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Takes on Tech interviewed Netflix's VP of Corporate Communications Steve Swasey at CES, and they talked about the LG partnership, the HD DVD / Blu-ray battle, Watch Instantly Macintosh support, and more.
Swasey blamed Apple for the delay in launching Watch Instantly for the Mac, since Apple will not license the FairPlay digital rights management technology.
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And Apple will come back and say that NF shouldn't use FairPlay...and the childish corporate dance continues.
Posted by: Heathen | January 10, 2008 at 07:47 AM
Bogus. There are dozens of sites that stream video on the Mac with no problem at all. Netflix made a bad choice to go with the wrong technology and Mac users are paying for it. Mac users end up subsidizing everyone else's Watch Now memberships.
Posted by: Lydia | January 10, 2008 at 08:41 AM
Bogus? The studios require DRM. What DRM scheme is available for the Mac? FairPlay. And Apple won't license it...yeah it's Netflix's problem :)
Posted by: E | January 10, 2008 at 09:20 AM
Not only should Apple license FairPlay to a competitor, they should just give this strategic asset (FairPlay) away. While Apple is at it, why don't they just implement WatchNow for Netflix for free.
Seriously, why would Apple license something as strategic as FairPlay to a competitor? It makes more sense for Apple to just let Netflix do their own thing on the Mac platform.
Posted by: Edward R Murrow | January 10, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Again I have to call shenanigans, hulu.com works on the mac, and being a product of "the studios" I would assume it has some sort of DRM mechanism. I would question the logic as to why it's Apple's concern to provide Netflix with any form of DRM. Seems to me Apple's concern is providing me with a working computer, which they have. If Netflix needs DRM tell them to make their own, audible seems to manage. Whatever happened to the silverlight technology, they demoed that months and months ago and not a peep since then.
Posted by: macdude22 | January 10, 2008 at 10:13 AM
That's funny, I have no problem at all watching the Networks' streaming content, and ABC even streams HD content to my G5 mac.
But that's ok, I've changed my 4-out plan that I've had for over four years to 1-out (tv series are the only shows keeping me with N-flix) and use Redbox for my new releases.
The only reason I made this change was lack of Watch Now on the mac.
Posted by: jmac | January 10, 2008 at 10:30 AM
E,
Explain, then, how all of the networks manage to stream their DRM content on my Mac.
Bogus.
Posted by: Lydia | January 10, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Blaming Apple/FairPlay is a cop-out. It's like saying "Apple hasn't made it super easy for us". Netflix can make their own solution just fine.
And to add to the lis:t Hulu.com does it - I've watched many streamed movies and shows in great fullscreen as part of their beta.
and I'll second that bogus.
Posted by: Rob O'Connell | January 10, 2008 at 11:49 AM
This is SUCH BULLSHIT. Apple's FairPlay DRM works on ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS: Macs and PC's... and even iPods! Netflix chose a proprietary Microsoft DRM method based on Windows Media Player, which Microsoft will NOT make available to Mac users. So it is NETFLIX that made the wrong choice here.
Posted by: scotty321 | January 10, 2008 at 12:29 PM
This PR guy isn't consciously lying, but what about this?
Apple runs FairPlay in iTunes for iPods, iPhones, Macs AND PCs.
It's too bad the PR guy wasn't savvy enough to say:
"It's Microsoft's strategy to withhold it's DRM from the Mac OS and we are waiting for them to change that, 'cause it harm's us, customers, and MS, itself. ""Just another dumb ass move by MS!"-tm
Posted by: Orwell Lives: The Big Lie | January 10, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Just because FairPlay works on many platforms doesn't make it available to Netflix, on this Netflix is correct. But so is Apple. Jobs has made the point if he shares FairPlay the risks of decryption are too high.
On the otherhand, Netflix is preparing to use Silverlight, which will soon support Mac with DRM. So I think fairly soon we will have Watch Instantly on the mac, as I think MS has promised DRM this early 2008.
Posted by: Rob | January 10, 2008 at 01:36 PM
Well I guess I won't be using "Watch Now" on my iMac anytime soon. Obviously made more frustrating by the fact that Hulu.com and other sites work on the Mac.
Posted by: mansorium | January 10, 2008 at 02:02 PM
You'd expect the Corporate Spokes-mouthpiece to spin this issue. Is the reporter so non-technical that he doesn't understand where the DRM problem really is? Or was he afraid of pressing so hard that he would lose his free Netflix subscription?
Quick, how many times did this Netflix dude utter the word 'ubiquitous'? And the word for the day is ---- Ubiquitous!
Posted by: Edward R Murrow | January 10, 2008 at 02:51 PM
Netflix opts to use the shitty Microsoft DRM than blames Apple that it doesn't work for everyone. What retards.
Guess I'll just not use Netflix.
Netflix + Microsoft = Notflix
Posted by: MikeHunt | January 10, 2008 at 03:00 PM
...And I expect Silverlight to have the same staying power as Playsforsure. Seems like anyone who partners with Microsoft gets what they deserve.
Posted by: MikeHunt | January 10, 2008 at 03:03 PM
Netflix is waiting for Silverlight 1.1 which is expected to come out around March. So some time after that Netflix will make the switch.
Unfortunately, Silverlight 1.1 will not support PowerPC Macs, so any who have not bought a new Mac in the last 2 years will still be left out in the cold.
Posted by: Baff | January 10, 2008 at 03:39 PM
I really don't care about all this corporate dancing...but Netflix better get this done SOON. I'm missing out on SO MUCH by not being able to watch it on my sweet new Macbook. As the months go by, its more and more frustrating.
Posted by: Nick | January 10, 2008 at 05:26 PM
I have to assume anyone who thinks it's so important to watch a movie on a relatively tiny computer screen instead of their TV must be a "movie watcher" and not a true appreciator of the art.
Posted by: Daniel | January 10, 2008 at 05:47 PM
Actually if one has an HDTV, one probably has a VGA input, which is what I use to watch it now.
If you want to run watch it nowon your mac you can do it. Just install bootcamp
Posted by: vw | January 10, 2008 at 06:51 PM
Also netflix needs to fix their crappy watch it now website. it is impossible to search for shows. They at least need a top 50 in each genre.
Posted by: vw | January 10, 2008 at 06:53 PM
I'm not particularly familiar with Mac, but wouldn't someone with a PowerPC Mac be able to use VirtualPC to run XP and, as such, be able to use Netflix's Instant Watch?
Posted by: Surt | January 10, 2008 at 07:34 PM
VirtualPC costs about $250. For that much, I could double my Netflix subscription from 4-at-a-time to 8-at-a-time for a year.
Posted by: Baff | January 10, 2008 at 08:10 PM
I'm sure the many people with Windows 95, 98, ME and 2000 have the same complaint. Not to mention WebTV, Linux, and Wii's Opera-based internet.
Posted by: Surt | January 10, 2008 at 09:41 PM
This isn't exactly 'new' news. "Steve" from Netflix (reportingly in charge of NF's Watch Instantly feature) posted this on August 9th, 2007. http://blog.netflix.com/2007/08/instant-watching-on-mac-firefox-and.html
Posted by: hypeserver | January 10, 2008 at 11:02 PM
I only put "Steve" in quotes in my last comment since it is never said that it is Swasey.
Posted by: hypeserver | January 10, 2008 at 11:04 PM