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Racerbob
Premium Member
join:2001-06-24
Webster, NY

Racerbob

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[Firefox] Mozilla adding DRM to Firefox

»www.neowin.net/news/mozi ··· about-it

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb

Premium Member

Interesting read.

However, I do have a question in regards to the comments from that post. I don't know if this is the right place to post this question, but I did want to point this out.

In the comments, users are talking about how they don't like plugins like Silverlight and Flash, and would rather web pages be coded to play video using native HTML5. A user by the name of "JHBrown" says this in relation to having Silverlight installed.
quote:
I see. I have it on my systems only for Netflix.

A few comments later, user "Mobius Enigma" says this in reply to that
quote:
Netflix only requires Silverlight on pre Windows 8.1.

Since I am running Windows 8.1, with the April Update (so, really 8.1.1 or 8.1 Update 1), I figured I would give that a try.

Using Waterfox 28.0, I went in and disabled the Silverlight plugin. When I went to netflix, and tried to watch a movie, I get this screen




So, it appears that what user "Mobius Enigma" is saying is not really correct. Unless it is only in certain browsers, like maybe Firefox or IE.

In any case, I don't mean for this to derail the thread, but wanted to point that out, and ask if anyone else has heard of that or not.

Mods: If this should be moved to its own thread, or different forum, please do so.

Thanks,

--Brian

chachazz
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join:2003-12-14

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Larger conversation started yesterday in Security Forum -
»Mozilla agrees to add DRM support to Firefox
chachazz

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Mitchell Baker - DRM and the Challenge of Serving Users

Andreas Gal - Reconciling Mozilla’s Mission and W3C EME

therube
join:2004-11-11
Randallstown, MD

1 recommendation

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»ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2014/ ··· ers.html

»fsf.org/news/fsf-condemn ··· nagement

MarkRH
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join:2005-02-08
Edmond, OK

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Here's an article from PCWorld about it: »www.pcworld.com/article/ ··· rns.html
Mele20
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join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

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Presently, you need IE 11 to watch video at Netflix via HTML5 rather than Silverlight.

You can't do it on Fx or Waterfox because Mozilla has just now agreed to enable DRM on Fx. They have not said exactly when they will make the CDM available for download for Fx (it will never ship as part of the browser) as they still have to work out the details of user consent and ability by the user to totally and always block DRM on Fx. As for forks like Silvermoon and Waterfox they will have to comply sometime this fall.

Go to the netflix test link in the neowin thread on IE 11. The video will play without needing Silverlight. It will play on Windows 8.1 in HTML5 using Microsoft's implementation of DRM.

I went to the test link on Fx 24.5 ESR on Windows 8.0 Pro and was told 8.1 and IE 11 were required to play the video. The test page on IE 10 LOCKS IE continually loading the page. I had to use Task Manager to kill IE. Now, I am not sure how to start IE without it locking again as I could not close the tab so it will start again and lock IE again unless I unplug my modem first. Of course, this behavior is probably deliberate on the part of Microsoft which is hell bent on forcing Windows 8.0 users to upgrade now rather than when 8.0 goes unsupported in Jan 2016.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb

Premium Member

said by Mele20:

Presently, you need IE 11 to watch video at Netflix via HTML5 rather than Silverlight.

I do have IE 11 on my Windows 8.1 Update 1 install, so I went and tested that. Sure enough, if I disable Silverlight in IE 11, Netflix works without issues.

While I don't agree with the principals for DRM, I do like the fact that it is possible to code a page (like Youtube, and now Netflix) to not require a plugin (Flash, or Silverlight). It will be good once Firefox, and its forks implement the same change.

Yes, that means DRM will be there too. To bad there is not a way to do that for Netflix without adding DRM to the mix.

--Brian
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

But DRM will never be a part of Fx like it is a part of other browsers where the user has no control at all. The CDM module for Fx must be downloaded SEPARATELY from Fx. Express consent will need to be given to use the module which is a plugin written by Adobe for Mozilla which will play protected content in a sandbox on Fx after the user downloads the CDM and grants consent.