Monday, October 27, 2008
An upgrade to watch instantly on your PC – and Mac!
Hi, Brent here with some exciting news - today we started testing a new player for watching instantly. Based on Microsoft Silverlight, the new player works on PCs and Intel-based Macs and includes some nice new features such as faster startup and adaptive stream switching. We’re testing it with a small percentage of new Netflix members so that we can conduct a thorough analysis before rolling it out broadly. Rollout to all Mac users will happen as soon as we're done with the testing, then we'll roll out to all users by the end of the year. I’ll let you know the moment that happens.
135 comments:
I am so conflicted about retaining Netflix as my movie provider, given the success friends have related to me about other options.
I call Customer Service and get nothing, nothing but the standard reply.
My issues are these:
1.In ordering series, on 3 occasions the series have arrived out of order. Contacting Netflix did nothing, but gave me an explanation how to "correctly" list them in my queue. I was already doing it "correctly."
2. On 5 occasions, and possibly a few more that I finally gave up on, not one of my DVD players in the house were able to play a particular DVD. I have expensive new players, inexpensive new ones, expensive old ones and cheap old ones. Each time only my computer could play the movie. NOT an option I want to use. Again, phone calls offered an apology, but no offer to "satisfy" me such as by offering to send a few additional movies etc.
3. Having a Mac, it is distressing to not be able to play the instant watching.....I know...you are working on that! Which is what I heard over a year ago.
4. The long wait for new releases is terrible. When they are already ON SALE at a 20 % off discount at stores but still unable to get them from Netflix....that is problematic.
Still, no one from Netflix has attempted in any way to give me inspiration to continue. Very disheartening and should they have even once offered a special limited deal of something of the kind, I would have been delighted. But nothing.
please please please make it possible to sign up as a beta tester of watch now on the Mac.
Lack of Mac support has been my #1 complaint about Netflix for some time. Make me love Netflix again!
I'm with y/n. Us longtime users have been waiting more than long enough. Why should we be punished further for sticking with you despite the second class treatment? Let us opt into the beta now.
i'd love to test out the new player for Mac! though i'd say it's certainly nothing to get distressed about, being able to stream movies on the Mac has been high on my wishlist, for sure.
I would love to betatest.
so basically, the new users who don't know how anything works are going to try out a new feature... and tell you how it works... yeah... greeeeeat plan there guys.
I agree with the other posters; letting new customers beta test the Watch it Now for Mac and denying your long-term users that privilege is alienating to the ones who have waited patiently for well over a year to see this happen. Count me in for beta testing for Macs.
I'm with these guys, lack of mac support has been one of my top issues with Netflix, and I've been waiting for it for a long time, is there any way we can get into the group that's testing it?
Here's more support for letting existing subscribers who are Mac users test things out. I'm not afraid of a few bugs and errors.
Intel-based Macs only? That's not cool. Can I get a discount on my membership if I'm not receiving full service from Netflix?
I got to agree with the others. Kind of sux that long time members have to wait EVEN LONGER than new members. We have been hearing "we are workign on it" for so long. Now to hear that it goes to new accounts is a bit of a slap in the face. Cant we opt in somewhere? Or at least sign up to opt in?
Ditto on the "I wanna beta"
How do we get the Media player beta?
I want to beta test too. Gimme.
Add me to the list of early adopters.
Just called customer service and they confirmed it availably "randomly" only to "new customers"
No explanation on the rationale for this process, which is disappointing.
To Netflix: This doesn't make sense, existing customers who've patiently waited months to get this feature should have priority. Someone please clarify this.
To those complaining about Netflix not supporting Mac soon enough and only supporting Intel Mac, this is NOT something that Netflix has any control over. The studios are demanding DRM. Until last week, the only DRM technology available on Mac was Apple's FairPlay, which is used by iTunes. Apple does not license that. Just last week Microsoft (of all companies) released the first sanctioned licensable DRM for the Mac, and Netflix has jumped on this and released a beta damned fast. Microsoft has decided to make this DRM system available on Intel Macs only.
Please let me beta test! I love netflix Watch instantly and just got a new Mac, and rid of my PC, I'd love to help test.
Sign me up for the beta too! I'd be happy to test and provide feedback.
This is awesome! please release
this soon can't wait
Ditto! Give us the option to beta test. Six year member and Mac user here.
