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Amazon Blocks Video Streaming On BlackBerry Tablet, Blames Apple
AZA43 writes "Amazon.com has blocked its Instant Video streaming service on BlackBerry PlayBook tablets, in an apparent effort to make its Kindle Fire device more attractive to tablet buyers. And it says Apple is the reason why it blocked the service. But the company hasn't blocked comparable Android tablets from streaming Instant Video, and Android tablets hold a much larger portion of the overall tablet market than PlayBooks. Amazon will likely succeed only in alienating customer with PlayBooks who have already purchased lots of streaming video content."
"Amazon will likely succeed only in alienating customer with PlayBooks who have already purchased lots of streaming video content."
Yup, that single customer is going to be really really upset about this. Good thing it doesn't affect more people.
OK, this doesn't smell right. This allegation is based upon one email from customer service, and given the context it's even quite possible that "Apple" (mentioned once in the message) was a brainfart with the customer service agent intending to write "Adobe". Lest anyone think I'm grasping at straws, the entire email makes no sense whatsoever if taken literally (as it kind of implies Apple wrote Flash!), but makes perfect sense if you read "Apple" as "Adobe".
After waiting less than a day for confirmation from Amazon the author of the article decides to go ahead and make the claim despite the somewhat dubious circumstances. I don't believe it for a second, and I think the author's an idiot.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
How have they got anything to do with it. is this just a case of Homophobia?
Looking at the situation, I would say that the message about it being Apples fault is a canned response to people asking about playback on the iPad that got miss-routed as a response to this new issue with the PlayBook. I suspect that Amazon does not know why its not working on the PlayBook, or at least does not have a fix. I also would not be shocked if they did not fix it as the PlayBook seems like a dead platform from a development standpoint. Lets remember that a PlayBook native player would require dedicated development time since the whole Android apps on PlayBook thing never really panned out. Coupled with the out of date flash player, there's not a lot Amazon can do.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
No, RIM's customer has more than one, he's a big fan of the platform as it happens!
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
"Amazon will likely succeed only in alienating customer with PlayBooks who have already purchased lots of streaming video content."
Is this just an elaborate way to say "nobody will care", or is this thing more popular than I imagine? I have never even seen a PlayBook, never mind buying streaming video content for it.
Every expression is true, for a given value of 'true'
You buy ACCESS to data, and the moment the supplier doesn't like you, some obscure line in the EULA is found and used to deny the User ACCESS to the Data. But the user never actually owns the Data, in that the data is resident on machines of their possession.
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
I have one! It is an excellently designed tablet, with a nice feel in the hand, physical buttons for media and volume, cameras, a great screen.
I sincerely wish I had paid more and bought a cheap android tablet instead.
... Amazon blamed the PlayBook's Flash player for the issue, saying the Flash software needed to be update, even though my Adobe Flash software is up to date (v11.1.122.4) ...
So its Adobe not Apple?
FWIW being current and needing an update is plausible. Amazon may have learned of an exploit in Flash and will only resume streaming after the security problem is fixed. OK, plausible but not terribly likely.
... Apple owns the rights to the hardware and software that would allow Amazon video content to be played on the BlackBerry PlayBook? Yet Amazon has allowed Instant Video customers to play video content on RIM's tablet for the past year, and just now the company decided to block the functionality? Something isn't right here, and I reached out to Amazon.com's media relations team more than 24 hours ago for clarification, but I haven't received a response. The above response from Amazon customer service could simply be misinformation sent by an irresponsible customer representative ...
Then maybe a better title for your article would have been "Amazon Blocks Instant Video on BlackBerry PlayBook, Customer Service Rep Blames Apple"
Steve Jobs' revenant is NOT going to like this!
I hear both Playbook owners are absolutely livid about this.
Well to be fair the second guy has not got word to us yet, still trying to find his Blackberry so he can get an email out about his fury.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I don't think you're allowed to pick and choose which companies can use your content per fair market rules.
I'll bet all 5 Playbook owners are pissed.
Also, from the email, it seems not to be "We won't support your Playbook because we're mean" but "We cant support it because of licensing issues."
Which makes the blog author look even more like a "I spend money at your store, how dare you not support X" over-reactionary.
I agree with you and think we should give them the benefit of the doubt. Still, the way I see it, the "blaming on Apple" part is not really the important one. What matters here is that we have hardware and software that can perform a task, and that Amazon prevents this from happening so that they can sell more of their own hardware (or so they think). Whoever they blame this on is secondary, and focusing on this secondary aspect would make you miss the important bit here: Amazon is evil for blocking its streaming service.
