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Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

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Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#31

Post by wjoe »

rwl wrote: post #18

So why does this work? Is Chrome 37 for Linux now being shipped with support for Encrypted Media Extensions, i.e., HTML's built-in DRM, with Netflix relying on EME? Or has something happened with Moonlight to support Netflix DRM? Or what?

Chrome 37+ already had the necessary DRM extentions, but it only worked with a recent version of the NSS library. It was possible to play HTML5 video on Netflix in Linux since then, but you needed to fake your user agent to say you were on Windows.

The reason it works now is that Ubuntu 14.04 (the latest LTS version) has updated to the necessary version of NSS, so Netflix will serve HTML5 video to the standard Chrome user agent on Ubuntu. Netflix just didn't allow it before because the LTS version didn't support it - you had to manually update the NSS library outside of the package manager to make it work. Netflix just didn't want to flip the switch to allow it until it would work on the standard packages on the LTS version.

Source from a Netflix post on the Ubuntu mailing list - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-discuss/2014-...

It seems to work on any Linux distro with the necessary Chrome and NSS versions now without any user agent altering - I'm able to watch Netflix on Arch Linux now with the standard user agent.

Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#32

Post by gph »

asadotzler wrote: post #25

Why do these "Linux gets Netflix" stories not have the same bad attitude from folks as the "W3C caves to DRM" stories? They're the same topic, essentially.

I wasn't a vehement opponent of W3C implementing DRM, but I'll put my two cents in;

I don't mind if private companies implement DRM in their own products. I do mind DRM being standardized, meaning every vendor has to implement it in order to be complaint with the standard.

Ubuntu != linux, it is just a distro. Similarly Chrome is not the browser standard, it's only an implementation.

If this story was actually "Linux adds DRM to kernel for netflix and other media companies" I think you would see a huge reaction.

Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#33

Post by kaoD »

asadotzler wrote: post #25

Why do these "Linux gets Netflix" stories not have the same bad attitude from folks as the "W3C caves to DRM" stories? They're the same topic, essentially.

Because Ubuntu is known to give shit about freedom (and it's a Ltd.), while Mozilla boasts about their users' rights (and is a Foundation).

Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#34

Post by warfangle »

gph wrote: post #32
asadotzler wrote: post #25

Why do these "Linux gets Netflix" stories not have the same bad attitude from folks as the "W3C caves to DRM" stories? They're the same topic, essentially.

I wasn't a vehement opponent of W3C implementing DRM, but I'll put my two cents in; I don't mind if private companies implement DRM in their own products. I do mind DRM being standardized, meaning every vendor has to implement it in order to be complaint with the standard. Ubuntu != linux, it is just a distro. Similarly Chrome is not the browser standard, it's only an implementation. If this story was actually "Linux…

W3C implementing DRM is only an extension of W3C implementing encryption.

And W3C implementing encryption is a Good Thing, IMHO.

DRM may be a stupid, silly idea: one that causes more problems than solved; one that can and will be circumvented. For media you have purchased to own, it is arguably Evil(tm).

But for media that you have rented, or media that you have access to via a subscription? I don't see the problem with it. The bigger discussion shouldn't be about DRM, but about the new commercial paradigm of not even owning the copies of the media you purchase outright. DRM in this case is a red herring.

Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#35

Post by kaoD »

warfangle wrote: post #34
gph wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wasn't a vehement opponent of W3C implementing DRM, but I'll put my two cents in; I don't mind if private companies implement DRM in their own products. I do mind DRM being standardized, meaning every vendor has to implement it in order to be complaint with the standard. Ubuntu != linux, it is just a distro. Similarly Chrome is not the browser standard, it's only an implementation. If this story was actually "Linux…

W3C implementing DRM is only an extension of W3C implementing encryption. And W3C implementing encryption is a Good Thing, IMHO. DRM may be a stupid, silly idea: one that causes more problems than solved; one that can and will be circumvented. For media you have purchased to own, it is arguably Evil(tm). But for media that you have rented, or media that you have access to via a subscription? I don't see the problem w…

Nope. DRM is about accepting unsafe binary blobs into my browser as a standard. Completely different from "encryption".