I'll be the token Linux user begging for linux support. Please, give us linux support! :)
@ lle
Cancel Netflix for a few months, it's easy to do (I think you can also put your account on hold). If you miss it too much you can start right where you left off but if you really think you're better off without Netflix then that's okay too.
New subscribers get to beta test this service? The service we long-time subscribers with Macs have been subsidizing for PC users since the inception of the service? Come on. That isn't right.
Beta testing with new customers makes very little sense -- they have little incentive to give useful feedback. I'm really surprised you're not offering this to your existing subscribers, who evidently have strong opinions about what they want to see, and are motivated to see this feature succeed.
I'd love to beta test...
I'm a new user - just signed up for the 14-day trial today. How can I tell if I have the new player or the old one?
I'm with y/n. I agree will all 25 of you. PLEASE let me betatest also...If anything lower the cost of all the membership plans and just add maybe a 2 dollar a month charge for the watch it now feature.
doesn't that make sense?
why should windows users be able to take advantage of a great option and pay the same as someone who cannot?
I would love to beta test - what is the procedure for applying?
I agree, I would love to test out the new Mac player! I've been part of Netflix for awhile now and this is my BIGGEST feature request. I want a chance to try it!
It also kind of bothers me how excited they are about spitting in the faces of their existing customers. "Yes! We have new stuff but you can't use it! We're only giving it to new customers! Screw anyone who has supported Netflix for years! We don't appreciate your continued support!!!"
Kind of disgusts me.
FREAKIN SWEET! I'll take your word on new users being the only beta testers but i'd love to get in on that if its possible. Next stop should be the PS3. Also if you get a chance, I'd wet my self if i could stream netflix to my iPhone.
I like the Instant Netflix movies a whole lot. However, I just ran into a problem with your movie mailing. I ordered "life on a String" and it came from Tacoma, WA. I live in NY It was a whole week before I received it. Then I watched it right away. But it has to go back to WA! That will mean I won't get a movie to replace this one for over another week. You should warn people in such cases, or better yet, send an additional movie when this occurs. It's only fair.
Why can't I be the first to try this? I have been waiting so long, sticking with this company when I have a Blockbuster next door and this is how I'm treated? So basically, if I cancel my service and sign up again, i can test the beta? Doesn't make sense. Sign me up for the testing... if you can.
Shane Par-Due isn't the only one interested in GNU/Linux support. Unlike him I'm in no way going to beg for it though (and I suspect he isn't really begging either). The competition supports GNU/Linux which I currently use. Other companies streaming commercially produced mainstream Hollywood movies support GNU/Linux using Flash and I'm not about to use Netflix's services unless the company takes us GNU/Linux users into account. It is unacceptable to me that Netflix is going to utilize technology to stream movies that is in a format unavailable to GNU/Linux users AND from a company with a horrible reputation for supporting other operating systems. Microsoft does not release Silverlight for GNU/Linux and there is no reason to believe Microsoft won't discontinue support for it on the Mac like it has done for MS's Media Player, Web Browser, Office suite (portions of it such as VB scripting) and others. If Netflix insists on using the technology it better support the GNU/Linux implementation of Silverlight called Moonlight that Microsoft and Novell have collaborated on. This implementation is not up to date and not readily available in practice so I'd probably NOT make the effort to use Netflix's services as a result.
Here is the information about Moonlight:
http://www.mono-project.com/Moonlight
I am willing to beta test too. I've suffered through Watch Instantly running in a Windows virtual machine. Help heal my pain–make me a beta tester.
squirrelist: DRM is no excuse for not releasing for GNU/Linux and Mac. Netflix could write a DRM client for Mac and GNU/Linux. They choose to use Microsoft's DRM technology. However- Microsoft is not the only solution here they could be using. Amazon streams many of its mainstream movies to GNU/Linux users. Netflix is simply failing to live up to the competition.
I am sick of media providers living in microsoft's back pocket.
PLEASE investigate a more universal solution...streaming from Linux, etc.
I'll jump in too!!! Please offer Linux support!! I love my Linux machines and I really wish I could stream my Netflix movies without switching over to my old XP machine.... Count us in!! Support Linux!!!
And thanks for all the effort you guys put in to Netflix! It's a great service!
