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Netflix Now Works On Linux With HTML5 DRM Video Support In Chrome

Posted by timothy on from the better-than-impossible dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Beginning with the Chrome 38 Beta it's now possible to watch Netflix without any Wine/Silverlight plug-ins but will work natively using Chrome's DRM-HTML5 video capabilities with Netflix. The steps just involve using the latest beta of Chrome and an HTTP user-agent switcher to tell Netflix you're a Windows Chrome user, due to Netflix arbitrarily blocking the Linux build."

37 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Why is by mail.jpcs · · Score: 2

    Netflix arbitrarily blocking the Linux build

    I find it hard to believe that they would do it just because they can.

    1. Re:Why is by houstonbofh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If they do not want my OS, they do not want my money... I mean it is nice that it can work, but I am not signing up yet.

    2. Re:Why is by astro · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Because no matter how strongly they state that a configuration is not supported, if it's not expressly blocked, people will try to get technical support for it. And with the distro landscape as it is, supporting mainstream software on "Linux" is a nightmare.

    3. Re:Why is by markdavis · · Score: 2

      If it is browser based, is it really THAT hard to "support"? Just wondering.

      BTW- as far as I am aware, no distro includes or supports Chrome, anyway... only Chromium (which is open source).

    4. Re:Why is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, was also on the Board of Directors for Microsoft from 2007 through 2012.

      So yes, they can.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_Hastings

    5. Re:Why is by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I used to be a long term NF user (the mail dvd's, that is) but the service started getting slow (mailings were not as fast as before) and many titles were dropped (not NF's fault, but I still had less choice).

      TPB does what I need and there's never a problem with compatibility ;)

      sorry, entertainment industry, but I gave up on you. for decades (quite a few of them) I helped fund your overpriced shite. that has now ended.

      my cost is that of a VPN and that's it. and so, I'm 'there' until things drastically change, and I don't see that happening even in my lifetime.

      so, even though linux is now 'working', I could actually care less. too little, too late.

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    6. Re:Why is by Stormwatch · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Ex-Microsoft people, always causing trouble to their new companies to benefit their old company. See also: Stephen Elop.

      --
      Circumcision is child abuse.
    7. Re:Why is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I could actually care less

      So exactly how much less could you actually care then?

    8. Re:Why is by astro · · Score: 3, Informative

      From the replies on the linked blog post, people are having distro-specific successes / failures even after following the instructions. I can imagine this being anything from distro specific paths, to permissions on certain binaries that could be different for say, Fedora from Mint, to codec issues (though as I understand it with Chrome the codecs are all basically wrapped up in the binary?) The specific technical details of this situation are a bit out of my area of expertise but I don't think any of the things I guess at here are out of the realm of possibility.

      Technical issues aside - I welcome this development. I know and understand completely that a lot of people have issues with DRM making it's way into the core HTML (5) specs, but I kind of see it as unavoidable if we want to enjoy commercial content without needing completely non-standard garbageware like Silverlight or Flash. I have used Netflix with the Compholio Wine / Pipelight stuff, and while it works, it struggles to do so.

      Yeah, there is a slippery slope and lots of compromise - but I would have less reason to ever boot into Windows if my paid subscriptions to content that I enjoy could work natively under "Linux". And just don't ask me to stop watching movies or playing 3xA game titles, because I won't.

    9. Re:Why is by VTBlue · · Score: 5, Funny

      A Linux user calling tech support...that's rich.

    10. Re:Why is by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If it is browser based, is it really THAT hard to "support"?

      Yes. I have actually done phone support, and you would not believe how dumb some people are. Many will call for support before they even turn their computer on. They want someone to babysit them through the entire process before they even try to do it themselves. The only way to deal with these people cost effectively, is to hire a bunch of Indians or Filipinos, and have them walk the users through a canned script. Once you start throwing in additional variables, and Linux has a lot of variables, then the complexity of the script increases exponentially. Pretty soon, you end up having to hire expensive tech support people that are actually capable of thinking and troubleshooting. Why should Netflix do that for an extra 1% in sales?

    11. Re:Why is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I've started to differentiate two notions of "support" in the past year or so. One of them, the most popular definition among users, is "it works on my system". The other is what the developers mean: "we'll answer your email regarding your predicament". If it works it doesn't mean that it's also supported. It just means you're one lucky guy. You may be 10 billion lucky guys, but if the developer doesn't want to support your lucky install, expect borkage with each new release.