To be honest, the PlayBook is a non entity, I am very surprised they would block this device. It does raise a lot of concerns about the future plans they have with Android/iPad/Win8. If they pull back from any of these OS's or devices it will severely alter the relevance of their streaming media/Prime offerings. They are walking tightrope here. All that being said; why start with the PlayBook? Who is buying one of those over a Kindle Fire?
Yeah, I guess Al Sacco was scared he'd be scooped on his big story. He said, "Something isn't right here, and I reached out to Amazon.com's media relations team more than 24 hours ago for clarification, but I haven't received a response." Right, Al, something isn't right, but you went and reported something wrong anyway. It's stuff like this that makes me want to side with the "Bloggers aren't Journalists" camp.
I bet tomorrow when we find out it was just a minor technical glitch and everything's fine, Al Sacco won't be issuing a retraction like a real journalist.
...as if 4 voices suddenly cried out in terror and then went on with their lives.
Dear RIM, I appreciate you. I'm sorry that so many others feel threatened to the point of acting like jerk-bags to you. 2011 was a lame year, but you're still here and your new Playbook OS will make ripples. Keep promoting and enabling quality content creation and you'll do well. Afterall, people care more about their own lives than anything else, so keep on with helping them express themselves through your products. I like Amazon just fine, but blocking you like this, that's just a tempertantrum that provides you with otherwise hidden opportinuties. Keep up the quality work. Thank you RIM.
The idea of it being a lower selling platform or not does not determine if it is a just thing to block someone from using a service that we've (the playbook owners) supported in the past. I used this all the time because of netflix being a lame duck and it worked fantastically... So you all who seem to need to talk shit on this amazing piece of hardware, are going to tell me that the MANY playbook users out there, our money is not good? Oh that's right our money doesn't spend cause we bought hardware that meets/exceeds our needs... Further more amazon has a piece of hardware that shares many of the same attributes as the Playbook, and sells for about the same cost (yes even though the playbook was a "fire" sale), so penalize us for trying to get the most bang for our buck... Thanks everyone on this site and the many others who feel the need to shit on something that they don't prefer. Next start on others ideas on music, religion, politics.... you all will go really far.
You can quit looking guys - we found him.
"People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
I think the user is doesn't understand the phrase "does not support" This does not mean Amazon is blocking the device. I means they don't test their service on Playbooks and don't fix bugs that occur on Playbooks. The error message is "Playback Error: Sorry we were unable to stream the video. This is likely because your Flash Player needs to be updated." That doesn't look like the message they would return if they were blocking the device.
OK, this doesn't smell right. This allegation is based upon one email from customer service, and given the context it's even quite possible that "Apple" (mentioned once in the message) was a brainfart with the customer service agent intending to write "Adobe". Lest anyone think I'm grasping at straws, the entire email makes no sense whatsoever if taken literally (as it kind of implies Apple wrote Flash!), but makes perfect sense if you read "Apple" as "Adobe".
Sorry, but it doesn't make perfect sense to me that way either:
"Adobe Inc. has exclusive rights to the hardware and software that would make it possible for Amazon.com to provide Amazon Instant Videos for these devices."
Adobe has exclusive rights to what hardware?
I had the Nook Color (running CM7) and overclocked (1.2 Ghz) but it still felt laggy. I gave that away over Christmas so I need a new cheapie tablet that doesn't lag. The Playbook felt fine when I was testing it, but without a lot of apps it would just be used as a web tablet.
Does Not Support means they don't fix bugs for a given device. If they have an App on the PlayBook app store then they should still be supporting the device. If they don't then its fine that they are not. Its up to RIM to fix bugs in its Flash Player and web browser.
"Amazon will likely succeed only in alienating customer with PlayBooks who have already purchased lots of streaming video content."
Isn't that a bit dramatic?? I mean look at this, "RIM sold into the channels approximately 150,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets in the third quarter...".
Ok, that is Q3, and you can go back to April 2011, but still, just how many are there really who a) bought a PlayBook, and b) "have already purchased lots of streaming video content" ??
I venture to think Amazon maybe "doesn't give a shit".
until you mentioned the camera, I thought you were talking about my pecker.
And yet he was able to play streaming video recently and is using the latest adobe flash player.
You might want to read the article sometime so you don't sound like an ass.
Clearly a case where TL/DR does not apply.
The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
Hold on, what did he report that was wrong? He reported that 1) Amazon's streaming video service is incorrectly reporting a Flash error when you attempt to play the videos on a Playbook, 2) Amazon's customer support response was 'It's Apple's fault', and 3) there's absolutely no way that it makes sense that the problem acutally *is* Apple's fault, but he hadn't gotten a clarification response from Amazon yet.