My only concern is that my Vista Media Center plugins (vmcNetflix) continue to work
I'd love to see you do a deal with TiVo. The fewer boxes attached to my TV the happier I'd be. :-P
To squirrelist: MS technology is not the only game in town. Adobe's Flash offers DRM as well, as evidenced by Amazon's streaming service. Netflix did not bother to serve Mac and Linux users for a long time. The reason may be cost, but not lack of technology. In any case, it is a nice feature to have, but good movies and shows available for streaming content is very few, so it is not a big deal.
"all Mac users" ...
No, only those Mac users with Intel macs.
Kind of annoying that this will be presented as "the final solution" and "Mac support", when this means no change at all to us. Sorry, but I'm not about to replace my computers to be able to play Netflix movies through the internet. Buy a PC or buy a new Mac? How about supporting EXISTING Macs, which are perfectly capable of streaming videos?
Have you tried hulu.com? If they can do it, why not netflix?
How can beta test?
I'd love to beta test, but not for Macs I have Windows but prefer Linux.
Here's a tip for the guy complaining that his movie has to go back to WA!
Change the address on the red packet to a closer Netflix place! I did that and it seemed to help.
You fanboys are all whiners, Netflix finally caves in to your elitist ego, and what do you do, you still bitch!! I's only a beta, it only runs on intel (that's legitimate, my rigs only run AMD), more elite fanboys are the ones testing it, it won't run on my newest iphone/ipod!! Can't you just be happy you are getting the damn thing!! Look at the alternative, you would have to BUY each movie at icrap, I mean itunes!!
And for you few GNU/Linux posters c'mon, you smart enough to run Linux, but not smart enough to dual-boot? Better yet, I have gotten the M$ player to work under wine, while I haven't tested it for this purpose, since I can just boot into XP, but play with it, you might be surprised (unless you are an end user who was given a Linux computer, in which case, you really are a modified fanboy, and should go out and buy a crApple computer as soon as possible).
Thank for you for finally supporting the Mac!
Now, please support PS3--as this is actually hooked up to my TV as my choice of multimedia. So is Microsoft going to have to port Silverlight to PS3 before you will do anything about it? (No plans ever to buy a Xbox 360; nice game box but riddled with hardware quality issues, and lacking the key PS3 multimedia features I wanted when I bought the PS3 earlier this year). And no to Roku---don't need more hardware, just better, cross-platform software.
Totally unimpressed.
If you have an intel mac you could watch netflix on your computer as long as you used boot camp (I've done that for quite a while now) what I watned was to watch it on my old musicbox I have in the bedroom (really old computer that just has iTunes and a web browser).
Or what about the last generation of PowerPC macs that is perfectably serviceable still?
Nope. This isn't bringing watch instantly to mac at all, this is bringing watch instantly to all Intel-based computers without any special processes.
Also, I want to know the rest of the details, you better not make us use the unsupported IE for Mac, many 'intel-based' ones don't even come with that installed anymore.
Count me in on beta testing - I'm upset that it's taken this long, and more upset that you haven't given long-time subscribers the opportunity! Not a smart business move.
Does "adaptive stream switching" mean watch instantly will finally support alternate language tracks and subtitles?
I returned to Netflix yesterday when I heard about this. I'm sad that it is truly not available, and that my first dvd is not going to ship until _tomorrow_, even though when I signed up yesterday it said it would ship yesterday, then this morning it said it would ship today, but now alas it will be tomorrow... maybe they'll send it by the end of the year...
Like so many others, I am disappointed and almost feel "betrayed" - after being a very loyal Netflix subscriber for most of their years in existence, and having gifted subscriptions to many friends, why oh why would they burn their loyal followers by not letting some of us test the new Mac instant watching. Why submit the newbies to a service that may need some tweeks - your loyal paid members would be willing to test and forgive. I think Netflix has pissed off many many of their Mac users. TSK TSK to them.
So: if I had canceled my Netflix subscription months ago for lack of support to Mac users, I could re-sign up today - and get the chance to use the instant watching function right away... Instead, I maintained my subscription with Netflix like an idiot, and now I have to wait for the "official" roll-out.
This is probably the dumbest, most moronic and most idiotic business decision of the century. What do you guys think you are running, a Wall Street company???
Test it with me, please!
Oh, and everyone who's griping about being "betrayed" needs to relax. They're just movies.
Go out and campaign for your favored candidate during these final days and do something that ACTUALLY matters instead of feeling sorry for yourself because you can ONLY get movies delivered to your door.
