netflix does not work on linux

**agentlame** · December 29th, 2008, 07:22 PM

netflix does not support/work on linux.

as a result, boxee does not have netflix in the linux build. best hope is for late next year.

search the form for more info.

(if you read about boxee 'bringing netflix to linux' it all stems from an erroneous article on slashdot that lwm reposted... neither have bothered to correct their articles.)

**kristerj** · December 29th, 2008, 07:25 PM

Oh. crap. I was aware of it not being available for linux but you are quite right - this http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?.../12/08/1914212 made me think you guys found a way around it. Crap.

**Roanoke** · December 29th, 2008, 11:29 PM

So it's not boxee's fault? OK then.

**agentlame** · December 29th, 2008, 11:45 PM

no, it's not... netflix uses silverlight (microsoft's flash) ... they also use ms' drm.

ms has said they will port the wmv codecs/drm to linux, but it's up to the mono guys to implement the silverlight 2.0 api using mono.

team-mono has successfully ported silverlight 1.0 using mono (as moonlight), but said it will be late 2009 before moonlight 2.0 is in a working condition.

even then, this is all dependent on ms porting wmv-drm. truth is, we may never see netflix on linux. personally, i'm still skeptical.

now, if you're wondering why netflix picked silverlight over the abundantly ubiquitous flash, rumor is that ms made them use it for xbox support. ...but, that's just a rumor.

**Fox5** · December 30th, 2008, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by agentlame

no, it's not... netflix uses silverlight (microsoft's flash) ... they also use ms' drm.

ms has said they will port the wmv codecs/drm to linux, but it's up to the mono guys to implement the silverlight 2.0 api using mono.

team-mono has successfully ported silverlight 1.0 using mono (as moonlight), but said it will be late 2009 before moonlight 2.0 is in a working condition.

even then, this is all dependent on ms porting wmv-drm. truth is, we may never see netflix on linux. personally, i'm still skeptical.

now, if you're wondering why netflix picked silverlight over the abundantly ubiquitous flash, rumor is that ms made them use it for xbox support. ...but, that's just a rumor.

I don't think Flash supports DRM? At least not effective DRM?

Now then, why not just go with DRM protected streaming media of some sort like WMV?

**agentlame** · December 30th, 2008, 10:39 AM

there is drm and point-to-point encryption for flash... it's not that it doesn't work, it's that no one uses it for compatibility reasons. (flash 10+)

are you are asking why netflix didn't use streaming wmv? i think it's because no one does streaming video, anymore. streaming video files directly is is so: win98/realplayer.... eeeeew.

**agentlame** · January 9th, 2009, 01:31 AM

merged... stickied... renamed.

(i keep answering this question)

**deawar** · January 16th, 2009, 08:09 PM

I know I read the whole thread....

but what about the new Roku netflix set top box...it runs a *nix kernel doesn't it?

I wonder how they did it.....

**agentlame** · January 16th, 2009, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by deawar

I know I read the whole thread....

but what about the new Roku netflix set top box...it runs a *nix kernel doesn't it?

I wonder how they did it.....

they don't use silverlight... they stream the direct files, as an netflix partner.

boxee does not have the same luxury, due in part to the fact that it is open-source.

**sdnick484** · January 20th, 2009, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by kristerj

Oh. crap. I was aware of it not being available for linux but you are quite right - this http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?.../12/08/1914212 made me think you guys found a way around it. Crap.

I'm in the same exact boat, saw that /. post and was really crossing my fingers (and wondering how they'd do it). For the moment I can play NetFlix streams on a Windows XP guest install running in VirtualBox (Gentoo host), but that's not a very graceful solution.

Anyways, an open source equivalent of PlayOn would be great.