    12. Re:Why is by Richy_T · · Score: 4, Funny

      To the same kind of people who consider a lottery ticket an investment.

    13. Re:Why is by Garrynz · · Score: 2

      David Mitchell rant about "could care less" explains it better than I could https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    14. Re:Why is by cheesybagel · · Score: 3, Informative

      He also was CEO of Pure Software. The guys who did the Purify malloc debugging tool for UNIX. Being in the board of directors does not mean much.

    15. Re:Why is by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh, I've heard Linux users calling tech support all sort of things. Most of them not suitable for polite conversation, but still...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    16. Re:Why is by Shoten · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "due to Netflix arbitrarily blocking the Linux build"

      i.e., generating a valid page based on detection of a Linux-based USER-AGENT from the browser, to save the user from trying to troubleshoot what has been, until recently, a problem that the user could not fix. Hardly sinister.

      --

      For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
    17. Re: Why is by MatthiasF · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Depends on the circumstances, doesn't it?

      In these cases, the issue is a want (consume content) and not a need (consume food/water/air). So, you are ripping someone else off because you want what they have but do not need it.

      And in those circumstances, you are the one being unethical. Only when you have a need that someone acts unfairly to address it, does ethics start to play a role.

      Otherwise, you're just being inaccurate and melodramatic.

    18. Re:Why is by ArcadeMan · · Score: 4, Funny

      I could actually care less.

      That means you do care, at least a little.

      --
      Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
    19. Re:Why is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      People who say "I could care less" are wrong and no amount of rationalization changes that. The saying is "I couldn't care less" As in the amount one cares is zero. And no, you can't go below zero, if you were to go negative that would imply that you do in fact care about whatever it is, even if rather than wanting it, you now want to avoid it.

      Not that I really care, I wasn't the one that started this thread, but it's ridiculous that people put so much effort into rationalizing something that is outright wrong.

      OTOH, if they mean that they could care less as in they care somewhat, that's a completely different matter. It's just in practice, I've never encountered anybody who intended to say that.

    20. Re: Why is by cyber-vandal · · Score: 2

      Artists who don't need to eat I suppose.

    21. Re:Why is by TeknoHog · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I also think "I could care less" is dumb. I just wanted to point out how zero is not always the lower limit, because obviously this is an important topic to many a Slashdotter.

      Frankly, if you mean "I don't care", then by all means say so, there's no need to put it in any fancier terms. Especially when you get it wrong, which is what frequently occurs whilst endeavouring to overliteralize, perchance even hypercorrect matters.

      Of course, if you actually say "I don't care about $x", there's still a non-zero level of caring. If you genuinely don't care, you won't even think about it, you just walk away.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    22. Re: Why is by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      .Ripping someone off who tried to rip you off isn't.

      Well, there's a difference between charging more than you're willing to pay and "ripping you off".

      I've given this issue a great deal of thought. I'm something of an expert on ethics having spent a large part of my life diligently trying to eliminate ethical considerations from my behavior, and then the past few decades carefully adding them back in.

      Regarding the downloading of professionally produced media without permission: My rule of thumb is how readily I could actually pay for it. For example, since I'm not willing to engage any of the cable or direct TV vendors, because they are evil companies that suck, I find it impossible to watch certain things that are produced by cable stations. In many cases, they don't have any mechanism for paying for a TV show that I would like to see besides buying cable, which I refuse to do on ethical grounds. I've got nothing against the writers and artists and producers who make these shows, and would love to give them my money, but they've made it impossible by partnering with cable companies and satellite companies. So, in this case, eztv is my friend.

      I have a similar relationship with the popular movies. I could either see them in a theater, which I don't do because I hate being around other people who are not related to my by blood or marriage (and in some cases not even them) or I again I'm faced with the cable conundrum. So, it's TPB in the case that I don't want to wait for something to hit Netflix.

      But music, I pay for. Since there's nothing mainstream that interests me, it's relatively easy to download the music from a torrent site, and (I'm serious) then send the artist a check for $5, which I figure is about how much they'd be making on the download. In some cases, if the music is really great, I'll send a tenner (and have even gone $20 on occasion. It's really easy to find the artist's management, and you'd be surprised how often the checks get cashed, which is cool. I have cancelled checks from some very interesting artists, which I collect.

      I have a policy on books, but it's too complicated to go into right now and it smells like dinner's almost ready.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    23. Re:Why is by CrankyFool · · Score: 5, Interesting

      He's really not. Right now, for example, he mostly works on a Chromebook. At least that's what he's usually on when I see him working in the kitchen*.

