“Netflix has elaborated on the ‘technical reasons’ why it has disabled AirPlay, and claims that since it can’t tell what device the stream is being sent to because of changes in the protocol, it won’t allow the feature,” Mike Wuerthele reports for AppleInsider.
We want to make sure our members have a great Netflix experience on any device they use. With AirPlay support rolling out to third-party devices, there isn’t a way for us to distinguish between devices — what is an Apple TV versus what isn’t — or certify these experiences. Therefore, we have decided to discontinue Netflix AirPlay support to ensure our standard of quality for viewing is being met. Members can continue to access Netflix on the built-in app across Apple TV and other devices. — Netflix
“At present, it isn’t clear what Netflix gains by knowing what television is being used, other than data harvesting. It also isn’t clear what the company being unable to “certify these experiences” means, from a technical standpoint,” Wuerthele reports. “Netflix has made it clear that apps on iOS and Apple TV are unaffected for native playback on the device that they are installed on.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The device to which Netflix is delivering is known to Netflix, be it an iPad or an iPhone. Why does Netflix need to know if the content is being sent via AirPlay to another device? They don’t. The just want the data (the fact that it’s being streamed and to what screen), but they do not need that data, so Apple is no longer providing it. The quality of that AirPlay transmission is the responsibility of Apple, not Netflix. Hence, Netflix’s so-called explanation is mealy-mouthed equine excrement.
I agree that it’s probably just a data harvesting thing . . . and Netflix wants its data.
However . . . . to play the devil’s advocate here I think it’s only fair that as a fan of Apple’s overarching business model — which is to control the experience from top to bottom — it’s a bit disingenuous of me to say that it’s okay for Apple to be super anal about the experience of its products and then just to simply call total BS on another company for saying pretty much the same thing.
Apple is often heavily criticized for not just playing nice when it comes to its technologies and I generally defend those decisions in the name of quality. In this case, I feel a bit hypocritical to leap to the worst conclusions of Netflix even despite the inclination to do so.
It’s simpler than that. Netflix needs to see where it’s streams are going for piracy reasons. Surely corporate protectionists understand that.
Anyway, chromecast works, but none of this is my concern.
I don’t think so. It that was the reason, why would they lie about it? They could just say it, and it would be a perfectly good reason if it was true. Better than the one they use now.
The fact that they don’t say so means that it’s so far from the truth that they couldn’t even think about that as the cover up.
JV – theoretically a movie could be airplay to a recorder (or computer with a recorder) and they would not be able to tell.
They have not lied. This is the reason they have given. They just did not go into details.
Regards!
Netflix wanting to be able to get data back to ensure good playback of their content is a GOOD policy. Apple modifying AirPlay in such a way as to stop providing that feedback to the app is probably a power move.
Apple won’t allow their content to stream over devices they don’t have transparency over. This is no different.
Netflix blows. Soon as Apple TV+ is up to par, I’m cancelling. The only thing they had that I liked was House of Cards anyway and it’s over after ending with a dud (they should’ve kept Kevin Spacey on board).
I canceled my netflix 2 months ago — and have t looked back — for a different reason: They stopped letting me control my subscription from my iTunes account. I understand that Netflix wants to keep Apple’s 15% cut of the subscription revenue for itself. The problem for me is that I like having my subscriptions all in one place so I can monitor how many I have at what cost, and cancel without making a phone call. And I prefer for Apple to be the gateway to my digital consumption in order to preserve my privacy. Ultimately those things are more important to me than Netflix’s content, which is (on average) nothing special imho.
As it turned out, I had to make two phone calls to cancel with Nflix. They kept charging my card for 3 more months, something in noticed only by accident. That was just a glitch on their end. But that’s exactly the reason I like to manage my subscriptions via my Apple account. Click click. Bye bye.
Hog wash
Apple’s devices can’t tell where the radio transmission from my personal device is going and tell the sending application? That sorta blows their ‘your privacy is important to us’ narrative out of the Lightning connector. Can they tell where signals are coming from? I can see Netflix’s point. If a recording device is posing as an Apple TV they’ll have troubles with those that get paid for the rest of their lives for a few months of work (Hollywood).
You are completely missing the point. Of course your Apple device knows where the signal is going. Your gripe about the “your privacy is important to us” narrative makes no sense.
The point is that Apple does not let Netflix have that data. Apple is protecting your privacy in this way, as well as many other ways. Netflix just doesn’t like it. Boo hoo for Netflix…
If Apple cared about my privacy, they wouldn’t keep the data either!
it amazes me that MDN would not understand the basic principles of piracy. Streaming to unknown devices is outside of Netflix terms for how many devices they can use Netflix on and what those devices are. if Netflix don’t know the device then it could possibly be a server re-streaming their programmes or sending their IP to a projector creating a PPV cinema for many to watch.
You get to use their IP on a set amount of specified devices. its not rocket science to work that out and to imply they are doing something negative is just bad journalism that favours Apple against the obvious common sense as to why Apple need to fix the issue.
“You get to use their IP on a set amount of specified devices…”
And with AirPlay that’s exactly what’s happening. A device (exactly one device) is streaming the content. It’s just that Netflix dosen’t know the display it’s being viewed on. When I watch Netflix in a web browser, they don’t know what monitor I have plugged into my Mac. And frankly with my iOS device I don’t want Netflix to know what type of display product I’m “AirPlaying” my stream onto.
Very interesting point, but what device you’re streaming to is what Netflix wan’t to know. To them, it may be part of the device count.
Good point though.
Hey applescummic
What you “wan’t” is an education
Dude! You nailed me!
How will I ever recover?
Blowback for creating new AppleTV+ & Apple’s expansion into media acquisitions, Apple produced TV shows, etc….