"What it boils down to is that Netflix requires Microsoft PlayReady DRM compliance across every tier of hardware before it will allow HD streams to playback."
Microsoft PlayReady DRM compliance even on the Apple TV (A5 SoC)? Doesn't sound right to me.
They need to just maintain an equivalent level of security (memory protection, sandboxing, HDCP, e.t.c.). No doubt they're doing that, or they wouldn't ever be given HD stream approval.
This notion of HD content having to be 'protected' by draconian DRM when said content is already freely available at your local torrent site never stops being amusing, albeit in a rather sad and confusing way.
I realize it probably isn't Netflix mandating these requirements, rather the content providers, but it's still rather difficult to understand.
I mean if I intended to rip/copy and upload content why buy/rent said content on a mobile device rather than the local library, grocery store or dedicated video store where you can get actual, physical disks.
Until there's some way of guaranteeing interoperability and functionality of digitally distributed content I'll continue to rent/purchase my media on physical disks.
Its funny cause Netflix playback on my nook color results in chipmunk playback. Its well documented, and I think the build.prop hack fixes it. It actually makes for a good Netflix player, since it can playback the stream at less than Max clockspeed.
That's great! Now would you PLEASE license the OpenGL 2.0 driver from Imagination Technologies for the OMAP4 so that we can actually run existing 3D-accelerated Linux software on the thing instead of having to wait for OpenGL ES versions of everything (or do it ourselves, which is silly considering how much software out there uses OpenGL)?
Bad enough that you have no hardware-accelerated 2D graphics drivers for the thing, but 99.9% of Linux software that supports hardware accelerated 3D does not support OpenGL ES.
"In addition, that secure RAM protected memory is a statically allocated 8 MB, something it believes almost every OEM will have no problem going with."
Brian,
Is this saying devices will be limited to an 8 MB buffer? If you are watching a 4 Mbit stream, will that limit the device to a buffer of only 16 seconds?
How does this compare to how much will buffer on a PC or Netflix enabled TV?
No, the actual buffer size is larger, but the space for decrypted (un-decoded) frames to sit is 8 MB. You'll notice that Android already has a lot of this static memory assignment going on already, this will just be another very small partition.
Netflix basically wants to protect unencrypted but compressed (still H.264) frames from being just dumped to an SD card.
Ah, gotcha! So it's sort of like there's two buffers - the first one, larger and possibly in main memory, is for encrypted video data. The player can then pull from that buffer, decrypt up to 8 MB at a time and put it in the protected memory area where it will be fed to the GPU for display. Something like that?
The whole drm netflix thing is stupid....and my htpc has the well documented silverlight 4.0 bug. Basically when windows 7 does a auto update to silverlight, it breaks the drm and my netflix will not work. The workaround is to load a older 3. something version of sliverlight but it always eventually auto updates and breaks again. It is infuriating to say the least. Likewise, windows media center has playready issues which hinder me using my tv tuner card which is also a protection issue...seems the only folks that can watch protected content these days are the pirates :P
... in Germany anyway (afaik), so I really don't care. I get most of what I watch TV wise from torrent sites (no other way to get it here unless I wait 1 to 4 years for a TV release here) and when it is released dubbed and on blu ray in Germany I buy it. Very good stuff that is not going to get released on blu ray in Germany I even import from the UK (like Dollhouse and BSG Complete Series).
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22 Comments
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Mike1111 - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
"What it boils down to is that Netflix requires Microsoft PlayReady DRM compliance across every tier of hardware before it will allow HD streams to playback."Microsoft PlayReady DRM compliance even on the Apple TV (A5 SoC)? Doesn't sound right to me.
ViRGE - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
I would imagine Apple is using an alternate (but similar) DRM scheme.Brian Klug - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
They need to just maintain an equivalent level of security (memory protection, sandboxing, HDCP, e.t.c.). No doubt they're doing that, or they wouldn't ever be given HD stream approval.-Brian
videogames101 - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_holeGolgatha - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
and the content sellers saying "how high?".Exodite - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
This notion of HD content having to be 'protected' by draconian DRM when said content is already freely available at your local torrent site never stops being amusing, albeit in a rather sad and confusing way.I realize it probably isn't Netflix mandating these requirements, rather the content providers, but it's still rather difficult to understand.
