actual situation I experienced, and it's not like there aren't all manner of entertainment product available on the market which requires a floor of technical power to consume in a way the average consumer would deem acceptable, be that hardware requirements like VR or other bespoke controlling apparatus, or looser ones like the minimum requirements on videogames, or more is-or-isn't ones like the ability for streamer boxes, phones or tablets to playback video of a given resolution and at a given frame rate.

yesco 3y ago
> I mean, what if there are actual technical limitations of whatever browser you'd like to use that prevent, for example, the on-the-fly playback of 4K video? This is the core of what you were asking, perhaps my answer was too roundabout for you. What I'm trying to tell you is that: - This question is a hypothetical because it's not true, you can encode videos to play on every platform so long as it's browser supported, this is not 2013 - There is not a technical floor in video playback of even 4k videos unless you are playing on something like a first gen raspberry pi, and even then, bandwidth constraints necessitate multi-quality video support regardless - VR and other "manners of entertainment" are moving goal posts and irrelevant to this discussion - Streaming content to multiple platforms is a solved problem, if you failed to accomplish this then it sounds to me that you probably couldn't do your job - Using platform based attestation to resolve this technical incompetentcy is an unreasonable solution to the problem and deserving of complaints

andrepd 3y ago

>Netflix does not offer 1080p+ content to people watching on a Linux desktop This is the reason I refuse to use streaming platforms even though I have enough money to pay for them. It's not a question of money. It's a question of: paying money to install spyware on my computer for the privilege of streaming low-quality video on a list of pre-approved devices? That is simply not gonna happen.

jofla_net 3y ago

You're absolutely right, and its pathetic. There is no reason for anything to just "not work" on linux. As far as technical limitations go, computers have hit a zenith over 10 years ago. Yes sometimes things change, i remember when youtube's codec was altered and suddenly perfectly good hardware was unable to stream videos any longer. This was however still a technical change, as it allowed for more efficient packing of content. I digress. What we're seeing now, is purely political, or at the very least business-strategic, and linux is being purposefully omitted as an un-attested platform since it precisely gives users too much control/takes away revenue from someone's bottom line. The same thing could be said for console games which never hit pc at all either. And the last example which i think really brings it home is that ms teams not only doesnt work on firefox, linux is also off the table. Not because of any technical limitations in the least, as an off the shelf dell laptop + ubuntu + ff will give you a working video conferencing solution with google meet. Out. Of. The. Box. So it certainly isn't technically limited. It is rather chosen to be this way to force users into windows + edge or their native app solution.