I'm disappointed.
First, the choice to go with Microsoft's Silverlight wrapper for DRM. For practical and security reasons I choose not to avoid all Microsoft products. Seriously- google them. I don't need any virus or malware on my Mac. Ugh, Look at Apple's iTunes DRM, that's even more secure!
Secondly, offering the beta testing to *new* users? I've been with Netflix for over five years, and my loyalty has been snubbed. What a slap in the face. How about showing long-time customers some love? This is the kind of behavior that lead me to drop my TiVo service.
Thirdly, the lack of any kind closed captioning within the Instant Watching software. As a hearing impaired person, I rely on captioning/subtitling to follow along the story. This is the primary reason why I'll continue to watch movies on DVD. Adding captions should be an easy fix- look at YouTube- even they've implemented a captioning system. Why can't Netflix? And many software players now are allow for adding and playing subtitles - VideoLan's VLC is leading the way.
So in essence I'm being charge for a service I can't and won't use. Yes, the cost for Netflix to operate the Instant Watch is built into every member's monthly service fee. I think a permanent reduction in my monthly charge seems appropriate, with all things given.
There are a few other quality issues I have with Netflix, including long waits for new releases, the lack of any weekend service, unplayable discs...
i would love to beta test this! not being able to stream on my mac has been quite a bit of a frustration!
Attn: Andy Rendich
As VP of Development I thought it appropriate to address this to you, with the belief and hope that you will understand my (and many others) frustration regarding the Netflix Movie Viewer application and the (lack of) control your team is providing the paying customers. It is no longer "easy" and "fast" to "watch instantly", when the end user has no control over the destination of the install files and the location from which the application runs. Even more so it is extremely frustrating that technical information is not available quickly and a phone call to who-knows-where in "technical support" is the only next option. I do not want to be on the phone at midnight with someone who is most likely not going have the answers I need.
Today, with the immense amount of multimedia data floating around and the abundance of external storage constantly on sale at the retailers, can you offer an explanation as to why an assumption is being made that the best place for your data is the main system drive? The Netflix movie viewer is not a core application.
Part of offering technology solutions to paying customers is trusting that there is some level of intelligence among many of them, those who have more control of their systems over other basic end users. These particular users will have ability and the need to control their data, and without the need or want to "hack" or "corrupt" the registry, DRM, plug-ins and/or Windows Media files.
Please direct and allow your team to make the changes that will resolve this simple problem your paying customers are experiencing. I can only hope this request actually makes it to your desk, as it appears this is the only means by which I have any chance of contacting you electronically.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this issue. I will look forward to a response on this blog (others will benefit) and hopefully an action.
Sincerely,
Julie
Please let me into the beta! Mac users have been waiting since 2007 for mac support, don't make us wait any longer! Bugs or no bugs, I would like to test this out!
Finally able to watch movies instantly on Mac! It surprises me that it took this long for Netflix since they are usually on the cutting edge of the industry. But other than this, I have no complaints about Netflix. Everything else has been great!
I agree -- we Mac users who have been giving Netflix our money since before Watch Instantly was introduced should be first in line for beta testing. We have been waiting -- and paying -- for long enough! I'm tired of receiving a lot less for my subscription fees than your Windows-using customers. (Yes, I'm well aware of Boot Camp and Fusion, but I have no other reason to run Windows on my Mac, so it's not worth the extra cost and hassle.) The fact that you would offer it first to newbies is just ridiculous.
Linux users should know that Novell/Ximian is working on a Silverlight port for Linux - it's called Moonlight. So once the new player is live for all of us, you might very well be able to watch live streams on Linux.
I am also of a mind with those posters who are wondering why Netflix didn't just go with Flash. I imagine they got some incentives from Microsoft - MS has been throwing money and developer time around to spur Silverlight development and adoption (such as with some new Smithsonian online features).
Ugh, great Netflix so you plan to do something. This is what you've said for a long time, how about doing something that we can see? Talk is cheap.
Looking forward to the Mac support. I have the Roku box (which is awesome), but it would be nice to watch movies on my iMac sometimes.
It's possible that since NetFlix wrote an application for the Xbox, that it was easier to port to Silverlight than Flash (or anything else). I'll say that as a software engineer who works primarily with .net languages, it is much easier to make the jump to Silverlight than to Flash if you're already versed in MS tools, and as stated before, this should make it available to Windows, Mac and Linux users.
