If you, like me, are both a Mac user and a Netflix user, then the fact that the latter’s Watch Instantly movie streaming service is incompatible with the former’s devices is probably one of the banes of your existence (unless you have a life beyond movies, and your computer, and watching movies on your computer. Must be nice.) I’ve always just assumed that Netflix was responsible for the so-1999 decision to ignore the growing market of Mac users and keep the platform PC-only.
I was, apparently, wrong.
Hacking Netflix has linked to a CES interview with Netflix’s Steve Swasey, in which he responds to the “why can’t a playa watch a movie on a Mac, y’all?” question rather defensively:
Let’s talk to Apple about that, because it’s the DRM, the digital rights management issue. And Apple owns the rights to their DRM and won’t sell it to anyone else, so right now it’s Windows Media based. But Netflix’s goal is to get movies delivered to you in any way you want to watch them, on any screen.
Read: don’t hate the playa, hate Apple’s absurdly over-protective anti-piracy game. Which you probably already do.
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Stupid Apple.
(note: this disparaging remark against Apple is in no way an endorsement of Microsoft-based PCs, which are still worse.)
I would think that Netflix can borrow what Hulu.com is using to stream copyrighted videos on both Windows and Mac. It would be really cool if that happens.
Netflix chose to bet on a horse. I can’t blame them for betting on the bigger horse, but they can’t complain when the big horse can’t simply run away with all the winnings.
So what’s stopping Netflix from utilizing other DRM, other than FreePlay that’s compatible on the Mac?
The comment is funny
“so right now it’s Windows Media based. But Netflix’s goal is to get movies delivered to you in any way you want to watch them, on any screen.”
That’s an oxymoron if there ever was one.
Why don’t you assign any blame to Microsoft who’ve steadfastly refused to make a Mac client for their Windows Media DRM (which is the real reason why Mac users can’t use Netflix or Amazon Unbox or any number of other services, including music subscriptions). I place a heck of a lot more blame with Netflix and Microsoft than I do with Apple.
Just saying “Stupid Apple” doesn’t even begin to explore the real issues in play here.
I have to say David’s on the right track here. Microsoft makes a media player for the Mac but refuses to allow it to decode Microsoft DRM. RealPlayer and Sony made up their own DRM, so there’s no reason Netflix couldn’t have used one of those. For that matter Netflix could license WMV DRM and distribute it to the mac.
All that said! It is probably about time for Apple to license FairPlay. I don’t see it becoming any more valuable than it is today. They can make some good secondary money and iTunes will still dominate the landscape for years to come.
Netflix’ lack of Mac compatibility gives me flashbacks to the bad old days, ten years ago, when finding things as basic as Mac-friendly printers and keyboards was a challenge.
But that is ancient history, thanks be to Jobs. Now, Netflix must be terrified that Apple will develop a movie download service (Apple TV is there for a reason, you know). I would wager there has been some frantic overtures from Netflix to Apple, and that Netflix has been thoroughly snubbed.
But in case you feel you are missing something, get on a PC and check out the Netflix download service. PATHETIC! Poor video/audio quality, confusing interface, and worst of all, bottom of the barrel movies: third-rate dreck from the ’80s and 90s, forgotten “classics” and some recent TV shows. Its like the bargain bin at Blockbuster, two weeks into a fire sale.
Netflix obviously has zero clout with the movie studios. And Apple has huge clout. Guess who is going to win this download battle?
Hey all - had to add the voice of one of the filmmakers on Netflix. The fact that I cannot watch *my own movie* on demand because I have a mac certainly brings to mind ‘the old days’ of pc/mac stupidity. Thank you Marc for clarifying that the download on Netflix both sucks and is without rock solid content…makes me feel better. a little.
no worries.
this netflix moron will be out of business in a year or so after apple (FINALLY) adds a rent-able model for iTunes …
and oh yeah, it wouldnt hurt if apple ALSO added an advertise-able model for Itunes (pace Joost).
That way itunes could cover all three business models: own, rent, free (this allows itunes to define the most flexible combination of delivery features - streaming vs download; liberal vs restrictive drm; SD vs HD; etc etc).
appletv will succeed only when itunes has a comprehensive distribution solution.
btw: for u windoze dolts out there - itunes/appletv already is the largest commercial tv/move download platform (tivo, sling, xbox, etc etc) … but obviously that isnt saying much!
I thought Silverlight was going to take care of all this.
People, iTunes is never going to add a movie rental component that is free with your Netflix subscription. This is why I bought a cheapo PC laptop on Craigslist for (among other things) Watch Now.
It’s not just Mac. Our home media system — the computer that plugs into our TV and stereo and so forth — is actually Linux-based. We would love to be able to view Netflix “Watch Now” movies on our TV, but I doubt it’ll happen anytime soon.
Technically Mac users can still use the Netflix Watch Now service even though its not OS X compatible yet — assuming you have an Intel based Apple Mac computer with OS 10.5 Leopard installed and set up a partition on your Mac to run Windows XP or Vista you could use the Netflix Watch Now service with a Mac running Windows. It bugs me though when they call it a PC based service. It is a Windows PC based service I’ll not mind hearing that but to say PC in general it would have to be compatible with PC based operating systems in general counting Linux.
iTunes does have a good movie rental based download option just as it also lets you buy movies via iTunes for download it lets you rent them too. Music rentals are unavailable as Apple still doesn’t support that model and I think it was wise of them to steer clear of music subscriptions. Most users like to listen to their music all the time but are less likely to watch their favorite movie more than twice. Movies are watched only a few times while music is listened to several times.
Movie rentals thus make sense but music rentals do not.
iTunes adding a movie rental component that is free with a Netflix subscription though is unlikely as Jette has commented at least not for the time being, if ever.
Oops I meant to say the user Erin mentioned that thing about iTunes never adding a rentals component for free to Netflix members. iTunes does have movie rentals via download just like iTunes has movie purchases they now also have movie rentals but it has no relation to Netflix.
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