Strong title for my strong feelings. The watch it now feature has been festering inside me for a long time, but it has just finally reached boiling point.
Before I get into my rant let me first sing the praises of Netflix so you can see my perspective. I have been a Netflix subscriber for almost 2 years now. Not once in my 2 year history have I even thought about switching to Blockbuster or other movies by mail offerings. Now that I get Blu-Ray movies for no additional charge makes me even more happy. I typically ask my wife as soon as I get home, “did my Netflix movie arrive yet”? It really is the best service out there for online movie rentals.
With that begin said, I have had a huge problem with Netflix’s watch it now feature ever since it came out. First off let me say that if this feature was available for an extra charge (and it worked for me) I would be more than willing to pay. It is not a matter of me complaining about a free service. My complaint is strictly about Netflix’s apparent “screw you” attitude when it comes to Mac users.
Netflix’s watch it now feature only works with computers that are running Windows. It must be watched in Internet Explorer (the absolute worst browser on the planet). Watch it now, won’t even worn on Firefox on the windows side. It is highly DRM’d so you need all the latest firmware, and the DRM ridden Windows Media Player 11.
Netflix, for some time now, has mentioned that it is working on support for Apple users. However, It has been over a year and we haven’t still seen any progress regarding Mac support. Last week Netflix announced “MyNetflix (beta) Vista Media Center plug in with Watch Now streaming”. There is also rumors that Netflix will be adding watch it now to Xbox 360 and PS3.
This infuriates me, as an avid Mac user. while I will finally be able to use this feature on ether my 360 or my PS3, I still won’t be able to watch it on my Macs. Why would Netflix go out of their way to screw over Mac users. Instead of working on a Mac solution they decide to focus on a fragmented video game market, (most the users probably won’t even have a Netflix account) and also focus on the even smaller market of Window Media Center users.
I am not saying we need an a full blown solution or media center functionality, just get it working in the browsers. The Mac developers will take whatever you put out and make it more feature robust, and or write plug ins to additional applications. Apple may be closed to putting this feature on the AppleTV or in front row, but it doesn’t mean you can’t develop a watch it now application. Netflix, don’t abandon your mac users. Look at your site numbers, I’m sure you have many users of your site who use other browsers, are on the Mac, and an even greater number of users who would love this feature on the iPhone.
While I mention it, the iPhone would be perfect for this feature. I could watch a movie at work with ease. Studies just showed that 50% of all smart phone searches are done from an iPhone. Basically people using iPhones are using the web. Netflix’s watch it now feature would fit in great with the iPhone. Netflix, be the company I want to love. Make your watch it now feature available to everyone!
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[...] JasonCypret.com wrote an interesting post today on Screw You Netflix – Watch it Now is a JokeHere’s a quick excerptBasically people using iPhones are using the web….Look at your site numbers, I’m sure you have many users of your site who use other browsers, are on the Mac, and an even greater number of users who would l ove this feature on the iPhone….Netflix’s watch it now feature would fit in great with the iPhone. Netflix, be the company I want to love….Studies just showed that 50% of all smart phone searches are done from an iPhone…. [...]
[...] feels natural, like it was made by Steve himself. I just wish there was a way to view all of those watch it now movies on my iPhone. I also wish you could rate your movies on iFlix. Maybe we will see more features when iPhone 2.0 [...]
[...] up we will see many great things from them in the future. I mean they still have a couple of things to work on, but it was definitely a victory for them [...]
[...] feels natural, like it was made by Steve himself. I just wish there was a way to view all of those watch it now movies on my iPhone. I also wish you could rate your movies on iFlix. Maybe we will see more features when iPhone 2.0 [...]
try this netflix.com/silver
http://www.product-reviews.net/2008/12/04/netflix-streaming-now-available-for-apple-mac-users/
It wasn’t Netflix it was Apple being a baby about Netflix competing with iTunes.
Also, before you bash Netflix about releasing MyNetflix for MediaCenter users, understand that it was an independent person who wrote it on his own time independent of NetFlix. Sure, he happens to have since obtained employment there, to work on the 360 integration, but it actually had been done of his own volition. That being said, another independent user has since written a better MediaCenter app called VMCNetflix so that actually makes 2 apps now for VMC.
Unfortunately, they were of course taking advantage of the compatibility with Windows apps that were already there and the Mac problem has much more to go up against to get a working solution. With Apples increasing market exposure I have no doubt a solution for iPhone and Mac users will be coming soon. Keep the faith brother!
1. Apple denied Netflix not the other way around.
2. You are wrong about it not working on Firefox, that is what I use to watch it.
3. It is Apple that does not create a video format to fit its own programming, and that is why iphones can only use Youtube.com for playing videos.
**Don’t complain about a problem that lies within Apple and not Netflix. Netflix offered 32 million dollars if Apple opened its door to them. Apple is on the bottom of the overall food chain for a reason. They want to create their own versions of everything and never be compatible with the majority, EVER.
This is an old post and is not accurate anymore. Glad to see your reading the old ones though. :)
This was back when Netflix was supporting Windows Media DRM only which only worked on windows and in IE (sucked for Mac users). When they switched to Sliverlight “Watch It Now” became a bit more open. However I would love to see Netflix support Flash instead of Silverlight since Flash is now pretty much ubiquitous. Anyway, just glad to see it on my Mac and my 360 too!
-Cheers!