To the user who said that their computer is AMD based... I would assume that this will actually work on any x86-based PC, not jut Intel. I'm sure they just mean that it won't work on the pre-Intel (PowerPC) Macs.
Also, I'm Anonymous from above who signed up yesterday - and I got the old player, so being a new user didn't net me the beta, either.
Another let down. Seriously, if you want valid feedback, then open up beta to everyone. Or, at the VERY LEAST, open it up randomly, not just to new users. How do people who have never used the service before provide the best data? It makes no sense at all.
how about if i cancel my account and then maybe sign up again. can i finally use the damn mac player. i mean, i was considering canceling my account anyway. it's just to easy to watch movies online, without drm, from the hundreds of "illegal" sites on the net. I mean, I wanna pay you for letting me watch, but the crappy drm and lack of mac support keeps me going the 'illegal' route. this is some kind of screwy way to run a business... hollywood.
I understand about having to test it out in waves, but any idea when it will be open to the rest of us? Obviously it's in high demand, so I'm assuming soon, but just checking if you can put a time frame on it.
I'm with the rest of you long-timers who've been patiently waiting to use the "watch instantly" feature - it sure would have been nice if Netflix had let us know the beta testing was going to come, maybe let some of us volunteer. I am disappointed. My sister already bit the bullet and went back to Blockbuster. I was holding out, but I'm just not feeling the love!
I wanted to leave an email on the Netflix site to ask if I could be considered for the beta program, as I'll probably cancel until it's out otherwise....I am horrible at staying on top of my disc consumption, and booting into parallels is just too annoying on my underpowered mac mini.
Of course, I click help, and I can't even find anywhere to send an email to Netflix. No email addresses! Only a phone number. I guess that's fair enough, at least they don't display an email address and then completely ignore it in favor of people calling them.
I guess I'll try calling tomorrow from work, where my cell reception is better. Hope that mac streaming gets to me ASAP or I'm finally going to cut the losses incurred on me every month from my vastly underutilized netflix account (I'm probably averaging less than 10 movies a year on the 3 at a time plan).. Of course the risk is that if I unsubscribe, I might stay unsubscribed...as I am somewhat inertia driven (if that wasn't obvious).
I've only been w/ Netflix for a month and I just pushed my 1st gen MB over for my new MBP (maxed out 15in). My point is, I have a low end Intel Mac and a high end, 1 week old Mac. Who better to test the new Silverlight player which I've been lusting over since you guys first showed it off back in April '07. In case it matters I also have a 40in Sony Bravia, PS3, Popcorn Hour and AT&T Uverse. - Jonathan Badeen
Hey Everyone! Instead of whining and complaining..how about we all be grateful that netflix has found a way to support most users on the mac. I think it is great that netflix continues to innovate and they will continue to receive my money and I think I can wait a couple more weeks. Honestly...no big deal!
For those with older macs, thats a bummer but it makes sense if you understand anything about the technology. If it bothers you that much, let them know with by spending your money elsewhere I suppose.
I don't have access to a Windows/Mac machine. I've run pure linux for years now and it's sad to be left out again. Can you guys consider rolling out a solution that is platform independent?
Absolutely wrong choice to test with "new customers" - geez, I've been with netflix forever - one of the first adopters -- but yet you're giving this advantage to the new customers??? WRONG CHOICE.
Wow, awesome! How can I become one of the beta testers???
Good news! I want to beta test! I used Silverlight all through the Olympics. Not my favorite, but it works well enough. It needs a "full screen" option like many other players.
Sounds great! Time for a Playstation 3 player. My PS3 is my main media device besides my HD DVR Cable box, so adding Netflix to the ps3 would be something that I would be willing to play extra for!!
Finally! I would love to help out if you need some testers.
Question:
You guys are adopting Silverlight, which as far as I know relies on protected/streaming WMV as a video format.
What was your motivation in choosing it, and what about the ability to migrate to a more portable format like MPEG-4?
Thanks.
Get your INSTANT WATCH available on the MAC! This is segregation. This is OS profiling. Stop the Jim Crowe act and integrate, assimilate. End cyber apartheid now!
I'll toss in my agreement with the other longtime users who happen to prefer a mac platform. We've waited a LONG time. Let us beta test.
