Netflix on Thunderbolt?

[htowngator]

But does this really mean it's coming to the bolt? It's a little vague.

I don't see why it wouldn't in due time.

 

[upz3]

Netflix on Android Confirmed for Snapdragon Phones First - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

 

[Bwangster12]

Silly question, but I can't seem to find a yes/no. Netflix streaming currently works over 3G on the iPhone? Is the assumption that Netflix streaming on Android going to work over 3G?

 

[RichardClark]

It's not a problem of the ThunderBolt's (and other Android phones') ability to handle Netflix streaming. It's a matter of the platform meeting the digital rights requirements of Netflix -- to prevent folks from modifying their devices so that they could capture the movies as they are played and saved to a file for illegal distribution. Apple's iOS is a closed platform so therefore it's much easier for Apple to meet this requirement. Android is capable of running on many diverse hardware platforms and the O/S can be modified easily. That makes it much more challenging to certify a platform to Netflix's satisfaction.

 

[CBMC]

It's not a problem of the ThunderBolt's (and other Android phones') ability to handle Netflix streaming. It's a matter of the platform meeting the digital rights requirements of Netflix -- to prevent folks from modifying their devices so that they could capture the movies as they are played and saved to a file for illegal distribution. Apple's iOS is a closed platform so therefore it's much easier for Apple to meet this requirement. Android is capable of running on many diverse hardware platforms and the O/S can be modified easily. That makes it much more challenging to certify a platform to Netflix's satisfaction.

It is so easy to download avi or mkvs of movies now at a much higher resolution than netflix streaming. So while I completely understand netflix trying to appease the movie studios, I think that the movie studios are trying to protect something that isn't all that protectable in the first place. Personally, if I was going to steal online It would be a lot easier through a torrent route than through netflix. I do admit, I understand netflix position though. Have to keep hollywood happy.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[thedeceiver]

It's not a problem of the ThunderBolt's (and other Android phones') ability to handle Netflix streaming. It's a matter of the platform meeting the digital rights requirements of Netflix -- to prevent folks from modifying their devices so that they could capture the movies as they are played and saved to a file for illegal distribution. Apple's iOS is a closed platform so therefore it's much easier for Apple to meet this requirement. Android is capable of running on many diverse hardware platforms and the O/S can be modified easily. That makes it much more challenging to certify a platform to Netflix's satisfaction.

I don't think it's that hard to do. Google controls the core of the OS. They could certainly have developed a standard that stretched across devices but they didn't build anything into their platforms. Netflix is having to do a bunch of custom coding and asking for custom hardware to make it work.

Having an open platform versus a closed one shouldn't make it significantly harder. Develop the standard and then allow the device manufacturers to build hardware to support it. If they do, great. If they don't, then fine.

I think the issue is, Google should have lead the charge on this one.

 

[Green_Laser]

all of WireFlys videos show, what it looks like, part of a blockbuster icon on the very top left of the tbolt screen in just about every video.

i know netflix and blockbuster have streaming movies to pc's but does blockbuster stream to androids as netflix does to iphones?


for instance, goto the 2min mark here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp71b...eature=channel (check out top left corner of screen)

 

[Bwangster12]

Based on what I hear in this video: Android-powered LG Revolution caught streaming Netflix at MWC (video) -- Engadget it doesn't sounds like the Thunderbolt will get Netflix.

The guy goes on to say that the DRM keys need to be built into the hardware at manufacturing (whatever that means), and that you can move the application to another phone, but it won't work if you don't have those keys. While it sounds like the Thunderbolt has the processor to do the job, seems as if its coming out too soon for HTC to have utilized those keys. If LG is the one demoing the Netflix streaming, I can't imagine HTC being the first one to release it.

 

[htowngator]

It's all garbage, IMO. Netflix is a partner with LG so I'm not shocked about this happening, and Netflix cares to get their platform to Apple because there were a lot more of them.

 

[durangojim#AC]

Based on what I hear in this video: Android-powered LG Revolution caught streaming Netflix at MWC (video) -- Engadget it doesn't sounds like the Thunderbolt will get Netflix.

The guy goes on to say that the DRM keys need to be built into the hardware at manufacturing (whatever that means), and that you can move the application to another phone, but it won't work if you don't have those keys. While it sounds like the Thunderbolt has the processor to do the job, seems as if its coming out too soon for HTC to have utilized those keys. If LG is the one demoing the Netflix streaming, I can't imagine HTC being the first one to release it.

Yeah, after watching that video, I'm pretty convinced we won't be seeing Netflix on the TB.

 

[durangojim#AC]

What's really messed up is that this implies that many if not all Android tablets won't have netflix either which will be a huge selling point for the ipad.

