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Netflix Axes Apple AirPlay Support (cnet.com)
If you stream Netflix on your iPhone or iPad, the app will no longer support Apple AirPlay. A report adds: This means that you won't be able to cast shows on Netflix from your iOS device to your Apple TV. Netflix's note says AirPlay is "no longer supported" due to "technical limitations." "With AirPlay support rolling out to third-party devices, there isn't a way for us to distinguish between devices (what is an Apple TV vs. what isn't) or certify these experiences. Therefore, we have decided to discontinue Netflix AirPlay support to ensure our standard of quality for viewing is being met," a Netflix spokesperson said in an email.
Nothing to do with us.
I recently tried to do Netflix AirPlay from my phone in a hotel. It was a very poor implementation of AirPlay on the hotel TV, and Netflix showed up with a blank solid coloured screen with only the audio playing. For that matter, no other video app worked either. YouTube just crashed, Crunchyroll froze, and Infuse played audio/video well enough but with chunky scaling, jittery motion, and no subtitles.
On the other hand, I'm not sure why that would stop Netflix from supporting AirPlay, since it presumably works fine on actual Apple devices.
I find most of the technology today could be so awesome if everything would integrate. Unfortunately, monopolization of the internet as all that destroyed that possibility.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
In my opinion they're simply saying that users would use 3rd party devices to rip their content and they have no other way of stopping it. They're not wrong.
The "technical limitation" is that they don't want to send video to a device that can decrypt and archive it.
Would have loved to be a fly on the wall to see the sardonic look on the Netflix exec's faces when writing this explanation, Apple has used this lame excuse so many times.
"Ahh! I see you're in that indeterminate Schrodinger state where - oh, uh
What is the use case that requires AirPlay support to cast Netflix to a device? What AirPlay receiver doesn't already have a Netflix client?
That's some elite level corporate doublespeak. I wonder what would happen if a big company stopped shamelessly lying and just told the truth?
I'm not surprised by this. Netflix is anal retentive about DRM.
Sometime last year Netflix "disabled" the ability to take screenshots on the iOS app. I put "disabled" in quotes because "technically" it still works but effectively it is broken. Captions will show (if you have them on) but you now get a black screen. REALLY? You are fucking worried about a *single frame* ??? Apparently these idiots don't understand the concept of "free advertising" when a user shares a single frame with others generating interesting in the movie / show.
So now I have to use yet-another-device, such as my phone/camera, to take a picture of my iPad showing a single frame from a movie. This "screenshot-is-black" shenanigans isn't stopping anyone.
Yeah, "First. World. Problems." but it is evidence that Netflix continues to slowly jump the shark one small piece at a time.
I'm surprised they don't have ads with all the other inconveniences they have been adding by removing functionality.
What, is Netflix a standards body now?
The real, and only reason is the lack of DRM in that path.
It is a fact that lots of Apple-TV-but-not-really devices are utter crap. But that's also true for Android screen casting, etc. It is to be expected, it has never been a problem.
The fact that you can stream it to an *-tv device that just encodes it back apparently is.
This is a Hollywood requirement, not a Netflix requirement. Netflix (and Hulu, and Amazon Video, etc) would love nothing more than to let you stream anything to anywhere. It would be a lot simpler for them.
The Hollywood movie studios are the ones requiring the streamed movie be locked down . Hollywood's fear is that if an unencrypted video stream is ever exposed, that you'll just capture the stream to make a copy of the movie. So they require the stream to remain encrypted all the way from Netflix's servers to the final display device.
If it's a dedicated video playback device, then the device (and playback software like the Netflix app) has to be submitted to Hollywood for approval. That's why the Netflix app showed up on iPhones first, then on the different Android handsets one at a time. Netflix had to submit their app on every single hardware device to Hollywood for their approval. The iPhones were first because approving them meant the most people could get Netflix for the fewest models needing approval. Then the more popular Android handsets, followed by the lesser-known Android handsets. Every streaming device has to go through the same approval process - smart TVs, Blu-ray players with streaming capability, PS4, Xbox, etc.
