Netflix, as most subscribers to that service area aware, is Silverlight powered. And as any Linux user who has tried to get Silverlight working on that particular operating environment knows, it’s not easy. Not impossible as there are workarounds, but not easy.
As to the question of whether Netflix will ever support Linux? Nope.
The alternative to Netflix streaming video is to use Hulu instead, and fortunately you can try it out without signing up for anything. Just go to the Hulu site, pick a show or movie and watch it. Yes, you will have to deal with advertisements, but the point is you can try it to see if it works properly on your Linux PC or laptop.
The paid version of Hulu is called Hulu Plus, and it’s the same price as a Netflix streaming subscription ($7.99/month). Like with Netflix, Hulu basically streams anywhere – including Linux boxes since it’s Flash-based rather than using Silverlight.
It also should be noted that Hulu runs better on older WinXP systems as well. If you’ve ever encountered audio sync problems with Netflix streams for example on an older XP box or laptop, Hulu basically doesn’t have that issue at all.
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