Have you guys seen the thing about Netflix?

[Rifter]

I use 2 rooted phones at home to stream netflix to 2 TV's with Chromecasts, a Note 3 and a Note 4. I do this because i dont always have my phone(S7E) with me as it may be on the charger so i leave the notes with the TV's at all times for netflix/streaming needs.

Both phones still work fine with netflix as of last night.

If it comes to a point where they cease to work i will be looking into other services, netflix can fucking blow me. There is no good reason whatsoever to remove rooted phones compatibility. Sure rooting allows you to do whatever you want with the phone and you could be downloading precious netflix programs but you could be doing the same thing with ANY netflix player just hook it up to a HDMI slitter and record the stream and this is easier to do than rooting your phone....

Very bad decision on netflix part, not smart at all this will only loose them money in the long run.

 

[Zaap]

Very bad decision on netflix part, not smart at all this will only loose them money in the long run.

Oh please. First off, it's been pointed out in this thread this isn't any 'decision on Netflix part' it's a Google DRM issue.

Secondly, they aren't going to lose a solitary dime over this. Their subscriber base beyond the community of rooted device users (that only use NF on that one device) is so vast its not funny.

People need to stop throwing a tantrum every time there's the slightest hiccup in their little digital worlds.

 

[gorcorps]

Very bad decision on netflix part, not smart at all this will only loose them money in the long run.

Did you not read the article or the rest of the thread? It wasn't a decision Netflix made, it was a function of the DRM they use. They won't be the only ones affected by this, they're probably just the biggest.

 

[Rifter]

Did you not read the article or the rest of the thread? It wasn't a decision Netflix made, it was a function of the DRM they use. They won't be the only ones affected by this, they're probably just the biggest.

I read it.

And who chose to use said DRM? Im willing to bet it was netflix cause last time i checked netflix was probably in charge of their own company. Its not like they could not choose to not use DRM, or to use differnt DRM. Saying its the DRM its not us is a cop out.

 

[Raduque]

Using rooted phones to stream to TVs? lol. Get an Android TV and leave it alone.

 

[cronos]

I can understand them blocking "rooted" phones... but "unlocked"? Why does it matter what carrier the phone is using (GSM / LTE carriers)? I'm not aware of any "piracy advantages" that unlocked phones have, only that you can transfer them between cell carriers.

Edit: Some MVNOs (like mine) effectively REQUIRE unlocked phones.

They were talking about phones with unlocked bootloader, which is completely different than phones with the SIM slot unlocked to be used on different carriers.

 

[tommo123]

so wait, if I get a phone and don't root it but it happens to not have a locked bootloader then i cant use netflix?

 

[Raduque]

so wait, if I get a phone and don't root it but it happens to not have a locked bootloader then i cant use netflix?

You won't be able to download it from the Play store, but you can sideload from say apk mirror.

 

[tommo123]

that's idiotic. not all phones here have locked bootloaders. nor should they

 

[Raduque]

Meh. Blame google. They developed SafetyNet and designed it to trigger on unlocked bootloaders.

 

[tommo123]

really? root i get (as in why movie companies would not allow it) but not bootloaders not being locked.

re: root. it's not like anyone would rip something off there anyway right? i mean the file is encrypted i assume so copying it elsewhere gives you nothing and besudes don't people just torrent those things?

 

[Raduque]

Honestly, both methods of breaking device security allow for not only copying the files out, but also for manipulating memory addresses where the encryption resides.

Most people want the bootloader unlocked so they can use custom roms.

 

[tommo123]

it's why i want it. nothing illegal or in the least bit wrong about it

 

[Raduque]

Then install the Netflix APK from APK mirror and be done with it.

It's not wrong or illegal, and I never said it was. It's unsupported.
If you run an unsupported configuration, expect no support.

 

[Puffnstuff]

I just tried to install Netflix from the play store and got the no eligible devices message. I haven't watched it on my phone in several years but no worries I have Kodi tv.

 

[gorcorps]

I read it.

And who chose to use said DRM? Im willing to bet it was netflix cause last time i checked netflix was probably in charge of their own company. Its not like they could not choose to not use DRM, or to use differnt DRM. Saying its the DRM its not us is a cop out.

I'm not sure you understand the licensing agreements they have with the content creators. They HAVE to use DRM, they can't just decide not to have it like you're sarcastically insinuating. It's the only way they're allowed to redistribute things they don't own. They could pull that shit if all they wanted to show was House of Cards and Stranger Things, but for the stuff they don't make themselves they're required by their licensing agreements to have DRM to protect the original content owners.

This is all much ado about nothing anyway, as the whole thing is fixed by sideloading the netflix app. Something anybody who is bothering to root will know how to do.

 

[Raduque]

This is all much ado about nothing anyway, as the whole thing is fixed by sideloading the netflix app. Something anybody who is bothering to root will know how to do.

:thumbsup:

 

[Malogeek]

Couldn't they eventually block access from an old version?

 

[gorcorps]

Couldn't they eventually block access from an old version?

As of right now, you can still sideload the current version and it works fine, you just can't update it from the play store. The only thing the DRM does is prevent you from updating and downloading from the play store. Again... Netflix is not "out to get you" like so many here believe, they just decided to use Google's DRM. There's no reason for Netflix to dedicate time and money to block people when they don't have to, as you still need to be paying for netflix to use the sideloaded app. What Google decides to do with their DRM is out of Netflix's control though, and if google decides to expand what that DRM does then you might see an affect down the line.

 

[tommo123]

Then install the Netflix APK from APK mirror and be done with it.

It's not wrong or illegal, and I never said it was. It's unsupported.
If you run an unsupported configuration, expect no support.

except it's an unmodified android device. surely that would be some kind of false advertising? some implication that a device is compatible with googles services and yet it's not. wonder if people could get partial refunds on their phones due to that?

i mean amazon UK (iirc) had to give people some money back for their PS3s due to that update where sony broke running linux on it.

 

[FeRDNYC]

The article says "rooted/unlocked" as if they're interchangeable words, but they mean different things...

I suspect they mean unlocked-bootloader, not carrier-unlocked, in that context. Where an unlocked bootloader would be their shorthand for "phones running unauthorized/community OS ROMs".

Unsurprising that it's Google's restriction. The same constraints prevent phones running rooted or non-stock Android from using Android Pay, as well.

 

[Raduque]

except it's an unmodified android device. surely that would be some kind of false advertising? some implication that a device is compatible with googles services and yet it's not. wonder if people could get partial refunds on their phones due to that?

i mean amazon UK (iirc) had to give people some money back for their PS3s due to that update where sony broke running linux on it.

What device actually ships with a pre-unlocked bootloader? As far as I know, all devices ship with a locked bootloader, but are easily unlocked using fastboot OEM unlock. Maybe some cheap Chinese low-end junk, I dunno.

 

[Will Thatcher]

This may have an impact on most users, but if you take a step back and do a little research, there are a million and one ways to use Netflix on any android out there, you just need to look hard.
From all of your posts there are already a lot of fixes for this so called "issue", so I will keep using my Netflix, on android as usual, and if I need to reinstall it, I will just find a way here to do so.
Thanks guys for all of the advice I have seen here!

 

[Rifter]

Using rooted phones to stream to TVs? lol. Get an Android TV and leave it alone.

why? i got 2 chromecasts for $25 each on sale and so far they do what i need.

 

[Raduque]

why? i got 2 chromecasts for $25 each on sale and so far they do what i need.

Chromecasts are not stand alone boxes. Even if I got them for free, I wouldn't use them (I can't even cast my music unless I use Google Turd Music).