For general purpose computing devices (i.e. PCs), Hollywood requires the video stream be decoded inside an encrypted virtual machine, which then sends the decoded video directly to the GPU for display. This is why you needed Flash or Silverlight installed on your browser in the pre-HTML 5 days. Those were the only technologies allowing the construction of a virtual machine. And decoding the video in a virtual machine precludes using the hardware decoder in the GPU, which is why you used to need at least an i3 to decode streamed 1080p video, while the puny little SoC on your phone could also stream it (the phone wasn't considered a general purpose computing device, so it could get Hollywood's approval for the entirety of the phone hardware, allowing it to use the GPU to decode the stream).
This is why the Netflix app won't run if your phone is rooted. Hollywood considers that to be converting your phone from a dedicated hardware device to a general purpose computing device. So if the Netflix app detects your phone is rooted, it invalidates itself and won't play. (You can get around it by hiding root from the Netflix app.)
Since Hollywood's approval was only for Airplay to certain Apple devices, opening up AirPlay violates Hollywood's terms of approval. So Netflix is forced to discontinue support for AirPlay, unless they want to go through the trouble of submitting every possible display device you can connect to using AirPlay.
This isn't a big deal really...All things considered, airplay controls (takes over) your phone so if you stream content to a screen you can't use your phone plus it drains your battery (unless plugged in) just get an appleTV or comparable device and you'll be better off.
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In other words.... we can't completely control what you do with the content you paid us for so we are limiting your viewing. You know, just in case we figure out a way to rake in more cash at a later date and this interferes with those plans.
http://www.lehengacholionline.in
I call BS on the UI experience line. Chromecast is a more open standard with a wide variety of implementations on display devices aside from using an actual chromecast. No way netflix can or has "certified" all of these combinations. Yet Netflix still works with chromecast?
I however am all for anything that sticks it to Apple, so keep sticking it to them Netflix
This likely has more to do with Apple launching a competing service to Netflix's and netflix trying to cripple the experience of apple users due to some back room deal between apple and netflix that went sour.
If you're a Netflix customer, then: wrong. This whole "certified" problem is almost certainly about DRM. And if you're a Netflix customer, then you are paying for DRM and therefore helping to cause this problem. The fact that you spend money on DRM is why Apple will eventually be successfully pressured to identify Airplay rendering targets (so that some can be blacklisted, or not-whitelisted). (Then next year they'll sell special speakers that comply with the DRM, obsoleteing your old ones and helping to cement the impossibility of using homebrewed equipment.)
If you had the ethics to pirate Netflix, then you wouldn't be contributing to the problem. So everyone, please remember: if something has DRM, then you should be pirating that thing, rather than paying for it. DRM==NO SALE. You'll find that Netflix titles are just as easy to pirate as anything else, so get on that.
Hold this position and eventially Netflix may be able to stand up to the production companies that are insisting on this dystopia. Keep pirating them, and never, ever pay. Don't be the last holdout asshole who still pays to support DRM, and fucks up the world for everyone. Instead, lead.
as long as they also certify and ensure the quality on any bluetooth-speaker and headphones you can listen to Netflix on.
Then how does Netflix get away with bouncing to a Chromecast? You can plug a Chromecast into anything, right? A bunch of TVs have those built in.
In any case, I'm pretty sure Apple is under the same, or similar, restrictions as Netflix as far as streaming movies through AirPlay goes. Seems to work for them just fine.
Netflix and Apple just realized they are selling competing streaming services? I think it would probably be better not to use a service linked to specific hardware. (iTunes runs fine on Windows.)
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Spoken like a true AC and a thief. If you enjoy the content, be willing to pay for it. Don't tell content makers that their product is worthless.
"the ethics to pirate Netflix"? Good lord, I've never heard a more perverse use of the word ethics.
I’ve pirated content from Netflix on a few occasions. Why? Because I pay my sub same as everyone else, but the selection they offer here is rather limited compared to that in the US. And the content I was after was not available here through other channels either. No bad feelings about that: either take my money or shut up about “piracy”.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
You have to realize that Netflix still has to make deals to get any content they don't produce themselves, and that means getting the other side to agree to those deals. It may very well be that language prohibiting these types of things is written into those agreements.