 

[zarrel40]

I just talked with Qualcomm on Twitter and they said that only Netflix can confirm what devices will be getting it. So it definitely is more than the hardware.

 

[Bwangster12]

I just talked with Qualcomm on Twitter and they said that only Netflix can confirm what devices will be getting it. So it definitely is more than the hardware.

I don't know if I read that response that way...

I mean, can't we interpret that as: "Only Netflix can confirm what devices they will activate this on."

ASSUMING that all the device needs is processor A, then if the device has processor A (such as the Thunderbolt), its up to Netflix to actually activate the service. Seems like the message RubyTuesday said he got when he tried to stream Netflix was different than the message that other's are reporting on other devices. RubyTuesday said that it couldn't contact the Netflix service and to try again later. To me, that sounds like it passed the hardware check and just needed to be allowed by Netflix. Everyone else said the app like went back to the main screen or main screen of the app... sounding like it failed.

 

[htowngator]

So, based on this article... I am starting to question whether or not the Thunderbolt will get Netflix.

Netflix for Android Previewed on LG Revolution, Quick Look at Qualcomm?s Next-Gen Multi-Core CPU [MWC] [Video] | Android Phone Fans

Originally I thought the newer Snapdragons would get it, but this makes it sounds like only the newer multi-core phones will get it. That absolutely sucks if true.

Revolution isn't multicore so how would it get the netflix release?

I still believe it's all politics and bullcrap.

 

[htowngator]

Everyone also needs to keep in mind that LG and Netflix are bed buddies which likely explains why the Revolution will have it.

 

[jdport]

not sure what made anybody ever think netflix would be available on the TB.... I thought it was absolutely clear when Netflix for the Android was announced a while back that it would ONLY be available on phones with the new snapdragon processors coming out later this year. The new processors support hardware based DRM and that is why Netflix will be available for those.

There is no reason we couldn't have Netflix on the TB from a hardware capabilities point of view, but the problem with Netflix on Android has always been with DRM. I don't really understand why they can't fix this since it's already on iphone, pc's, gaming consoles, etc... If they can deal with drm on my PC i don't see why they can't on my phone. Maybe eventually they will have it available.... i'm sure Netflix WANTS it available, but I don't think there can be any doubt as it stands now we will not have Netflix on the Thunderbolt any time soon.

 

[Bwangster12]

The majority of your comment jdport, did not make sense to me.

The reason everyone has suspected the TB might get Netflix is that Netflix stated that only the newer snapdragon processors would be able to run it. That being said, it has been stated that the LG Revolution and the HTC Thunderbolt have the same snapdragon processors. Now, whether or not it has the correct DRM keys, I just don't know. But the fact that the processors are identical, made us think it would.

 

[robrecht]

I just talked with Qualcomm on Twitter and they said that only Netflix can confirm what devices will be getting it. So it definitely is more than the hardware.

I think Qualcomm is being a little coy here. It is definitely, in part, a software (and OS) issue, but it is also a firmware/hardware issue. According to a Qualcomm engineer at CES, there are DRM keys and libraries that need to be built into the 'ARM TrustZone' of the processor by the OEM, ie, HTC, as an OEM option. Qualcomm won't speak about this issue behind the back of HTC, and HTC so far has not answered this question about a phone that is not yet released. Qualcomm and HTC both try to deflect the issue onto Netflix. There are a few people at Qualcomm and HTC and Neflix who definitely should know the answer, but they are not the people who are trained to speak to the public. And those people know better than to speak to the public about software that has not yet been released on a phone that has not yet been released.

 

[Wantec]

not sure what made anybody ever think netflix would be available on the TB.... I thought it was absolutely clear when Netflix for the Android was announced a while back that it would ONLY be available on phones with the new snapdragon processors coming out later this year. The new processors support hardware based DRM and that is why Netflix will be available for those.

There is no reason we couldn't have Netflix on the TB from a hardware capabilities point of view, but the problem with Netflix on Android has always been with DRM. I don't really understand why they can't fix this since it's already on iphone, pc's, gaming consoles, etc... If they can deal with drm on my PC i don't see why they can't on my phone. Maybe eventually they will have it available.... i'm sure Netflix WANTS it available, but I don't think there can be any doubt as it stands now we will not have Netflix on the Thunderbolt any time soon.

People were thinking the Bolt might get Netflix b/c as far as we know, the Bolt has the same type of Snapdragon that was talked about that allows for the hardware DRM

 

[zarrel40]

Yeah, I'm worried that because LG and Netflix are so close, they won't work with other Android manufacturers and then most of the Android base will get secluded from Netflix. It wouldn't be that smart of them in my opinion..