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Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

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Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#101

Post by nzach »

internetter wrote: post #87
nzach wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The change was first spotted by users on Reddit and confirmed in an updated Netflix support page (via Android Authority), which now states that the streaming service no longer supports casting from mobile devices to most TVs and TV-streaming devices. Users are instead directed to use the remote that came with their TV hardware and use its native Netflix app. My guess is that adblock became too easy on smartphones,…

> My guess is that adblock became too easy on smartphones Not within native apps. Your only option is essentially dns/hosts based on both platforms however this can also be done on the router. On Android there is ReVanced I guess. But these are almost as technical as a pihole. What is the percent of people who know of DNS based adblock but not pihole? Edit: And DNS adblocking can be done on android tv.

Sure, but I've never had a 'standard router' with support dns blocking. I know you can do this with something like pfsense, but that's not that common.

You also have the option to put a piehole in your network. It is pretty easy if you have some technical knowledge but I would say that it is generally out of reach for the general population(non-tech folks).

But on android you just open the settings, search for 'private vpn' and paste an url. This is way easier to do for someone with no technical background. Even chatgpt should be able to correctly guide you through these steps.

Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#102

Post by crazygringo »

troupo wrote: post #10

I've worked in streaming. If you see a feature pulled, or announced and delayed, or announced and never shipped, 99.99999% of the time it's due to licensing. Every single permutation of any action that a user may find beneficial is covered by a different license with a different cost. Oh. And ads. There's another can of worms if you need to serve ads. In this case it could be that Netflix is an asshole. Or could be t…

Thank you. The idea that this is due to ads makes complete sense, as there's a lot of indication that Netflix charges more for ads showing on a TV (more people likely to view) than on a mobile device (usually only one person).

The fact that casting is still supported for older Chromecasts only on ad-free plans makes this the likeliest explanation to me. Netflix doesn't want to be paid lower rates on ads that are actually getting shown on the TV.

Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#103

Post by barbazoo »

jjbinx007 wrote: post #28

"One Reddit user said customer service explained that devices with remotes can no longer cast, claiming the decision was made to improve the customer experience." How can this improve the customer experience?

Corporate garbagespeak, has no relation to reality whatsoever.

Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#104

Post by inanutshellus »

nine_k wrote: post #46
ryandrake wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody on HN wants to hear this, but REG-U-LA-TION. The glorious free market is consistently failing to solve the growing problem of cloud-tethered and app-tethered products being nerfed by their manufacturers after the point of sale.

Sorry, but it's CUS-TO-MERS. They buy stuff that can only be controlled via an app talking to the cloud. They buy stuff that cannot be repaired. They buy stuff that openly lies about its specs, for an "unbelievably good price". The customers go for the cheapest, all else be damned. Education in general, and about critical thinking in particular, could help.

Your argument is in alignment with

    * "There's a sucker born every minute" and
    * "caveat emptor" and
    * "If I can trick you into giving me your money, that's your fault"
With a sufficiently large pool of people, scammers live and thrive on busy people.

Regulation helps discourage that.

In this case, "REG-U-LATION" actually "caused" the issue. Up-to-date LIDAR of every home in America was deemed to be invasive breach of privacy so was regulated out. This product didn't successfully account for future non-technical issues.

I "foolishly" tried to reward a previously known-good vendor by buying a product from the company that had sold me a vacuum that worked for ten years... which brings up the next truism:

    * "Past performance is not an indicator of future success"
Cue the tiny violin.

Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#105

Post by Rebelgecko »

A big part of why marketplaces like Netflix and Steam got so popular is because they provided a low-friction way to consume that was even easier than piracy. It seems like the pendulum is starting to swing in the other direction now- it's often easier to copyright infringe than to watch something the legit way, even if you pay for a subscription that grants you access. Great example of something that's illegal but not morally wrong :)

Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#106

Post by yannyu »

lenerdenator wrote: post #72
paxys wrote: post #53

I remember the time when smart homes used to feature in sci-fi literature and concept videos. Being able to walk around your house while having everything seamlessly synced and tailored to your preferences was clearly the future. TV, movies and music automatically playing in whatever room your enter. Files and all other data seamlessly synced between all your devices. Not having to think about how to make the tech wo…

It's interesting to look back at the times when these concepts and sci-fi lit were written. A lot of it was in the postwar period. You had a booming population that offered the opportunity for easy corporate revenue growth. If you wanted to make more money, you just sold your good or service to a person who didn't have it yet. That was simple enough because there were people - a lot of them - aging into your market.…

> So what do you do if you are charged with providing shareholders ever-increasing returns on their investments by selling goods and services?

> Growth must be maintained. Value must be created. The futurist never took into account that part.

The futurists did take this into account, they just weren't writing utopian fiction. Weyland Yutani, Tyrell Corp, and other Megacorps were the futurists warning us what could happen if we let profit and sharedholder value becomes the most important thing in society.

Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#107

Post by everdrive »

paxys wrote: post #53

I remember the time when smart homes used to feature in sci-fi literature and concept videos. Being able to walk around your house while having everything seamlessly synced and tailored to your preferences was clearly the future. TV, movies and music automatically playing in whatever room your enter. Files and all other data seamlessly synced between all your devices. Not having to think about how to make the tech wo…

As with so much technology, the technology exists in part to provide a service to the customer, but more and more it exists to direct the customer into the behaviors desired by the technology owner and its advertising partners. This isn't always so evil or insidious, but the point stands that Netflix (or almost any modern service) doesn't want you to do what _you_ want with your devices. It wants to direct you towards whatever is most beneficial to Netflix. These companies don't really serve their customers, except confusingly, customers keep paying for these services.

Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#109

Post by sphars »

TiredOfLife wrote: post #91
oooyay wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What OS do you run? I was thinking of doing this with SteamOS.

Only Windows app and Mac give more than 720-1080p on Netflix

This is my sole reason for sticking with smart TVs or a streaming device. How is anyone getting proper 1080p+ streams from Netflix using a Linux device? 4K is not necessary, but 1080p at least it's what I need. Not even considering proper HDR support

Re: Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs

#110

Post by ByThyGrace »

troupo wrote: post #81
mingus88 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m really leaning towards them being an asshole in this specific case. Chromecast works in my EV for every other streaming app, so the licensing seems to be a solved problem for them. Netflix, however, never worked and my EV manufacturer had to release a support page specifically for Netflix not working. I suspect this is just more account security. I remember paying $20/mo for a premium plan with a set number of sc…

> I was no longer paying per screen. I was now paying per-household, but I never agreed to that change. Even that often comes down to licensing. And it's as stupid as you describe it.

Does it maybe come down to changing licenses, as in a license expires and another is negotiated with different terms (to charge per household instead in the example above)?
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