Slashdot Mirror
Firefox for Linux is Now Netflix Compatible (betanews.com)
Brian Fagioli, writing for BetaNews: For a while, Netflix was not available for traditional Linux-based operating systems, meaning users were unable to enjoy the popular streaming service without booting into Windows. This was due to the company's reliance on Microsoft Silverlight. Since then, Netflix adopted HTML5, and it made Google Chrome and Chromium for Linux capable of playing the videos. Unfortunately, Firefox -- the open source browser choice for many Linux users -- was not compatible. Today this changes, however, as Mozilla's offering is now compatible with Netflix!
That's utter bullshit. I am no longer a Netflix customer, but for several recent years I was able to view it just fine using Chromium + Widevine. A quick search on the subject will reveal that Windows is not needed. Who writes this shit?
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have backups to corrupt.
Anybody have any technical details on why it was not previously possible? My understanding is that it has been possible (at least for a while, possibly since FF49) with the Widevine plugin + spoofing a Chrome user agent.
There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
Does it work on ARM? On Raspbian on a Raspberry Pi?
Here's a quick rewrite:
Until now, Netflix video could not be watched using Firefox on Linux without some monkeying around. Now it can. Enjoy!
#DeleteChrome
The new installer script for latest Firefox fixed this issue and that pesky having plugins problem: /usr/bin/google-chrome /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox
#!/bin/sh
ln -s
Would this work for an ARM version of Firefox (e.g. so it could be run on a Raspberry Pi) ?
No longer must i use google chrome on my linux laptop to watch netflix!!! Now using a linux OS for my home media server makes sense, now that it can download movies/tv shows and play them using the builtin free software bittorent client, and VLC, it can also play netflix and youtube on a television as well. Now the only thing i need windows for is my gaming machine.
until SteamOS finally catches on
People still pay for that stuff? Why?
You do know there are streaming sites out there which remove all the commercials, offer closed captioning, and a selectable quality from 360p-1080p.
Did I mention it's free?
This is sort of like saying that detroit river water is now available for linux users, we never really wanted it to begin with.
Will it now support 1080P in the HTML5 DRM Netflix uses or are we still stuck with 720P like in Chrome.
I was wondering the same thing.
Author is a dumbass. I've been using Google Chrome for Netflix since forever, it works just fine.
Not everyone uses teh Goole Chrome. Iceweasel was the way to go. Now they got it working, I no longer have an account due to shrinking library of classics.
Why do they insist upon Netflix being a web site? Do they think anyone out there would say "well, if it were a web site I would try it out, but I don't trust Netflix enough to install an application?" Writing a portable application that has to play only one type of video encoding should not be a difficult problem to solve, so it isn't as if they're relying upon a plug-in to solve a difficult problem.
They've already written apps for PS4, XBOX, Wii, etc. Why no app for PC? Noting about Netflix is website-like, and so keeping it in a web browser is ridiculous.
It's certainty very uncivilised not doing this with a drone.
Can the editors here please stop using submissions that link to this "BetaNews" site?
There is a submission linking to "BetaNews" almost every day!
Shit, there were even two of them back on March 6th!
This "BrianFagioli" character is associated with several of the recent submissions. Does he benefit in some way from this publicity that Slashdot is giving this "BetaNews" site?
Seriously, this is feeling a lot like the Bennett Haselton days.
If I want to read "BetaNews" articles every day, I'll just go read their goddamn site instead of coming to Slashdot!
1) I don't ever want to use netfix
2) I stopped using firefox last week
My TV's Netflix app simply wraps a customized browser loading a local web app which uses ajax to talk with netflix. Then they used some sort of browser plug in or modification to get to whatever video library the device supported.
Why wouldn't netflix use a similar approach for all it's apps from toaster to xbox??
You can make a local web app that would fool almost anybody with a properly customized browser (using local OS library means it wouldn't take much ram since it's likely loaded anyhow.)
Less development and support related issues; every device has some working browser library and video decoder if hardware support is available.
Democracy Now! - uncensored, anti-establishment news
I recall using Ubuntu 12.04 and had to do agent switchers, install a bunch of stuff just to watch Netflix videos.
I tried this on two different computers running Linux with the latest version of Firefox installed. The Widevine add-on is in place. On both computers I tried accessing Netflix videos with Firefox's default user-agent and with alternative agents, like Chrome's. Firefox failed in every test to play video. Usually I just got an error telling me to install Firefox. Once I managed to get a player up on the screen, but the video never started, it just sat at 0:00 and stalled. Chrome plays Netflix fine on both computers.
Not at all impressed with this level of "support" for Firefox.
I'm an admin and I don't have a problem tinkering around with Linux. But when I run into this kind of crap that has to be done because company X refuses to do things in a standard way, I tend to just go back to Windows 7 for awhile and wait until the issue is taken care of in a better way by someone.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
If netflix has been using html5 video rather than silverlight, why didn't this work on firefox earlier? Can you imagine I even read TFA to find out, to no avail.
Firefox has had the capability for months. You just had to spoof your user agent to look like chrome on Linux to get it to work. TBH, I've had more problems on iOS with Netflix than I did with unsupported Firefox on Linux :P
I just tried Netflix in Chrome and Firefox on Ubuntu. It works but only in standard def for me. Amazon prime video was similar, it worked but only SD. I've cancelled both subscriptions. I dont get why they place these restrictions; theyre inconveniencing paying customers whilst not preventing the ripping of the content. Loose loose situation?!
Google's Widevine has been available in Firefox on all platforms for some time. It's just Netflix when recognizing Linux as the OS did not allow Firefox to use Widevine in Linux. Sort of a Netflix issue I guess because Firefox worked great in Mac OS or Windows. I typically used Chrome in Ubuntu anyway because Firefox was so slow on Ubuntu. Glad this minor glitch is fixed although most using Firefox found a work around with the browser agent add on and spoofed Firefox as Chrome.
Now if they could just add support for alsa we could listen to it as well.
They call it "plugin free" but then what the fuck are Content Decryption Modules? I'll tell you what they are, they are the OS, platform and architecture dependent DRM plugins that Firefox uses. Try putting Firefox on your Raspberry Pi and you'll see it will not work.
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
I watch Netflix on my RasPi2 , running ARMArch Linux, and Chromium with a set specific 'browser' identification.
Netflix website occasionally crashes during viewing, but 'Reload' and keep watching...
HBO's GO service in Central Europe was similar: worked only in Chrome on Linux, but since about a month it's working with Firefox on Linux too (HTML5-based).
This is good news, no doubt, and long overdue.. I mean, cumon, really? Microsoft Silverlight required? What was up with that anyway? We still won't resubscribe after the "Dear White People" debacle though. We're getting our streaming stuff elsewhere.
You've made Mary Pickford very sad...
#DeleteChrome
99% still inhibited by ridiculous artificial restrictions
. .
If I understand correctly, it uses a binary-blob provided, architecture-dependant DRM called CDM
Would EME be an implemented standard, that restriction would be lifted. DRM in a W3C standard may have some good points, after all.
And I just tend to ignore that company instead of putting upnwith their BS.
loling at your lifes dudes.