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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

#81

Post by wmf »

weavejester wrote: post #80
thezilch wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Why do you equate DRM with subscriptions? It's perfectly possible to have subscriptions to content without DRM.

A DRM-free subscription service would immediately lead to a ripper tool that would download everything in one month, which would immediately lead to Hollywood studio execs pitching hissy fits.

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

#82

Post by wmf »

mtgx wrote: post #48
freehunter wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many sites are reporting that Microsoft has confirmed IE11 support for Windows 7 [1]. The question is when, not if. [1] http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043129/internet-explorer-11-...

Is Microsoft really releasing a new version of IE with support for only 2 major (8.1, 8.2, etc are just service packs anyway) versions of Windows back? I guess that's good for everyone, though, since it means IE won't have a huge market share anymore.

Supposedly the speed of IE 10/11 comes from not having any portability or backwards compatibility layers.

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

#83

Post by gue5t »

mtgx wrote: post #23

The "good news" is that they are using web crypto, and knowing how many will try to crack Netflix's streaming now, this means the developers behind web crypto will be getting a lot of feedback and "bugs" to fix, and eventually make web crypto stronger, and maybe some day we can finally use it for e-mail and storage services.

This doesn't make sense, because you have to have the key to play the video. Cryptography and security practices are the medical science to DRM's snake oil, and I don't really expect this usage will help security at all.

A "known key" attack isn't an attack at all, cryptographically speaking.

In addition: it doesn't even look like they're meaningfully using "web crypto" APIs, but rather the much-debated proposed DRM blob APIs.

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

#85

Post by weavejester »

wmf wrote: post #81
weavejester wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you equate DRM with subscriptions? It's perfectly possible to have subscriptions to content without DRM.

A DRM-free subscription service would immediately lead to a ripper tool that would download everything in one month, which would immediately lead to Hollywood studio execs pitching hissy fits.

"A DRM-free subscription service would immediately lead to a ripper tool that would download everything in one month"

Why would anyone bother doing that when they could just download what they wanted over bittorrent?

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

#86

Post by giovannibajo1 »

weavejester wrote: post #85
wmf wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A DRM-free subscription service would immediately lead to a ripper tool that would download everything in one month, which would immediately lead to Hollywood studio execs pitching hissy fits.

"A DRM-free subscription service would immediately lead to a ripper tool that would download everything in one month" Why would anyone bother doing that when they could just download what they wanted over bittorrent?

they would bother because it's not easy for rippers to get eg HD video rips before the bluray version of the movie is out. So at the very least, it's making rippers' work much easier, and it brings the date when HD content is available on torrent from "whenever bluray is released" to "whenever it is available for streaming", which we are all crossing finger to become "when it is released in theaters".

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

#87

Post by tbirdz »

wmf wrote: post #81
weavejester wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you equate DRM with subscriptions? It's perfectly possible to have subscriptions to content without DRM.

A DRM-free subscription service would immediately lead to a ripper tool that would download everything in one month, which would immediately lead to Hollywood studio execs pitching hissy fits.

GOG is a DRM free game distribution service, and they seem to be doing well even despite the ease of pirating a DRM free game.

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

#89

Post by tbirdz »

wmf wrote: post #81
weavejester wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you equate DRM with subscriptions? It's perfectly possible to have subscriptions to content without DRM.

A DRM-free subscription service would immediately lead to a ripper tool that would download everything in one month, which would immediately lead to Hollywood studio execs pitching hissy fits.

It's not like having DRM is really stopping piracy, especially in Netflix's case. For example their new original series of House of Cards and season 4 of Arrested Development were both pirated (I assume using some kind of desktop screen recorder?) and posted online within days of their netflix release. So the use of DRM did not stop people from pirating their content, in only prevented potential customers on other systems, like Linux, from legally purchasing their content.

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

#90

Post by renanbirck »

gizmo686 wrote: post #68
jlgreco wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Maybe, but quite a few stuff (enough to implement DRM) is different.
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