Netflix Taps Microsoft’s Silverlight for Second-gen Media Player

[MrMick]

Netflix has announced that it's deploying a new online video-streaming client based on Microsoft's Silverlight. The new player will be available for Intel-based Macintosh computers first.

Netflix Taps Microsoft’s Silverlight for Second-gen Media Player : Read more

 

[nekatreven]

rofl...an MS based product released first on Macs. That's so sick and twisted I can't even think of what to say.

 

[aapocketz]

yeah not sure why though. What makes the Mac hardware special?

I think they may be saying eventually it will be cross platform client, but for now will not work on macOS?

currently netflix only works on windows + IE + win media player 14. Kinda a bummer for me since I use ubuntu / mythbuntu

 

[geoffs]

It is funny that they appear to be releasing it for MacOS X and using an M$ product to do it. The press release is a little unclear in that it mentions PCs and Macs, but appears to indicate the initial roll-out will be Mac only. My guess is that it's to control the number of users while they test it (fewer Macs = fewer users) plus, Macs have a more consistent hardware/software/OS configuration, so you also have a more controlled environment, better for initial testing/debugging.

Note to Netflix' Mac users, you're about to become a test subject.

Of course, the real "fun" begins when they do release the Windows version. How many different hardware/OS/driver/browser configurations are there?

Why does Netflix insist on tying their online viewing to M$ products? First IE/Win, now Silverlight.

Silverlight, just say no!

 

[zerapio]

geoffs, they have to use something. If they don't tie it to MS with Silverlight they tie it to Adobe with Flash or to "Sun" with Java. It's no different.

 

[bf2gameplaya]

Yuck, Silverlight is just a way to beam advertising to your PC.

There's nothing wrong with Netflix's streaming viewer, I use it I love it...on slow broadband.

Unless they consider no ads something wrong. See yuck, above.

 

[TwoDigital]

I'd be willing to give Netflix another shot on Windows when they switch to Silverlight... I had to abandon my hopes of using their current solution on my media center as their DRM plugin junk made MCE stop working.