Netflix Opens Streaming Service to Mac Users
Mac users who have felt left behind on streaming movies via the popular Netflix rental service can rejoice today. The Internet movie rental giant announced yesterday it will begin offering Mac users access to streaming movies.
The issue Netflix faced was there was no streaming media player for the Mac. Netflix has now announced the latest version of its instant watching service based on Microsoft Silverlight. The new player will allow users on Intel-based Mac systems to enjoy streaming titles.
In addition to Mac support, Netflix says that other improvements have been made including easier fast-forward and rewind controls. The new player uses PlayReady DRM to allow protected content playback on Mac and PC systems. Netflix says that Intel-based Macs account for 3/4 of its Mac using customer base.
Netflix began offering streaming video services last year and while their entire catalog isn’t yet ready for streaming to a PC or your TV, the catalog is ever-growing.
[Headline image courtesy of engadget..com]
Not to put too fine a point on it, but there’s an error in this story. It’s not that there was no streaming player for the Mac; it’s that there was no streaming player that enforced Digital Rights Management available for the Mac. Movie studios required a streaming player that would support their somewhat draconian DRM (the same rights-management issues that require NetFlix to not include all disks of some seasons of some shows for streaming). Microsoft’s Silverlight does accomodate such DRM, and finally it’s been worked out to everyone’s satisfaction that Mac users won’t be able to pirate content being streamed to their computers.
Don’t you just love it how the studios just assume that we’re all criminals?
I was just going to say get a PC, but then I saw Micorosft Silverlight and figured, what’s the point then?
Ya, now if only they’d get it working for Linux.
I know, I know, it’ll happen around the time that pigs start flying…
And here I was getting excited until I reread the article and saw the “for Intel based Macs” caveat. Craptastic… my main machine is a G5. Looks like I’m one of the 25% of their Mac base who’s still left out in the cold.
I wonder if the streaming would still work under Parallels or that other Windows VM for the Mac…