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Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

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Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#61

Post by makomk »

jlgreco wrote: post #37
makomk wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, the good news is that as an end-user you'll probably only have one monolithic proprietary chunk of code that's even conveniently integrated into your web browser. The bad news is that you'll have to hope that all the DRMed video sites you're using support the proprietary scheme your particular browser and platform use. In this case, it's Microsoft's PlayReady DRM. Also, the codec used is actually part of the pr…

There is also no reason to think that these binary blobs will be built for platforms that the video providers have not given two shits about in the past. Anyone who is supporting this stuff because they think it will get them Netflix on a GNU/Linux desktop (not ChromeOS or Android) is crazy. That's not what this does, and they don't care about supporting us.

So far, Google's binary DRM blob isn't just restricted to ChromeOS either; it only runs on official Chromebooks running the official Google-provided image that haven't been rooted.

Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#63

Post by nitrogen »

kevincrane wrote: post #13

Are "Premium Media Extensions" also plugins? Because if so this didn't really get much better. It still means Linux users could be on the backburner until someone decides we can watch too. Until Mozilla and Google are on board this doesn't necessarily seem better from a "universally available" standpoint.

The situation for Linux users is better with Netflix on Silverlight, because Silverlight runs in Wine. With EME or PME or whatever they want to call it to make it sound less onerous, Linux users have no hope.

Premium Media Extensions (which we should probably just call Proprietary Media Extensions) sounds like a marketing name for EME+CDM. We should not let major media providers co-opt the term "premium" to mean "encrypted" or "blessed by Hollywood".

Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#64

Post by bestdayever »

jspaur wrote: post #54
kenbellows wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where did he mention Flash? HTML5 video is the alternative being discussed here, and it's far less resource intensive and buggy (depending on the video format), from my experience at least.

To be fair, he mentioned Youtube, which even in Chrome uses Flash by default.

http://www.youtube.com/html5 granted it doesn't always work.

Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#65

Post by ebbv »

mtgx wrote: post #50
isomorphic wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix is indeed using some slippery and perhaps contradictory wording that has passed through at least one marketing filter. Although we may interpret "premium" to connote "better", the usage meaning "something you have to pay" is accurate. Perhaps we could take back the language and start referring to the extensions as "Media Fee Extensions"?

I think it has nothing to do with being paid - it's not like you pay for the plugin itself. Plus, they wouldn't want you to think about having to pay for it anyway. I think in this case it's just a meaningless word introduced to make it sound better than the "proprietary plugins" like Silverlight and Flash. I think their alternatives were naming it like "Awesome Viewing Experience Extension" or "Netflix True HD Visio…

The issue is there's already accurate words to describe these extensions; DRM.

But the accurate words have negative connotations so they avoid them on purpose and try to use positive ones which may be technically accurate but wouldn't be how anyone would normally choose to describe them. This is the definition of spin.

Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#66

Post by thezilch »

isomorphic wrote: post #43
thezilch wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Continue to shift away" doesn't mean proprietary steps can't or shouldn't be taken nor does it mean there will never be proprietary parts behind the scenes. The API to these Extensions are trying to become stable and not proprietary [0]; do you have suggestions or time to contribute? If Netflix is made to simply talk to a ratified API, it is a big step forward from a non-standard API exposed by the likes of Silverli…

You are correct in asserting that the EME should become standardized, and that Netflix is participating in that process. I should not throw stones unless I'm willing to help. I admit to being conflicted about the philosophical need for such extensions--although I have no pragmatic objections. Netflix makes their coin by selling limited access to an artificially-restricted resource; the resource would probably not exi…

I think your feelings and assertions are valid, but I can't really blame Netflix here, which was my reaction, and I don't really think you meant to paint them in that light. I feel they are hamstrung between staying profitable and trying to court the dinosaurs that are content providers.

It always strikes me as odd that it would appear the "internet crowd" would both like to abolish advertising (re: commercials) _and_ DRM (re: subscriptions). I don't know that Netflix or Steam exists without the later, and I much prefer the "price" I pay for that "burden" over the alternative(s?).

And I have to say, it's hard for me to cast stones at MS for the innovations IE5 brought to market, in the late 90s. It's pretty crummy to subject MS to feelings that only manifested many years later and only because of things they didn't do -- continue supporting and innovating in the browser space. We're just pissed it was so good that people could hold onto it until pried from the cold, dead hands.

Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#67

Post by randallu »

scribu wrote: post #5
jdangu wrote: post #4

Incidentally, that puts another nail in the coffin for Adobe Flash, which is still widely used for DRM'd video streaming.

I never thought I would say this, but I think I would prefer Adobe Flash and other browser plugins instead of making DRM a built-in feature of the web.

At least as a browser vendor you just had to implement NPAPI to get Flash -- EME requires contracts and money.

Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#68

Post by gizmo686 »

jlgreco wrote: post #37
makomk wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, the good news is that as an end-user you'll probably only have one monolithic proprietary chunk of code that's even conveniently integrated into your web browser. The bad news is that you'll have to hope that all the DRMed video sites you're using support the proprietary scheme your particular browser and platform use. In this case, it's Microsoft's PlayReady DRM. Also, the codec used is actually part of the pr…

There is also no reason to think that these binary blobs will be built for platforms that the video providers have not given two shits about in the past. Anyone who is supporting this stuff because they think it will get them Netflix on a GNU/Linux desktop (not ChromeOS or Android) is crazy. That's not what this does, and they don't care about supporting us.

Isn't ChromeOS running on GNU/Linux?

Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#69

Post by guelo »

fatjokes wrote: post #8

Thank god. I hate Silverlight. It's so resource intensive. EDIT: I just felt like ranting against Silverlight some more. The only reason I use Silverlight is because of Netflix. I run it in Chrome on my Mac Air. Besides being buggy and resource hungry, it also doesn't stop my Mac from dimming even when watching a video in fullscreen, unlike YouTube videos, etc. (Could this be because it doesn't use the graphics card?…

Firstly, this is on IE11 on Windows so it won't affect your Mac. Secondly, you have no idea if the resource intensiveness of this proprietary DRM video decoder will be any better than Silverlight's.

Re: Netflix ditches Silverlight with support for HTML5 video in IE11

#70

Post by Daiz »

ebbv wrote: post #65
mtgx wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it has nothing to do with being paid - it's not like you pay for the plugin itself. Plus, they wouldn't want you to think about having to pay for it anyway. I think in this case it's just a meaningless word introduced to make it sound better than the "proprietary plugins" like Silverlight and Flash. I think their alternatives were naming it like "Awesome Viewing Experience Extension" or "Netflix True HD Visio…

The issue is there's already accurate words to describe these extensions; DRM. But the accurate words have negative connotations so they avoid them on purpose and try to use positive ones which may be technically accurate but wouldn't be how anyone would normally choose to describe them. This is the definition of spin.

I think we should just all start calling these extensions either something like "Digital Restriction Extensions" (DRE for short) or just plain and simply "DRM Extensions". If misleading garbage like "Premium Media Extensions" were left to the likes of Netflix press releases, reporting on the subject would be much more truthful.
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