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Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

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Re: Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

#51

Post by eps »

cpeterso wrote: post #6
TD-Linux wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The DRM plugin is downloaded and installed automatically with the "normal" version of Firefox. So if you don't want to be downloading purposely-obfuscated proprietary Adobe binaries, you have to install this version. Also, by default, EME activates on any webpage that requests it.

If you disable EME (in the Firefox Preferences menu by unchecking the "Play DRM content" checkbox), Firefox will delete the Adobe CDM binary if it has been installed. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-drm

Wait a second.

Doesn't EME imply a kernel component? To safeguard the encryption keys and to generally complicate an access to the raw media? If so, does it mean that this Firefox update touches the kernel?

Re: Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

#52

Post by teacup50 »

mike-cardwell wrote: post #18

And here is the end result of people leaving Firefox for Chrome. You neutered Mozilla. There is no longer a browser vendor which has both your interests in heart and sufficient power to direct the evolution of the web. Who now gets to choose which features are built into the majority of desktop and mobile browsers? Advertising companies.

Mozilla neutered themselves when they 1) stuck with an ancient, bug-riddled, poorly performing codebase for too long, and 2) tripled down on the JS/HTML/CSS trifecta of suck, and 3) then tried to use it to build an OS.

Google was the only browser vendor actively trying to move the web stack beyond the technology swamp it's been mired in for so long.

There are individuals today who have literally built an entire career without seeing anything beyond the browser tech stack (a lot of them on HN -- note the downvotes), and Mozilla was champion #1 of that dismal reality.

Re: Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

#53

Post by bcheung »

schoen wrote: post #8
bcheung wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Publishers who want to protect their content against piracy and don't want to use cumbersome expensive solutions. Traditionally DRM has been a hassle for legal users, expensive to publishers, and complex to encode and host video. Having a browser standard would make it convenient to users and publishers.

The original commenter was asking why people would want to prevent their browser from having DRM support, rather than why publishers would want DRM. (For DRM opponents, having convenient and standardized DRM is worse in many ways because it is more likely to be adopted in more circumstances.)

I can't think of a good reason to deliberately remove it from your browser.

Why would it be worse if more companies used DRM? I can think of some edge cases on obscure devices or if you are pirate but other than that it seems like legal users would be unaffected and not even notice it.

Re: Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

#55

Post by Nursie »

deanclatworthy wrote: post #2

I'm curious as to why anyone would want this? I guess if you consider the new DRM integration a potential attack vector it removes that possibility. But, if you're going to install this in the first place you won't be consuming DRM content - so you probably won't even be visiting the sites that have it anyway and using the feature.

It will tell me what sites to avoid by failing to work with them.

Re: Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

#57

Post by reubenmorais »

rr56 wrote: post #29
cpeterso wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you disable EME (in the Firefox Preferences menu by unchecking the "Play DRM content" checkbox), Firefox will delete the Adobe CDM binary if it has been installed. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-drm

I bet "how many people downloaded the DRM-less version" is an important statistic for Mozilla - Having FF in the middle of an automatic update, I'll be getting the other version however, and I wonder if having disabled this feature, will the browser call home to count towards it...

> I wonder if having disabled this feature, will the browser call home to count towards it...

It will not. Currently the only telemetry related to EME is the VIDEO_EME_PLAY_SUCCESS histogram, which counts successes/failures of playback. It's only enabled then EME itself is enabled, though.

Re: Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

#58

Post by angersock »

Karunamon wrote: post #46
hoopd wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well allow me to extend thanks to you and everybody like you for damaging a very important Open Source project at a very important time. I understand it would have been difficult to sit down at the negotiation table with Eich and set an example for everybody of how to work with people you have disagreements with, but it would have been the right thing to do. Either way, you won. I hope it was worth it.

How do you foresee a negotiation with someone's core values progressing? There's a fundamental incompatibility there, not just something that can be talked and reasoned around. You personally, the guy typing the letters into this box, what do you think the outcome of such a "negotiation" would be if it were as successful as humanly possible? At the end of the day, Mozilla's entire mission statement is contrary to Eic…

"Eich's stated beliefs."

Where were these beliefs stated, other than a campaign contribution?

Re: Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

#59

Post by jmspring »

hashmymustache wrote: post #25
tehbeard wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And here I am heading towards Firefox from Chrome specifically because I can't watch DRM content in Chrome anymore (need silverlight to be able to watch GoT and Comedy central)

Silverlight is needed just to add attachments to Outlook in the browser. I don't understand why there isn't a 64-bit version for chrome on mac.

Not true. Chrome does not support NPAPI and about:plugins does not show Silverlight installed.

Sent an email to myself (at another address) just now with an attachment using Chrome from outlook.com.

Did the same on the outlook web access client for an exchange server. Silverlight not needed.

Not sure where you get your information.

edit - specify that email is between different addresses.

Re: Mozilla Launches a New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

#60

Post by throwaway150512 »

mike-cardwell wrote: post #18

And here is the end result of people leaving Firefox for Chrome. You neutered Mozilla. There is no longer a browser vendor which has both your interests in heart and sufficient power to direct the evolution of the web. Who now gets to choose which features are built into the majority of desktop and mobile browsers? Advertising companies.

Yeah, so...

Mozilla itself deserves to shoulder at least as much of the blame due to a number of decisions that range from mediocre to downright terrible. And I'm not even talking about what happened with Brendan. I'm talking about the organization's downturn during the years that directly correspond with the tenure of people like Gary "JavaScript rendering engine" Kovacs and the years that saw Sullivan at the height of his influence.

The engineers aren't blameless either, having allowed themselves and the engineering culture to become the target of whatever neutering that did occur. "But I mean, these are business people; this kind of stuff is what they should know, right?" Sure, right. Totally let 'em go ahead and pursue those useless fucking partnerships at the costs they're coming with. After all, that's what real businesses look like.

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