Netflix streaming for Mac leaves beta
updated 10:25 am EST, Thu December 4, 2008
Netflix streaming for Mac
All Mac owners with a subscription to Netflix should now be able to stream select movies online, the company has announced. Though best known for mail-based DVD rental, Netflix also offers a bonus "Watch Instantly" service, which primarily lets Windows PCs (as well as various set-tops) stream some 12,000 movies and TV shows. To stream movies on a Mac, users must have Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later, 1GB of RAM, and a browser with Microsoft's Silverlight plug-in.
The service has actually been open to Mac users since November 2nd, but only in the form of a public beta, which was still undergoing testing and required opting in to see the videos. Netflix has been aggressive in expanding streaming options in recent months, however, having pushed it to devices such as TiVos, the Xbox 360, and the more closely-associated Roku box.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2005
One Problem
The watch instantly option is based on the MS silverlight proprietary platform, which only works with Intel processors. Certainly, many people have newer macs with intel, but there are also many people with IBM PPC chips still. Don't forget, people tend to keep their Mac for much longer than a PC thanks to good build quality.
Our house has 4 machines in it, 3 of them macs and they all are 3 years or older, so no intel inside there. Whatever deal Netflix got with MS, it is still going to isolate some of their customers. I wonder if it was worth not using the industry standard H264...