      (I work at Netflix)

      * Reed doesn't have an office / cubicle / set location, so he tends to work either in a common area or in a random conference room until you kick him out because you reserved the room

    24. Re:Why is by Kjella · · Score: 2

      Yes. I have actually done phone support, and you would not believe how dumb some people are. Many will call for support before they even turn their computer on. They want someone to babysit them through the entire process before they even try to do it themselves.

      Come on, those kinds of people don't run Linux at all. The Linux problem is pretty much the exact opposite, you've got a bunch of dangerously knowledgeable users who've all tweaked their setup and expect all their special little snowflakes to be supported even though it's not.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    25. Re:Why is by MurukeshM · · Score: 2

      Chrome itself isn't available in the repositories of Debian or Ubuntu. Chromium is. Mint may have it. The usual way is to get the deb file from Google, which adds a source entry for Google's repos.

    26. Re: Why is by ShieldW0lf · · Score: 2

      I would hypothesize that, by preventing access from Linux users in such an easily defeated way, they shield themselves from legal responsibilities for proper functioning of the service on the multitude of Linux configurations out there, while still making it easy for the knowledgeable Linux user to pay their monthly fees and "make it work" on their own if they so desire. Which, really, is a win for everyone in the current environment.

      --
      -1 Uncomfortable Truth
    27. Re:Why is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      Which is technically correct, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered commenting about it.

    28. Re: Why is by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      That's an oversimplification of what is happening.

      Take a TV series that I decide to download instead of watching on TV. If it was on TV I would have DVRed it anyway and skipped the ads. Is not watching the adverts unethical or immoral? Few people pay close attention to them.

      I download Game of Thrones. To watch it on TV I'd have to buy an expensive cable/satellite TV package for one show, so sorry but it isn't worth that much to me. HBO isn't available in my country so even though I had paid an excessive amount I'd still have to skip the adverts on the crappy channel that shows it here. I could wait and get the BluRay, but I don't rent media on principal and the option to buy isn't available as all formats it is released on are licences with DRM. So, either they get exactly nothing from me, or I pirate the show and spend some money on merchandise and the physical books. My interest spurs others to become interested too. There is also the added benefit to society in general that I watch GoT related stuff on YouTube, thus creating gainful employment for the people who make them.

      I'd also point out that there is actually a need, just a small one, for me to see GoT. They rely a lot on viral marketing and creating a buzz. A lot of my friends and work colleagues like to talk about it on a Friday at lunch time when we go to the pub. If I want to participate I need to be watching it. I used to have this problem at school a lot - we only had basic over-the-air TV so all the other kids were watching music channels I had no access to, and I felt excluded because I couldn't be part of the conversation. If your aim is mass market appeal and social/viral advertising, you bare some responsibility for making your work available at a reasonable price.

      I recently bought Daft Punk's Random Access Memories on CD. Didn't rush out and buy it at full price. Is it unethical to wait for the price to fall? What about buying it second hand? Lending it to a friend? What if the friend then buys their own copy?

      The issue is complex and it isn't a simple matter of right or wrong. There is fault on both sides.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    29. Re:Why is by SeaFox · · Score: 2

      Yes. I have actually done phone support, and you would not believe how dumb some people are. Many will call for support before they even turn their computer on. They want someone to babysit them through the entire process before they even try to do it themselves.

      Come on, those kinds of people don't run Linux at all. The Linux problem is pretty much the exact opposite, you've got a bunch of dangerously knowledgeable users who've all tweaked their setup and expect all their special little snowflakes to be supported even though it's not.

      I got someone a few weeks ago running Linux who didn't even know what distro they had. Their brother had set the machine up for them.
      We figured out they were using Ubuntu. This is an Internet tech support outfit and I was the second person to talk to them. We found the networking on the machine was disabled. Re-enabling restored the connection.

      Sub says they had tried that with the last person they'd talked to before me a couple days ago, and it would just go back to being disabled after it tried enabling for a few seconds. The issue they were having had magically resolved itself.

      I have my mom running Linux now, too. She would be smart enough to know it's Linux Mint, but she wouldn't be able to do much else.

      Linux is gaining usage from people with older hardware that was running XP before support ended who don't want to or can't afford to upgrade. These people are generally not computer savvy, and a platform that is more secure and less virus-prone than Windows is a good fit if they spend the vast majority of their computing time on a web browser.

