Slashdot Mirror
Netflix to Soon Let Users Download Videos, Says Report (dslreports.com)
Karl Bode, writing for DSLReport:Netflix will soon let users download and store videos locally, according to Penthera (a Pittsburgh-based firm that focuses on delivery of HD media to mobile devices by storing content on the recipient device) COO Dan Taitz and a report over at Light Reading. Taitz told the outlet that it shouldn't be long before the feature arrives. Netflix has been working harder to help consumers manage broadband caps, and being able to download a video on Wi-Fi for later viewing would go a long way in helping users (especially on wireless networks) that consistently find themselves hamstrung by their monthly usage allotments. "We know from our sources within the industry that Netflix is going to launch this product," Taitz tells the outlet. "My expectation is that by the end of the year Netflix will be launching download-to-go as an option for their customers."Bold move, if it does happen.
You are surely right of course. But i don't even think it would matter if they did let us download mp4. Nothing on netflix isn't readily available on torrents anyway.
People use netflix because its (relatively*) convenient; and for the satisfaction of doing the right thing to pay a reasonable fee for the delivery of ad free content.
If you could download mp4 videos I doubt many netflix subscribers would over it, and it would probably attract more subscribers than they already have.
* - relatively as in "I can't beleive what a total clusterfuck the windows 10 netflix app is." It used to work with my remote... now it doesn't. I can't set it to full screen until it starts streaming; it drops out of full screen when the show is own so i have to re-full screen it for the next thing i watch.
It takes like a minute or two more often than not to start a stream. (Unless i kill the app out right, relaunch it, and then it starts the stream immediately half the time.) And its the only media player on my HTPC that doesn't do audio initialization properly, so it usually takes 5-10 seconds once the stream starts before audio starts playing. (due to HDMI handshaking i think) because if I stop the stream, go back ot the menu and and start it up again its fine. But why couldn't 'start the audio' handshake whenever its the foreground app? Or when its initializing before it starts streaming? Or wait for the handshake before it start playing (is that possible?) in any case everything else on my HTPC from steam to Kodi to VLC starts audio immediately when i hit play.
The UI is also pretty terrible for managing what you want to watch in feature, re-watching things you've seen, and just finding new things to watch; and the UI changes randomly from month to month.
I will say they at least got rid of a major video stutter that was afflicting it several months ago. (where the video would pause, audio would continue, then video would "fast forward" catch up to the adio a second or three later). So despite all its irritations its at least watchable again. :)