Netflix Now Lets You Download Videos Onto Your PC (pcworld.com) 60
Netflix now offers offline streaming via its Windows 10 PC application, meaning you'll have even more options wherever you're stuck without Internet access. From a report: Netflix added the offline viewing options as part of the most recent update to the Netflix app on Windows 10. Because the Windows Store doesn't show you what version of the Netflix app you're using, just make sure you check for updates using the large blue button in the upper-right corner of the Windows Store app to receive the latest version. You won't need the Creators Update to take advantage of the new feature, either. When you open the app, Netflix will show you a large splash screen that advertises the new "download and go" capability. Unfortunately, if you click the Find me something to download button, the Netflix app doesn't currently display a list of downloadable titles; you'll have to hunt them down yourself. Netflix introduced the same capability on iOS and Android late last year. It's a bold move by Netflix to bring this feature to desktop. There is always the risk of someone finding out a way to break the DRM and easily distribute the files.
No Subject (Score:3)
It's a bold move by Netflix to bring this feature to desktop. There is always the risk of someone finding out a way to break the DRM and easily distribute the files.
I wouldn't think it terribly challenging to pull these same files off of a rooted android phone. Regardless, I would imagine other avenues of getting pirated material would still be easier.
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Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can find anything available on Netflix in the usual areas at 1080 or 720p. At some point the signal has to meet your analog eyeballs.
Download capability REMOVED by Netflix.... (Score:2)
Apparently recently, I guess an update...but for no explainable reason I can find, the option to download to this tablet has been removed.
Anyone else see this recently?
Re:Download capability REMOVED by Netflix.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Might be for /that/ show. They don't have an off-line licence for all content and the list is in flux.
If you definitely can't download anything then .. it might think you're rooted? (I think they don't allow download to rooted devices regardless of the GP's point...)
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The downloaded files are encrypted; otherwise Netflix wouldn't let you install its app on a rooted phone (Yes, they have checks for that).
But regardless, yes Netflix shows are available online.
Re: No Subject (Score:1)
Re:Reality check on aisle 3! (Score:5, Insightful)
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A very good point. None of this affects BitTorrent, which already has everything.
It might affect piracy in another way though: if the obfuscation can be broken, it might open the gates to 'hoarding' Netflix content then cancelling your subscription.
Hmm... (Score:2)
Netflix vs. iTunes (Score:3)
Both iTunes Store purchases (your solution) and Netflix caching (the present article) are useful for people whose Internet connectivity is highly location-dependent, such as having usable connectivity at home but harshly capped or nonexistent connectivity while a passenger on the commute or a long road trip. But Netflix caching is better for people who A. watch Netflix original programming, B. haven't already amassed much of an iTunes library, or C. carry a non-Apple device.
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Wow, that's what? $10 worth of storage at today's prices.
I have five 1TB WD Red NAS hard drives in Z2 (RAID6) configuration (i.e., I can suffer two hard drive failures) for 3TB of usable storage space on my FreeNAS file server. That's $250 in hard drives that I bought last year on sale.
I can see why you're hesitant to increase your disk allocation for it. Wouldn't want to devote more than $10 to media storage.
I rather not delete the backups for my other systems to make room for another media library. It'll be five years before I can buy higher capacity hard drives at $50 each to replace the current hard drives.
Re: Cached, not Offline (Score:1)
offline is offline. your talking about backup capabilities.
I'd rather have Autoplay disable (Score:5, Interesting)
Then use your TV as a computer monitor (Score:3)
If I can't download and watch on a tv easily I personally don't really care.
Practically all PCs since the late 1980s have one or more of VGA, DVI, or HDMI output. Practically all TVs since 2007 have HDMI input, which can be used with DVI outputs with a sub-$10 adapter cable, and many have VGA input. So plug a cable from your computer to your TV.
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But this is about a DRM friendly Netflix here : the downloading or caching feature requires a Windows 10 Metro app. It might require HDMI, or DVI with HDCP (this exists, but not on your PC or graphics card if it's old enough)
I don't know if the Windows 10 Metro application has the autoplaying garbage described above. If so, then the experience will be as poor and wasteful as it is now.
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That's not much of a counterpoint to a complaint about Roku's UI. The whole point of the Roku is to avoid using a full-blown high-power (in both senses of the term) device.
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I'd rather they remove the forced autoplay "feature" from the roku UI. I don't want to see distracting previews and trailers while I'm scrolling through the interface. I barely use Netflix on my roku because of this.
Turn off autoplay next episode in your Netflix account settings on the web site.