Excited for the new feature.
Two things: 1) To all you users complaining about not being allowed to use the new setup, I guarantee if you were allowed you would be crying about the littlest thing not working and how it should have been tested first. 2) People who write huge posts about unrelated issues, please shut up. While I don't agree with the people I mentioned above, I can respect their view. You folks are just ranting like a radio talk show host.
UH... PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY NEW MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO TEST "WATCH INSTANTLY" ? I BELIEVE THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT EVERY SINGLE LONG TIME SUBSCRIBER HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW.
You will have my money when you support Linux platforms like Ubuntu. Until then, you're missing out.
Nth-ing the request for Linux support! Regarding Moonlight: moonlight will not help one iota, as the Microsoft-provided codecs for WMV will not play DRM'ed streams or files. (http://www.microsoft.com/interop/msnovellcollab/moonlight_definitions.aspx)
PLEASE support older macs. Macs aren't like PCs--you don't need to throw them out every 3 years because they no longer work. Just man up and support Macs if you're going to support Macs.
Why would anyone ever assume Mac users would embrace Microsoft technology? Silverlight? Methinksnot. With Microsoft, there's always a hook. No thanks. Use Java or Flash, but no more Microsoft hooks. If you want my business, make it work on my AppleTV, then you've got not only my attention, but my business.
Netflix, you really know how to alienate customers. After a year, noobs get first dibs, and no PPC support. I can do Hulu on PPC. I can do iTMS on PPC. I can do YouTube on PPC. The brain trust of video delivery can't come up with a better system than Silverlight, a lame Flash wannabe? I already throttled down to one at a time, and I'll be using RedBox for now. It's in two stores I drive by each day, so the convenience edge has gone away. $1 per movie vs. $2 per Netflix title when you factor in how many you can actually get through the mail in a month. (here we're averaging weekly turnaround) The only thing that was keeping me with Netflix was the (empty) promise of Mac viewing. With that off the table, there's not much left.
I've been a loyal customer since December 1999 and I'm also a Mac user. I think it would be nice to reward the loyalty of myself and similar users with the first stab at new products and offers.
To anonymous, you might check on more sites. It's not ready yet, but MS and Novell are working on DRM for Moonlight:
http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/overview/faq.aspx
harpokla,
If Windows users will run Apple software, why not the other way around? Also, as long as Steve Jobs keeps calling AppleTV "a hobby through 2009", it's not going to get many corporations to support it. How can you expect Netflix to take seriously a platform that even Apple doesn't?
guessing the reason they wont open up beta testing is that its far from being done.... Look at google they had beta on gmail for years, and then finally jut took it off. If Netflix wants to do it right they will offer up there player now and let us do the testing, will ave them money in the long run
Is there a way to sign up for a beta testing group and not wait for official release.
I'm a software developer, I would be very useful for your QA process.
Count me in as yet another existing member who wants to beta-test the new Watch Instantly client, and thinks leaving the testing to inexperienced new users rather than those who're putting the most mileage into Watch Instantly is a terrible idea. Frankly, you should be making it so that the users who are watching the most movies on Watch Instantly can opt in (and, at their option, back out) of the beta program. They're the users who have the most experience with it, and hence they're the ones who are most likely to notice problems - and have an interest in reporting them to you.
Having new users with zero experience doing your testing will simultaneously alienate them (as they'll believe the service they only just signed up for is buggy), and provide poor feedback to Netflix (as they haven't the experience, nor the vested interest in bothering to report bugs). That in turn will lead to a worse product for us all.
Seriously, Netflix. You need to rethink this decision, pronto! I don't care whether I personally get into the beta (as much as I'd like to) - but I do care about ensuring the new client is less problematic than the current one, and that means you need quality testers.
About freaking time Mac support came through.
But Silverlight? Really? This is bullshit.
Why can Hulu make this look so easy but Netflix has been struggling for years?
That is really good news! Is there any date prediction?
I am just wondering why you are testing it with new customers? Those customers don't really know how it would work or how to use it.
Those of us who use Macs would appreciate now, if not yesterday. You have had plenty of time to develop something. We have waited long enough.
Let us sign up for the beta!
I love the idea of having playback on mac, but I still think there needs to be some sort of way to be able to play the movies from a linux desktop, with the netbooks on going strong in this economic stand point.