I mean if I intended to rip/copy and upload content why buy/rent said content on a mobile device rather than the local library, grocery store or dedicated video store where you can get actual, physical disks.
Until there's some way of guaranteeing interoperability and functionality of digitally distributed content I'll continue to rent/purchase my media on physical disks.
MonkeyPaw - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
Its funny cause Netflix playback on my nook color results in chipmunk playback. Its well documented, and I think the build.prop hack fixes it. It actually makes for a good Netflix player, since it can playback the stream at less than Max clockspeed.Guspaz - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
That's great! Now would you PLEASE license the OpenGL 2.0 driver from Imagination Technologies for the OMAP4 so that we can actually run existing 3D-accelerated Linux software on the thing instead of having to wait for OpenGL ES versions of everything (or do it ourselves, which is silly considering how much software out there uses OpenGL)?Bad enough that you have no hardware-accelerated 2D graphics drivers for the thing, but 99.9% of Linux software that supports hardware accelerated 3D does not support OpenGL ES.
mrufc - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
Let the engineers know:http://e2e.ti.com/support/dsp/omap_applications_pr...
fb39ca4 - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
ummmm...you do know this will be hacked, right?douglaswilliams - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
"In addition, that secure RAM protected memory is a statically allocated 8 MB, something it believes almost every OEM will have no problem going with."Brian,
Is this saying devices will be limited to an 8 MB buffer? If you are watching a 4 Mbit stream, will that limit the device to a buffer of only 16 seconds?
How does this compare to how much will buffer on a PC or Netflix enabled TV?
Thanks,
Doug
Brian Klug - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
No, the actual buffer size is larger, but the space for decrypted (un-decoded) frames to sit is 8 MB. You'll notice that Android already has a lot of this static memory assignment going on already, this will just be another very small partition.Netflix basically wants to protect unencrypted but compressed (still H.264) frames from being just dumped to an SD card.
-Brian
fb39ca4 - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
???fb39ca4 - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
never mindi refreshed the page and it showed up
RipRap - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - link
RE: why did my comment get removed? by fb39ca4 on Tuesday, July 05, 2011never mind
i refreshed the page and it showed up
funny how that works eh?
douglaswilliams - Wednesday, July 6, 2011 - link
Brian,Ah, gotcha! So it's sort of like there's two buffers - the first one, larger and possibly in main memory, is for encrypted video data. The player can then pull from that buffer, decrypt up to 8 MB at a time and put it in the protected memory area where it will be fed to the GPU for display. Something like that?
Thanks for the response and clarification!
Doug
fb39ca4 - Wednesday, July 6, 2011 - link
but is the gpu secure?86waterpumper - Wednesday, July 6, 2011 - link
The whole drm netflix thing is stupid....and my htpc has the well documented silverlight 4.0 bug. Basically when windows 7 does a auto update to silverlight, it breaks the drm and my netflix will not work. The workaround is to load a older 3. something version of sliverlight but it always eventually auto updates and breaks again. It is infuriating to say the least. Likewise, windows media center has playready issues which hinder me using my tv tuner card which is also a protection issue...seems the only folks that can watch protected content these days are the pirates :PDeath666Angel - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
... in Germany anyway (afaik), so I really don't care. I get most of what I watch TV wise from torrent sites (no other way to get it here unless I wait 1 to 4 years for a TV release here) and when it is released dubbed and on blu ray in Germany I buy it. Very good stuff that is not going to get released on blu ray in Germany I even import from the UK (like Dollhouse and BSG Complete Series).Zoomer - Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - link
Hmm. what about grabbing it from a laptop lcd's lvds interface?It's too much work when easier methods like directly ripping blu-rays exist.
fabuchua - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
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