Point out how he "went and reported something wrong anyway", please.
"physical buttons for media and volume"?
Wow, I feel so inadequate now.
You never really know how close to the edge you can go until you fall off.
I did read the story. If Amazon started encoding their video in some new Adobe DRM then it might not be supported by the PlayBooks Flash implimentation. If you read the comments on his site older videos still seem to work. This is Flash remember. It is known to be buggy.
I am impressed to see that CIO Magazine understands the value of self-promoting their articles here. I don't know whether they compensate /. for the attention or eyes, but hopefully they do this out of appreciation for the value this community brings rather than from a desperation to inflate their viewership numbers through whatever means possible.
I would say his flash software is not up to date. He is stating the PlayBook is using: v11.1.122.4 FireFox is using 11.1.102.56 Android is using 11.1.112.61 Clearly each device gets its own build. I bet 122 is the Playbook device number. If so then there have only been 4 versions of Flash released to the PlayBook compared to 61 versions on Android.
Look at the Vizio 8 tablet, it's a little behind in OS being a gingerbread tablet, but it includes a fancy universal remote app and IR port, and it has 3 speakers to do stereo sound in either orientation. I do not own one, I have a ASUS Transformer, but they are not budget machines at all.
Snowden and Manning are heroes.
OMG, I went to Slashdot.org to watch some videos and they are not loading! Amazon is really pissing me off.
I guess I'll go to Nintendo.com next so I can try to check my email. If that doesn't work, boy am I ever going to post about this on the Internets.
I see you omitted that wonderfully (stupid) power button.
I second your wishing for a cheap android tablet. Buddy of mine thought his was stolen out of his car. I said it was more likely misplaced since who would want to steal one. He ended up getting a lenovo android and found the playbook the next day. Needless to say the playbook has been relegated to his 2 year old daughter
nobody has been able to find someone who owns a PlayBook.
I have a Playbook. I like it. I think a few features need to be added to make it complete (Netflix and an Email client; also an SD slot). All in all, it's pretty good. At the $150-$200 range it isn't too shabby. It's a great device, without a good marketing plan.
However, I've seen this before when Hulu stopped working on it. One day I could watch Hulu. The next day I couldn't. And the "blame Apple" excuse is valid. Apple pushes really hard for arbitrary limitations based on the device the end user is using. SO a tablet is a different device than a computer.
I hate to be so crass in a subject, but that is just stupid. Not Amazon - the article. The author. WTH is wrong with people?
There is so much wrong with the above that I could, and may, barf. 'PlayBook' is seen in quotes, denoting (to me) that Amazon has it's very specific list of support devices and your 'ThingyMaJig' is not on that list. Ok, moving on...
The use of Apple, as noted by another poster above, was probably wrong on the service rep's part - Adobe is more likely what they meant but instead pulled the standard response for Apple customers who don't have Flash installed (or aren't up to date, as is the case here possibly). The author goes on in to the whole versions business, comparing his Android tablet of his and it's more-outdated version of Flash and saying that it's totally an anti-RIM/anit-PlayBook injustice!
Of course, it could also be:
- the browser
- the cache
- some weird headers
- his Flash install
- Bill Gates having a field day with his monies
- Apple, because, you know, Apple and PlayBooks and RIM Jobs and errr....
The fact that this got picked up on /. is not surprising, sadly, as nothing of unimportance seems to be left out these days. "Disgruntled PlayBook owner DENIED ACCESS TO AMAZON STREAMING - Amazon blames Apple!" <-- someone thought that, and then thought it was legitimate news. I'm going back to ONTD.
It means Apple "care", as in they see the Playbook as a greater threat to their gadgets than Android devices. "Start worrying, details to follow," as some like to put it. RIM is the only company that really compares to Apple in terms of hardware quality and market.
Blame Apple for everything.
Okay for all those bagging on the playbook, you're partially correct, the device isn't making waves in tech circles. But that isn't to say that its a device. I own one along with several other tablets (android, apple, and a couple of off brand). It's actually one of the better performers if you actually like tables and want them to do more than one thing at a time. But with that being said it's sad that you guys would jump on this without even a basic attempt to check the claim. I jumped on the device and loaded up a free show (Sesame street, "Get Healthy now") and the service is still working fine. My guess is the author may have an "unsupported" plug in, or he may already be on OS2 (which is still technically in beta). Either way you look at this, this is a poor reflection of the types of stories that are being posted, and a it's poor representation of the types of posts the stories should be receiving. I give both a "Come On MAN!"