But why should these restrictions affect Netflix originals? Do the agreements between the streaming division of Netflix and the video production division of Netflix have the same restrictions, and if so, why?
Jared, that's not what the poster was talking about. He was advocating pirating Netflix for EVERYTHING, on PRINCIPLE, WITHOUT paying for a subscription.
You know, whenever I see ridiculous DRM squabbles like this, my immediate reaction is to want to crack it, just cause.
There have been a few times that I've bought material (usually from smaller artists) where their entire DRM scheme was a sentence that said, "We would greatly appreciate it if you don't share our stuff." And I haven't.
These same artists also tend to get far more repeat business from me too, including one where I bought their entire discography without even listening to the songs first.
It's funny/sad how not being jerked around has become a genuine feature I look for (and will pay a premium for) in my purchases now.
Whats that? A dumb pipe is limiting what you can do with the content?
CONSUMERS ruin everything.
just get an appleTV or comparable device and you'll be better off.
That fails when your cellular ISP charges more for bytes sent to and received from an Apple TV device than for bytes sent to and received from an app running on the iPhone. People had been using AirPlay to avoid a tethering surcharge.
Fair enough!
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
Netflix is offering more details on its decision to remove AirPlay functionality from its iOS app. The change was announced in an update to a support document on Netflix’s website last week, with the company attributing it to unnamed “technical limitations.”... Full Story: https://9to5mac.com/2019/04/07...
~I bet you were looking down here for an awesome siggy like everyone else..sorry to disappoint~
Why would I stream from my iphone to my Apple TV when I can just watch Netflix on my AppleTV? Uh....it makes no sense to be doing this in the first place.
Fuck em. That's his choice. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
It is his choice. Just as it is my choice to call him a thief, since that's what he is.
If I already have an Apple TV, I can watch Netflix directly in the Apple TV Netflix App. If I already have Netflix on my smart-tv I can watch it on that App. But, If I have a TV that supports Airplay 2, but doesn't already have a Netflix app then... I... have to buy an Apple TV?
There is such a thing as righteous piracy, corporate stooge. When outlaws are making the laws, the lawful become outlaws.
If theyâ(TM)re not making the money they want, behold, thereâ(TM)s suddenly a production or other supply problem! Reduced supply... gotta raise the price!
Uhh, Netflix and DRM actually makes sense.
They're selling you a rental service, not outright content purchase.
I'm with you all the way if it was actually selling you ther content permanently, but they're not
Nice try Netflix, this is not about viewing quality, this is about DRM, controlling content, and controlling users streams.
What if someone streams to a Mac or PC running Air Parrot and then records the stream, oh the horrors.
( https://www.airsquirrels.com/a... )
It looks like Apple won't enforce your DRM because you won't pay them for using their platform.
( https://9to5mac.com/2019/03/18... )
It is so sad when the big boys can't share their toys. :(
You should have wrote a big article reading, "Apple is taking Airplay away from iPhone customers" however it would be untrue, but might get Apple to make the changes you need for your DRM.
The Apple TV 4k and iPhone Airplay streaming are as good as it gets, it is too bad Netflix customers won't get to fully enjoy all the benefits of their purchases.
Mircast on my reciever!
Firstly as far as I am aware this does not mean you can't watch Netflix on an Apple device. All it means is that if you want to send Netflix from one Apple device to another Apple device via AirPlay, you can't. Since Netflix already supplies an app for iOS and Apple TV, what is the problem? As far as I can see this only effects the "most convenience" way to use your Apple kit with Netflix. So now it might take a few seconds longer, because you have to use a different app! Talk about childish bleating from the Twitterati! Get a grip!
Best wishes,
Sid
They're not even lying.
>to ensure our standard of quality for viewing is being met
A reasonable consumer would assume that this is a statement of their benevolence and desire to provide the viewer with "quality" services. Things like picture quality.
Nope.
The "quality" they talk about is the quality of their monetization and has no regard whatever for the people that actually pay for their houses and yachts.
"the ethics to pirate Netflix"
An oxymoron :p
righteous piracy
Another oxymoron!
Same timing as airplay they also removed full video mirroring from Samsung phones to SMART TVs. Haven't had the chance to check Miracast, but I wouldn't doubt issues are there also.