Netflix Extends "Watch Instantly" To Mac Users

CNet is reporting that Netflix has opened up its "Watch Instantly" feature to Mac users (here is Netflix's blog entry). They accomplished this by using Microsoft's Silverlight technology on both platforms, abandoning the Windows Media Player solution that had been employed in the first, Windows-only, version. Silverlight's DRM capabilities meet Netflix's needs, apparently. Netflix warns that this is beta software. Mac users can opt in here, then watch instantly with Safari or Firefox 2+, with the Silverlight plugin in place. Movie selection is somewhat limited.

Comments

DRM pushes Silverlight

[Hannes2000]

I am really afraid of DRM giving Silverlight power and more distribution (and vice versa). While Flash has (or will have?) DRM capabilities too, another "competitor" on the DRM market could really make things even worse than they are.

Re:DRM pushes Silverlight

[plasmacutter]

I am really afraid of DRM giving Silverlight power and more distribution (and vice versa). While Flash has (or will have?) DRM capabilities too, another "competitor" on the DRM market could really make things even worse than they are.

On the contrary, more "competition" in the DRM realm is the best way to make things better than they are.

competing formats == more people frustrated and screaming "why the hell isn't this working" at the top of their lungs.

Of course, base silverlight without the DRM packages will work just fine at doing that. In fact, that's my guess at why it "meets their requirements".

Nothing makes a more "secure" drm than a codec and playback system with arguably the lowest market penetration and adoption rate as of this post. Security by obscurity at its best.

In the mean time, there's a better competitor to netflix for those who want their full HD movies in a watchable, savable, and compatible format.

Re:hilarious

[dotancohen]

And they only pretty much did it because they found out it works easily with Silverlight in Intel based macs only.

Amazing that a company is switching _to_ Silverlight for a cross-platform solution. This is wrong on so many levels.

http://dotancohen.com/heb/wallashops.html

Re:hilarious

[dotancohen]

So can you please tell me where I can buy Linux versions of Final Cut Studio, Shake 4, Creative Suite CS, Flix Pro, Sound Studio, Toast, and Sony's XDCAM HD transfer apps please?

I cannot believe that you got modded troll for that. It is true, there are not enough commercial apps available for Linux at the moment. What I wouldn't do for Solidworks on my Ubuntu box!

For Creative Suite, write to these folks:
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/contact.html

For Flix, write here:
http://www.on2.com/index.php?373

Write to these folks asking about Sound Studio for Linux:
http://www.freeverse.com/support/

This is the address for the people responsible for Toast:
http://www.roxio.com/enu/company/contact.html

And the infamous Sony:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/corporate/contacts.asp

Please, don't be shy and WRITE TO THEM! If we don't write and let them know that Linux is a viable OS with a strong user base, then they will never port their software to Linux.

Re:How to use it on Linux

[coolsnowmen]

...Of course you have a valid Windows XP or vista Lic but given were talking about a payment service here, the small cost of obtaining any old windows lic if you don't already have one is not really an issue.

You are wrong; that 'license' is exactly the issue. Why should I have to pay for, install, and maintain another OS, to use a video on-demand service that I already payfor? Is it because they were too lazy and stupid to implement it using an open standard? Or because the mpaa is forcing them too?

Re:hilarious

[dotancohen]

Hard to get excited when I still can't watch it on my mac (PowerPC) just as it was with the Olympics.

Don't get exited, then. Instead, write to Netflix and let them know that you, and the millions of other Ubuntu, PowerPC, Fedora, and other non-Windows || Intel Mac _still_ cannot use their service. Let them know that they need a cross-platform solution, not a pick-and-choose platform solution. Here is their address:
http://www.netflix.com/ContactUs

Re:Reason #1 this is useless to me

[hansoloaf]

I do like foreign films. I do like domestic films as well. And yes I'm deaf. Very little videos on the net (hulu, itunes, netflix, etc) are captioned so it's frustrating to see all the cool technology. Yet it all remains inaccessible to people like me.

Re:hilarious

[mweather]

But Hitler did use IBM products.