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Netflix Using HTML5 Video For ARM Chromebook

Posted by Unknown on from the shiny-new-antifeatures dept.

sfcrazy writes "Netflix is using HTML5 video streaming instead of using Microsoft's Silverlight on Chromebooks (which now supports DRM for HTML5). Recently Google enabled the much controversial DRM support for HTML5 in Chrome OS to bring services like Netflix to Chromebooks using HTML5." Still no word on general support for GNU/Linux, but x86 or ARM, what's the difference? (If you're ok with DRM at least.)

6 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. How's it work on Android? by PCM2 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Eh? Netflix seems to work just fine on my Android tablets, and I'm pretty sure it's not using Silverlight there. Probably doesn't use it on the various Smart TVs and Blu-Ray players that support it, either. Is this just a case of Google deciding to enable something that other people were using already? Or do these other platforms use Moonlight or something?

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    1. Re:How's it work on Android? by MrEricSir · · Score: 3, Informative

      Moonlight can't be used for Netflix, which is why Linux users have to resort to crazy hacks like this to get their Netflix fix.

      I'd also point out that the iPad has had an official Netflix app for some time, and I highly doubt that involves running Silverlight either.

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    2. Re:How's it work on Android? by dreamchaser · · Score: 4, Informative

      No it's not. Netflix will run on any Android device running 2.2 and higher, regardless of support on said devices for hardware DRM. They do it in software within the Netflix app.

  2. Re:What's Chromebook's user-agent string? by pavon · · Score: 3, Informative

    That won't be enough. You will also need a browser that allows DRM for HTML5 (Chrome 26 beta is the only one so far), and the specific DRM plugin used by Netflix compiled for an x86 system, which hasn't been made available.

  3. EME by pavon · · Score: 4, Informative

    Netflix did use NaCl on the Intel Chromebooks, but are now using HTML5/EME on the ARM chromebooks. Here is the official Chrome Google+ feed announcement.

  4. Re:Chrome sync is dangerous. by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 4, Informative

    So you're telling me that you logged into your personl account on an untrusted computer, through your two-factor authentication scheme, failed to read the dialog box prompting you to download personal data to the machine, and then were surprised when this synchronisation scheme applied changes to your account?

    PEBKAC. Works as intended. I presume you've been modded up so we can all laugh at you for thinking that this is somehow the fault of Google.

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