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Submitted via IRC for Bytram
Netflix to disappear on older Samsung TVs
Samsung has announced that Netflix will no longer be supported on some of its older smart TVs.
From 1 December, the Netflix app will no longer work on some 2010 and 2011 models due to "technical limitations".
Seven older Roku streaming sticks will also no longer support Netflix from December, Roku told Digital Trends.
Netflix can be watched on smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming media players and video consoles. Users can check if their devices are compatible here.
Samsung wrote on its support page: "Due to technical limitations, Netflix will no longer be supported on 2010 and 2011 TVs beginning on 1 December 2019.
"If you have one of the affected models, you may see a message on your TV indicating that Netflix will no longer be available on this device. You'll still be able to watch Netflix on your TV by connecting another device with Netflix on it."
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday November 08 2019, @04:44PM (9 children)
The "technical limitations" are that the computer in the so called "smart" TV is too obsolete for Netflix to want to continue supporting it.
Some of the oldest RoKu's also get notices that Netflix won't be supported. And no doubt, for the same reason.
I prefer a Dumb TV with a separate "smart" box. The smart box becomes obsolete much faster than that TV. And for the same reason I think the iMacs with integrated display/computer are stupid, but even more stupid, for the same reason. Even more stupid because the combined device is worth a lot more money. That nice monitor would be useful much longer than the integrated Mac inside it. I am left wondering if you can use such an integrated monitor/pc as only a monitor and leave the Mac part of it turned off? I doubt it. But I'd be happy to be corrected.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by http on Friday November 08 2019, @05:50PM (8 children)
What new feature is Netflix rolling out that cannot be done on the old hardware/software combination?
I browse at -1 when I have mod points. It's unsettling.
(Score: 3, Informative) by D2 on Friday November 08 2019, @06:42PM
Likely streaming code, and counter-piracy code within those codecs. You're worth less than $9 a month to them. Them not plugging stream-capture holes is a risk to IP contracts worth millions. Their apps across all these different devices and codebases are also advancing. Think of it like SSL versions up through TLS1.2: At some point, rework of old code has no ROI, but the old TV's supported streams are all dead / deprecated.
Chances are that when someone managed to get a support agent on the phone, that was why 'no, we're not going to help you roll back to a previous version' was heard. Someone from engineer to support to customer didn't understand it wouldn't matter if they did roll back, if Netflix refused to stream in a codec that could be trivially pirated.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday November 08 2019, @07:07PM (6 children)
Interactive movies? Bandersnatch?
Different codecs or DRM?
Some kind of ad platform? Or pre-rolls?
Or maybe they just don't consider certain old platforms worth developing for simply on a profitability basis. They're probably more difficult to develop for while simultaneously having a much smaller number of Netflix customers using them. So it might be nothing more than a simple economic decision. The several hundred people on ${ancient-platform} that is hard to develop and maintain cost as much or more than development work on the platforms that millions of Netflix customers are using. Do the math.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Friday November 08 2019, @07:43PM (1 child)
I don't see them doing that anytime soon. It would be platform suicide if they did.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday November 08 2019, @08:30PM
I agree.
Years ago when there was a huge uproar over them possibly getting rid of sub-accounts, I wrote them impassioned letter. One of the topics was: DO NOT ever have advertising. Advertising destroys every medium it ever touches. I pointed out the same examples I have used here on SN.
Raise your prices if necessary. But do not have ads. That would be a deal killer.
Paying and having ads is what leads to what happened to Cable TV.
Choose only one:
1. Free with ads (sucks, won't watch)
2. Paid without ads (maybe worth paying for)
I pointed out this is a watershed decision for Netflix. The choice here leads to two very different ending places.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 3, Informative) by maxwell demon on Friday November 08 2019, @08:35PM (3 children)
Ancient platform? 2011 was merely 8 years ago!
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 3, Touché) by DannyB on Friday November 08 2019, @08:37PM (2 children)
Do you have any idea of the sheer number of JavaScript "frameworks" that have come and gone since 2011?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Osamabobama on Friday November 08 2019, @09:33PM (1 child)
I didn't have any idea, so I tried to look it up. I got confused.
I still have no idea, but I care less than I did after reading your comment.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 11 2019, @03:35PM
For a few years in there, it was a new flavor of the week framework.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.