Wow! I'm a new member, and on a Mac... Sign me up as a tester!
Netflix really should take clues from Apple in how to release a product. Everyone is right, since 2007 we've heard 'soon' now we're told it's ready, we've seen the videos of it working and still no release date. They should have had a closed, private beta period and then opened it to everyone when they announced it publicly. Just like Apple announcing a new version of a program has it online in a couple hours after a keynote.
Even if netflix just said, we'll turn it on 11/30, at least we would have a date to go by and I would stop checking to see if it's been magically rolled out to my account.
One issue is that the number of machines you're allowed to have within a year for instant watching is 4. It used to be 8, but they carved out 4 for "devices" as opposed to computers. Lame.
So we have a bunch of macs and have allocated 4 of them for the privilege of instant watching. Well, we've done our instant watching on those machines under VMware. So when they do roll the player out, we'll be screwed because we'll have used up our allocation of machines.
I hope that the folks at the support line will be able, somehow, to reset that counter.
Everyone so easily seems to forget that the reason it does not stream to a Mac is because of Apple. The irony of this is that a Microsoft product somehow makes it so.
You don't think Apple is making it difficult because of their own online service?? Can't forget the way they structure their DRM license, makes it impossible for 3rd parties to get involved.
Netflix had to structure this work around that does not hinder the license agreement of Apple to work.
It is stupid to get mad at Netflix when it is so plainly obvious to be Apple's fault. Netflix has made partners with just about anyone who wants... Xbox, Samsung, and now Tivo. The absolutely perfect thing would be if it works with a ps3, but like Apple, Sony is trying to push their own product.
Can't blame Apple and Sony for wanting to make a profit, but at the same time can't blame Netflix. At least they are trying.
If you waited this long for the Mac streaming, is it so much to wait till the end of the year? Only two months away. Who cares who gets to test it. It is a ploy by Netflix to entice new users, and I bet it will work. Just let me use it when the bugs are fixed.
I love my Mac and wished it streamed, but the Apple fanboys/fangirls here are getting mad at the wrong company.
If you want to complain about using Netflix go use someone else. Why bother wasting your money for something your not happy with?? I don't get it.
This is crap that it is only for new members.
I am a Mac user and have been waiting for this FOREVER.
However what is bigger crap is WHY NO POWER PC SUPPORT!!!!
My daughter purchased this membership for me; I'm disable and can't get out to movies, and she knows how much I love them.
Documentaries are particular favorites; so, hello to all my fellow movie mavens and happy viewing.
I've had problems with getting my player to work. I'm not new to netflix, been doing it for 3 years, but i was able to sign up for it, go figure. I installed the silverlight plugin 7 or 8 times. I still get the install now message when i go to watch a movie, whats up with that?
Hm, now that Netflix has allowed people to opt in to this program YOU COMMENTERS PRETTY MUCH LOOK LIKE IDIOTS.
I'm sure it won't be too long before you find something else to be self-righteous about. It's your way.
Does watching movies on PC work outside US?
Piling on....
I too use exclusively Linux boxes at home and have repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly requested support for Netflix Instant Watching (aka On Demand, streaming, etc) from Netflix.
If Hulu ever adds a pay service that has a movie selection on par with Netflix, I will join without hesitation as I already use their "free" service. Likewise, I already use Amazon's pay-per-view on-demand service. (It's expensive, so I use it sparingly, but it works fine from Linux.)
Why in the world Netflix hasn't figured this out yet is beyond me.
Will insta-vision eventually be available for linux and older Windows? I'm using Windows 2000 (the last one to work; now off the soap box) and would be willing to switch to linux but not XP or Vista. I can wait awhile; I can appreciate the technical hurtles-- I just want to know if Netflix recognizes that not everyone cares to have the latest OP.
For the love of God . . . help us Linux folks out.
I have to use VmWare to run a copy of XP, with IE sitting under that and then finally Windows Media Player to do Watch Instantly. Playback stutters due to the ridiculous nature of this setup. Please fix this -- rumor has it that the roku player is Linux based, so . . . you can fix this for us. You have the technology. Stop being stingy.
Great for Mac users, but what about Linux Ubuntu and Firefox users like me?? Seems blatantly unfair that I am paying for a service that I don't get to use to its fullest extent. If this doesn't get resolved soon, I will likely just terminate my Netflix membership.