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Dude is talking about auto-playing background videos while browsing the main Netflix interface. If you pause on a title for more than a few seconds, a video (with shitty, license free music) begins playing in the background showing random clips of the title. The Netflix interface on the PS3 does this too, and it's a terrible design decision. Furthermore there is no way to disable it. The best you can do is mute the audio, and skip between titles to avoid the preview from auto playing.
Think auto-playing video+audio ads on a web-site, but with no way to block them. And you're paying for the privilege.
Not for me. As I said, i turned off autoplay and all that went away.
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Mine does not do this.
Perhaps it's a feature of having an older roku (2XS).
UWP is sandboxed (Score:5, Interesting)
A UWP application from the Windows Store can shit all over its sandbox. It can't shit outside the sandbox except for those files and folders that the user makes available to that particular application using secure OS-managed file choosers.
Or does "shit all over my PC" refer to running proprietary native code in the first place, sandboxed or not?
Smart move, but not that bold (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Smart move, but not that bold (Score:4, Informative)
I don't think this is incredibly bold. It just makes sense. All movies are available for piracy already. No one needs to break Netflix's DRM for that.
The threat to Netflix's business model is one thing, but DRM licensing contracts are from the innermost circles of hell and typically carry strict limitations and obscene penalties. So I'm guessing this will primarily be on Netflix's original programming, since they're not interesting in selling Netflix exclusives on disc or to TV networks anyway. They get a broader appeal, good PR as the more user friendly solution and potentially forcing the MPAA to follow suit while like you say not really risking anything at all.
Subject misleading (Score:2)
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I once remember my internet went out and Netflix still "streamed" for 30 minutes
I had an internet outage recently and Netflix shut down a few seconds after the loss of connectivity (I was browsing on a tablet at the time). It may depend on your device, though -- this was via an Android TV device that probably doesn't have much of a storage buffer.
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I once remember my internet went out and Netflix still "streamed" for 30 minutes
I had an internet outage recently and Netflix shut down a few seconds after the loss of connectivity
What really happened was that the user's DNS resolver (possibly upstream at their ISP) went down, and Netflix was either working with an open connection or with cached DNS entries which remained cached because Netflix opened so many connections to the same host. I'm not sure which of those is the case, because I haven't looked at whether Netflix keeps making connections.
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Even youtube is a file download that masquerades as "streaming", always has been.
Proper streaming is real-time or on the spot, with dropped packets (UDP) that stay dropped and lost. I think Real Player did that in the 90s? This is more similar to VoIP, or video chat, or plain old broadcast TV and is usable for live video. Should work great with multicast, although I think multicast on the internet is something that about never works.
Of course "streaming" as done on youtube, Netflix or porn sites has entered
I'll keep recording the streams, thanks. (Score:5, Insightful)
I am entitled to record and play back my recording that I made. Caching a DRM copy of Netflix's actual file is inferior in terms of my rights. Breaking the DRM will definitely be some kind of violation. No thanks.
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With Netflix, you're paying for a limited-time license to view the material. Your license immediately expires when you stop paying Netflix.
Try your "I'm entitled to record and play back..." argument in front of a judge after you get kicked out of a movie theater for using a video recorder.
Same thing. You're not going to get very far with that argument.
Not the same thing at all. How dare you compare my usage of a VCR with a person trying to take a camera copy at a paid exhibition at a movie theater? Are you spreading disinformation? Who pays you, coward? http://mentalfloss.com/article... [mentalfloss.com]
Already happening (Score:3)
>There is always the risk of someone finding out a way to break the DRM and easily distribute the files.
Already happens.
Netflix knows this. They try to make it hard for J Casual User to do this, but they know the pirates will break the DRM.
Notice how Netflix exclusives are all up on the usual pirate channels the same day they air.
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>There is always the risk of someone finding out a way to break the DRM and easily distribute the files.
Already happens.
Netflix knows this. They try to make it hard for J Casual User to do this, but they know the pirates will break the DRM.
Notice how Netflix exclusives are all up on the usual pirate channels the same day they air.
hmmm
there are bigger risks than breaking drm (Score:3)
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And if you can't stop live capture, then drm will only stop the truly law-abiding and the moderately lazy.
Live capture is law abiding. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a troll. http://mentalfloss.com/article... [mentalfloss.com]. Folks, seriously: never let a statement or implication about recording being illegal slide. Always correct this. It's worth arguing about.
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"Offline Streaming" ??? (Score:2)
Behold (Score:1)