Speaking as someone who does a lot of Customer Support, there is also a difference too between 'We do not support' and 'We no longer support'. "It used to work on [insert never-supported hardware here]" is a phrase I have heard many times before. It's entirely possible that they never tested it on a Playbook during development. The fact that it worked in the past was good fortune for the playbook's owner, and due to recent changes it no longer works on a platform it was never tested to work on anyway,so they had no motivation to make sure that it still worked there.
Free Pie! The Pie is Also Evil!
RIM, then?
Amazon started using DRM on some videos in mid-January. It also breaks playback on certain Linux systems -- specifically those using 64-bit flash plugin, and those where (deprecated) HAL has been removed. As a Linux user and Amazon Prime subscriber, the videos I can watch are hit and miss.
Clearly a canned response that the CSR forgot to switch out Apple for RIM in it. Nothing to see here.
The (sweet) xbmc plugin Bluecop wrote suddenly quit working when they changed to use 'DRM' flash. See this thread for details;
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=108124&page=32
Pretty painful.
Welcome Blackberry users, now you how Linux users feel when it comes to DVD and Netflix playback. But of course pirates support Linux, do want you want because a pirate is Free, You are a pirate. And we "pirated" that phrase too. Jailbreak your Blackberry and join the fun.
I was amazed by an Amazon CS rep telling me the reason that I couldn't use Amazon Instant Videos on my Tivo was because my FIOS connection wasn't nearly fast enough.
I hung up and contacted Tivo who told me they don't support Amazon Instant Videos.
They did not blame Apple for it. ;)
You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
They assumed that the Playbook was an Apple product.
Read it again with that misconception in mind.
You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
The author of the article was obviously a highly advanced technical user. Just like all the smart executives who read CIO
This seems like a typical suck attack. Adobe sucks, Amazon sucks, RIM sucks, so instead of trying to fix the problem, they just all stand around in a circle pointing at one another, sucking hickies on one another's spotty bottoms, and blaming Apple.
It may not be very effective, but its a hell of a lot easier than actually making products that work. Leave the toil and sweat up to Apple. Bottom feeders can always make a few bucks off cheap, knock-off lookalikes.
Can someone please explain to me how this company being a dick and limiting streaming to a platform is Apples fault???
Conversly would they be able to turn the streaming back on for this device and claim a victory over Apple for some reason??
I have a major tooth infection, it is giving me huge tooth aches and a really bad headache. Can I blame this on Apple too?
Since their latest Amazon Instant Video upgrade, I've been unable to watch any Amazon videos either on my 32 or 64 bit system. I've made sure I have the latest Adobe flash plug-in and have HAL installed. Their tech support was useless. I've cancelled my Amazon Prime membership over it.
And they wonder why some people resort to bit-torrent.
The Bolachek Journals
"And it says Apple is the reason why it blocked the service."
http://i39.tinypic.com/28b9tnc.jpg
About 10 less than that.
Amazon needs to get off their butts and create an instant video app for iOS and Android. I can watch instant video on my Android phone, but the experience is horrible, and there is currently no way to access Amazon IV on an iOS device. Seriously Amazon? I realize that Apple is really the company screwing me here by deciding thou shalt not run flash on an iPad, but Hulu, Netflix, etc have released Apps to let me watch their content, get with the program.
Technical explanation for the problem, if you care
Not all Amazon content is using the new DRM; if you've already downloaded something, even if it uses DRM, then it will continue to function.
The actual issue is a combination of the Flash 11 update on Jan 31, combined with Amazon switching Flash Access DRM on Feb 4/5/6.
The Flash Access DRM requires downloading and installing a new shared object, which is why it complains about needing an upgrade.
The code is busted. It uses hald/libhal (which was deprecate in May 2008 by FreeDesktop.org) in order to construct a unique machine identifier for use in the Flash Access DRM.
The code is busted again. It attempts to communicate with hald using dbus, and when it can't, it assumes that the problem is a faulty component, rather than hald not answering the phone because it hasn't been installed. So basically, it's piss-poor error checking in the code that results in the update request, for the wrong reason.
So for most Linux systems, you can just do "apt-get install hal", and your Amazon will start working again.
This won't work for embedded systems with trusted code paths that need to sign code and won't download random crap onto your machine by default. I suspect the Blackberry would fall into this category. For these systems, you'd need an update from the vendor which included the Flash Access shared object.
If it makes you feel any better, almost every Linux and BSD based system on the planet got bit on the butt by this.
It's a good argument against DRM, even if you weren't worroed that they would upload your specific device identification information in a non-hashed form, and use that information with other databases to correlate your network activity.
-- Terry