“We recently announced the availability of Netflix on Windows Phone 7 devices, which, alongside the iPhone, represents the second mobile phone platform we have enabled for streaming from Netflix,” Greg Peters reports via the official Netflix Blog. “Notably absent from current supported mobile devices is Android and I wanted to provide an update on where things stand with this important platform.”
“The hurdle has been the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android,” Peters reports. “Setting aside the debate around the value of content protection and DRM, they are requirements we must fulfill in order to obtain content from major studios for our subscribers to enjoy.”
“Although we don’t have a common platform security mechanism and DRM, we are able to work with individual handset manufacturers to add content protection to their device,” Peters reports. “Unfortunately, this is a much slower approach and leads to a fragmented experience on Android, in which some handsets will have access to Netflix and others won’t. This clearly is not the preferred solution, and we regret the confusion it might create for consumers. However, we believe that providing the service for some Android device owners is better than denying it to everyone.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Fragmandroid.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Judge Bork” for the heads up.]
iOS bitch!!!
Android is open – open wound, open cesspool.
Android? Fragmentation? Say it ain’t so, Joe!
The funniest thing is to read comments from Android apologists swearing up and down that Android is NOT fragmented.
Well, here’s the proof from a third party that stands to profit from an Android compatible app. it’s simply not worth the time, effort and expense to support the entire platform, whatever that is.
There are 5 or 6 or more versions of the OS shipping on devices with innumerable hardware configurations. Prove to me that that’s not a textbook case of fragmentation and I’ll give you my iPad!
I am really curious. Back in 94, openness and ‘defragmentation’ are the keys for MS to win the competition and dominate market. Now, considering GOOG is exactly the new MS, would it be any success copying the same path with MS? Because it seems that mobile world has a huge difference with PC world.
So WTF???
http://www.apple.com/?ref=apple.com/startpage/&sr=st_page
The funny and sad thing is to watch someone demo streaming to an Android phone. I keep watching the attempts and you never know, someday someone will have a clean test.
For now, it’s funny and kind of sad. It should have stopped at the research and development doors. Not with the end user. Can you imagine a car the can’t maintain 60 mph on the highway. How long would that last without a total recall and lawsuits.
Have you read the novel “Dune”? Google is like the Baron Harkonnen. The Baron put “Beast” Rabban (Android) in charge of Arrakis, to get people begging for a savior. The Baron then intended for Rabban to be disposed by Feyd-Rautha (Chrome). No matter how bad Feyd was, he would be considered better than Rabban.
@ @BurningZeppelin
Interesting theory.
Want to get away from fragmentation but want a bigger screen instead? Get WP7 for your peace of mind. “Funner” than an iPod touch. More Zen-like than Steve Jobs. Redmond’s proudest baby.
@ BurningZepplin
“I am really curious. Back in 94, openness and ‘defragmentation’ are the keys for MS to win the competition and dominate market.”
There was no fragmentation of the operating system. Any program you might buy would work on Windows on any computer. VERY different on so-called Android. The fragmentation everyone is speaking of is in the operating system, itself. A program that works on one splinter-Android may or may not work on any of the others.
This news about Neflix is important. Many users will not care that much if one particular little app doesn’t work on their splinter-Android. But when a major player puts out an announcement of “it doesn’t work”, that’s a serious attention getter.
Ah, the fawning fanDroid pundits will all assure us this really isn’t an issue, fragmentation is a myth, and anyway the future Gonzo or Bonzo update will solve everything!
Proves Android sux.
Now things are reverse. It’s time for iPhone users to start to ask Android users – CAN YOUR PHONE DO THIS???
There is a 3rd party app that allows fandrpid people to watch netflix. Or at least that’s what I’m told. Can’t wait for Steve to kill android in lawsuits and win