NetFlix 'watch instantly' coming by year's end
October 26th 2008
Quoting a press released dated for Monday, Engadget reported late Sunday that NetFlix will bring "watch instantly" to the Mac by the end of the year. The really interesting twist to this story, and there just has to be a twist, is that the enabling technologies are Microsoft's Silverlight and Play Ready DRM.
It is expected that Netflix members who watch movies and TV episodes instantly on their computers will enjoy a faster, easier connection and a more robust viewing experience with Silverlight, due to the quality built directly into the player. Among the viewing enhancements with the new player is a breakthrough in timeline navigation that vastly improves the use of fast-forwarding and rewinding.
And, yes, it's Microsoft's Play Ready DRM, which is built into Silverlight, that allows protected content to be played back on both PCs and Macs.
Silverlight 2, which isn't PPC Mac compatible, shipped last week.
Editor's note: With the advent of iTunes and the iPod, Microsoft lost control of digital media and online delivery. Yet, I really think they've turned a corner with this announcement.
Why? Because it's their third (Plays for Sure, Zune and, now, Play Ready) serious try at it...
What's your take?