  2. Re:Wake Me Up by houstonbofh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Desktop is over. Everything is now tablet, and a few years ago was "The Year Of Linux On The Tablet," or Android anyway...
    (Slight sarcasm alert)

  3. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How do I remove the DRM, save it as mkv and upload it to TPB?

    Why bother? It's already there.

  4. Re:not for long... by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    And how do you plan to stop it?

    The problem is, whatever answer you get from a remote machine that is not entirely under your control depends on what that remote machine wants to tell you, not on what it should tell you in your opinion.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  5. Re:So... by squiggleslash · · Score: 3, Informative

    Right click on video player, "Save video as...", then when the Save dialog comes up, where it says "File type" switch from ".drm" to ".mp4".

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  6. Re:Hack by ArcadeMan · · Score: 2

    Probably two days ago.

    --
    Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
  7. working in Debian Sid VM by jtotheh · · Score: 4, Informative

    I was able to get this working using the instructions in the original post - with the following changes:

    I first tried with Debian stable. The google-chrome-unstable deb installs OK, but I couldn't get the video to play.
    I saw posts that it might work with sid. So I cooked up a sid vm.
    My default NAT network was disabled, I found some instructions to re-enable it.
    Once I had a sid vm, I found that there was no sound. I set it to ac97 in virt-manager but ended up abandoning virt-manager and using this command line
    sudo qemu-system-x86_64 /var/lib/libvirt/images/siddy.img -cpu kvm64,+nx -enable-kvm -m 1536 -soundhw hda -usb

    Once I had sound and networking going, I installed the google-chrome-unstable deb in the VM. Then I found the user-agent extension and installed that. I created a user-agent using EXACTLY the string given in the original post...

    And now I'm watching a netflix movie.

    Right now I have the chrome in the VM displaying to a Xephyr window in the host environment, will be interested to see if there is a better way.

    And it's true we should not have to do crap like this to use our netflix accounts!

  8. Happens ALL the time by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I work for an engineering college at a big research university. As such, lots of computers, some of them Linux. Despite the smug assurances you may see online that Linux users don't need support, nothing could be further from the truth. Some people who choose to use Linux at work do it because they've a lot of experience with it, and aren't much trouble. However many more do it either because:

    1) They have a tool that only runs on Linux, or more accurately that they can only figure out how to make run on Linux. It is usually something cobbled together by a researcher at another university for Ubuntu and only compiles easily on that. If you knew what you were doing you could modify it for something else, but they don't. They usually end up needing a moderate amount of support.

    2) They have the idea that Linux is the "l33t professional" OS and it's what you need to use if you want to be a serious computer user, so they want it. No thought goes in to it, they have no experience with it, no understanding, they figure it'll just be easy. These kinds need a ton of support.

    A few examples:

    --A grad student said she needed Linux on the computer she had bought and configured (without consulting IT). All the software she wanted run on Windows and out Linux guy even told her she'd be better off with Windows. Nope, had to have Linux. We got a continual stream of tickets when she couldn't figure things out, had problems with the AMD driver and so on, and he finally told her "Let us install Windows or go away."

    --A professor who bought a system and FPGA card, again without consulting us, and then said he needed Linux. This was after his grad student tried and failed to install it, hosing the system in the process. We put Linux on, and then it turns out neither he nor his grad student have any idea how to make the FPGA card work. It has no programming, you have to do it from scratch. They also don't know how to use Linux to the point they whined about "not having admin" on the Linux install which they had full control on, they just couldn't work out sudo.

    --A couple of grad students that insisted a new server needed to be Linux "for best performance". This was during a time when we didn't have a Linux guy (we are a small team, and our last one had left we were in the process of hiring the current one) so I looked in to it, and found the lead and recommended platform was Windows. I talked to the professor about it and she said go ahead with Windows, they grad students could deal, since support would be easier on Windows. Got the server up and running, first thing they wanted? Two programs that are Windows only and were mandatory to what they were doing. Had we given them Linux, we would have been reinstalling the server right away because it literally couldn't run the software they needed.

    The flipside of Linux seeing increasing use is that there are plenty of clueless Linux users. They don't go in to Linux saying "I really enjoy computers and learning about them, I want to learn all about this OS, how it works, how to support it, how to modify it, etc." Rather they go in saying "Oh Linux is free!" or "Oh Linux is what hackers use!" and have no idea what the fuck they are doing, and need help.