If you’re one of the myriad people who have purchased an Android-based phone like the Droid 2, Droid X, or any of the newer HTC phones, you may have been insanely jealous when your iPhone-owning counterparts were endowed with the shiny new Netflix App that let them watch movies and television on the go. As it seemed Netflix was on the verge of releasing an app for Android-based devices, Netflix recently was reported to be backing out on a near approaching launch date.
Netflix’s primary complaint seems to be that Android OS is “too open-source,” and that the myriad GPL-licensed software create too much risk and not enough compatibility across devices for their app to reassure content license holders that their DRM will ensure protection of their copyrighted content.
It’s sad that DRM is still the major talking point for opening up portability of content to different platforms. For the non-geek: basically – the reason it’s taking so long for companies to give you access to awesome content on your phone and TV and everywhere you can imagine it possibly being consumed… money. They want to make sure that releasing it to the wild isn’t going to hurt their bottom line from piracy and illegal distribution that doesn’t earn them royalties. Every viewing of their content has to be accounted for and monetized or they’ll quarantine it like it has the plague.
Other news sources say Netflix plans to have the finalized launch-ready version of the app for Android ready by Early 2011, so those of you thinking of getting an Android device for Christmas may still have that to look forward to after all. Netflix currently offers its Watch Instantly access in the form of an app on Apple iDevices, Playstation 3, XBox 360, Nintendo Wii, the Roku and other compatible set-top devices and televisions, and on your computer through their web site.
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Looks like you copy/pasted your article twice, better fix it
Actually, I don’t blame them. That people out there will steal the content is a legitimate reason. The money reason is also legitimate. Nobody works for free. Do you?
Would you make a movie or write a song for free? Would you do this if you had to pay all the costs?
I really don’t blame the entertainment industry for being nervous about releasing unprotected content with all the dirt bags out there who want to steal their material. Yes, you are a f-ing dirtbag is you are stealing someone else’s work.
Once the creeps who do steal content stop what they are doing then maybe the people who create the content will stop with the anti-piracy measures? Has anyone ever considered this perspective?
Wow thanks for that. Ill fix it ASAP.
Still getting used to the PCMech back-end, and when I wrote this I didn’t have access – I was writing in Google Docs and transferring my articles in to the site. That’s my bad. Good catch though.