That's like saying infecting everyone with ebola is "medical research".

Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#37

Post by riffraff »

warfangle wrote: post #34
gph wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wasn't a vehement opponent of W3C implementing DRM, but I'll put my two cents in; I don't mind if private companies implement DRM in their own products. I do mind DRM being standardized, meaning every vendor has to implement it in order to be complaint with the standard. Ubuntu != linux, it is just a distro. Similarly Chrome is not the browser standard, it's only an implementation. If this story was actually "Linux…

W3C implementing DRM is only an extension of W3C implementing encryption. And W3C implementing encryption is a Good Thing, IMHO. DRM may be a stupid, silly idea: one that causes more problems than solved; one that can and will be circumvented. For media you have purchased to own, it is arguably Evil(tm). But for media that you have rented, or media that you have access to via a subscription? I don't see the problem w…

> W3C implementing DRM is only an extension of W3C implementing encryption.

why do you think so? Encryption is good for every interested party (except NSA, perhaps) while DRM means at least someone is being screwed.

It's like saying that "fast lanes" are only an extension of TCP.

(I don't have a strong opinion on whether DRM should be standardized by W3C or not, but I disagree with this reasoning)

Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#38

Post by schoen »

asadotzler wrote: post #25

Why do these "Linux gets Netflix" stories not have the same bad attitude from folks as the "W3C caves to DRM" stories? They're the same topic, essentially.

I have a bad attitude toward Ubuntu's work on this. I also remember that their philosophy statement

http://www.ubuntu.com/about/about-ubuntu/our-philosophy

(which advocates that users should be able to exercise free software freedoms with "their software" -- I presume meaning the software that the users use) used to be easy to find from the front page. Clicking around on the home page today, it was far easier for me to find the Netflix announcement than an explanation of what free software is or the idea that Ubuntu supports or advocates it (!).

I've sometimes asked Ubuntu folks about how Canonical's work with proprietary ISVs fits in with their commitment to software freedom, but I haven't gotten any explanation.

Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#39

Post by jonny_eh »

kaoD wrote: post #35
warfangle wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

W3C implementing DRM is only an extension of W3C implementing encryption. And W3C implementing encryption is a Good Thing, IMHO. DRM may be a stupid, silly idea: one that causes more problems than solved; one that can and will be circumvented. For media you have purchased to own, it is arguably Evil(tm). But for media that you have rented, or media that you have access to via a subscription? I don't see the problem w…

Nope. DRM is about accepting unsafe binary blobs into my browser as a standard. Completely different from "encryption". That's like saying infecting everyone with ebola is "medical research".

I'm not a fan of DRM either, but it's hardly Ebola. It's more like a persistent rash.

Well, except maybe in the case of Sony music CDs.

Re: Watch Netflix in Ubuntu today

#40

Post by TallGuyShort »

Thaxll wrote: post #3

Thanks DRM are now working on Linux.

I share your distaste for DRM, but wanted to throw in a comment of support for Netflix. A couple of years ago I was quite disgusted by how a Netflix employee was heckled on stage at the Linux Collaboration Summit. It seems hypocritical of our community to tout user freedom and then fail to treat a public speaker with decency. The right to redistribute other people's stuff unconditionally is not such a basic human right that it justifies such poor social behaviour.

I don't like DRM, and the impression I get from most Netflix employees is that they don't like it either. They haven't chosen to take the approach of Stallman and avoid all-things-DRM entirely, but theirs is an understandable choice and one I respect, even if I do not agree with it. They have contributed some awesome stuff to the free software community and are making media available in more readily accessible ways, even if it's not as readily accessible as some of us may like. It's the people producing the media who insist on such controls being in place in order to license their content to Netlix.

So - thanks, Netflix engineers!

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