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Jun 25, 2008

Netflix’s DRM Turned Me Into a Pirate

Ok, so I was a pirate before I attempted to get Netflix Watch Instantly working, but the truth isn’t as controversial.  Here’s the story: I read on Lifehacker, via Joystiq, that it’s possible to play Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ offering via an xbox 360 extender on my TV.  Awesome!  I no longer have to go download TV shows from less-than-reputable sources -  I can legitimately pay to watch these shows and support them.

So I sign up for a Netflix account, grab all the necessary software, and try to install Netflix’s plugin to allow me to watch the shows through my browser (which is required to get the xbox version working).  I’m on Firefox 3 and it tells me I need to be in Internet Explorer. Huh?  Well, ok I guess I can fire that up just for this… where’s that ie7 launcher again?  I fire up ie7 and install the plugin and try to watch an episode of 30 Rock, but instead of the hottie that is Tina Fey, I see this:

Ouch. Well, long story short - I spent a few minutes on phone support with Netflix and they basically told me I have to do two things:

  1. Downgrade my monitor connection to VGA. (I’m using DVI but my monitors don’t support HDCP)
  2. Search google to see if there are any homebrew fixes for my video card drivers.  The person said based on her experience, I would probably have to roll back my drivers even if I did switch to a VGA connection.

Wow.  And all I wanted to do was watch some damn TV shows.  I did some digging and found this article that matched the exact same problem I had:

Netflix’s software allows them to look at the video card, cables and the monitor that you are using and when they checked mine out, it was apparently a little too high def to pass their DRM filters.
Because my computer allows me to send an unrestricted HDTV feed to my monitor, Hollywood has decided to revoke my ability to stream 480 resolution video files from Netflix. In order to fix my problem, Netflix recommended that I downgrade to a lower res VGA setup.

As part of their agreement with Hollywood, Netflix uses a program called COPP (Certified Output Protection Protocal). COPP is made by Microsoft and the protocol restricts how you are able to transfer digital files off of your PC. When I ran COPP to identify the error on my machine, it gave me an ominous warning that “the exclusive semaphere is owned by another process.”

My Netflix technician told me that he had never heard of this particular error and thought that it was unique to my setup. When I consulted Microsoft, they suggested that I consult the creator of the program. Since Microsoft wrote the COPP software, I wasn’t sure who to turn to after that.

Did I follow these steps to possible success?  Did I do any more research, search google, or rollback my drivers?  Hell no.  I cancelled my new Netflix subscription and searched for a 30 rock torrent.  Ooooh, 500+ seeders on season 3, kick ass.

Viewing 9 Comments

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    Whatever loser.
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    You really need to get off your high horse.

    First off, that Netflix plugin for the 360 is beta software and known to be glitchy. Netflix and Microsoft are under no obligation to support every random beta piece of software on the internet. You could always buy Roku's box to do this for $100 which Netflix supports. You could always just wait until the fall update, then the 360 under MSFT will support this directly on the 360 with no PC/software. Either is a better setup.

    You are a self proclaimed pirate, yet you demand to be able to have high def content without any DRM. Good luck with that.

    Pirates like you always claim it is so easy to get any TV show you want instantly. That is BULLSHIT. If you want to wait hours for a 23 minute TV show, be my guest. It only makes more discs available for me on my Netflix account. Which, apparently their primary service is of no interest to you for $10 or so a month.
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    The real problem is that Hollywood demanded the ability to restrict the computer hardware that you use. And Microsoft took their side. So now I can't use my high res LCD monitor to watch movies from Netflix, but I can use my crappy old CRT? I don't blame Netflix. I blame Microsoft.

    How is this progress?
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    Amen to that.
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    Unfortunately, I never got to the 360 plugin - 'Watch Instantly' wouldn't even work on my computer because Netflix's DRM didn't like the fact that I was using a DVI cable and a new ATI videocard. Last time I checked, it doesn't take an obligation by Microsoft or Netflix to support a DVI cable or video card for streaming video. Microsoft intentionally put DRM in place in collusion with Netflix to PREVENT my setup.

    I'm definitely looking forward to the fall update so I don't have to go through my PC to the xbox, though.
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    My bad on the beta software. It does sound like a lot of hoops to jump through for your setup. However, to be fair they do need some kind of DRM. Also, it most cases VGA is about as good as DVI. Also, HDMI is going to kill DVI anyway. Odd are your video card and monitor have VGA, since it does have DVI. They can't support every option out there.

    I don't think you are going to find a more "fair use" media option out there for the price than Netflix. However, if you think bittorent outweighs changing a cable and driver and paying $10/mth, to each his own.
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    "However, to be fair they do need some kind of DRM"

    Yeah - but everyone says that's a given - but is it really? Making that statement starts you down a path that ends with us all thinking that it's a-ok to have to diagnose and troubleshoot these types of problems.

    I think that if the content companies did any sort of analysis, they'd find that they don't need DRM. I think people want to pay for content and will if the DRM is either unobtrusive enough that people don't really notice it (like Apple's fairplay . . . more or less) or absent completely (eMusic or Amazon MP3 store).
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    What a terrible experience Netflix and Microsoft are forcing on their paying customers. When I installed Vista on my machine right after it came it, I got an error when I tried to play many of my DVDs saying that I needed to install a video driver that supported some DRM scheme before I could watch a legally owned DVD! Now I just use http://www.tvrss.net/shows/ along with Miro to get the TV programming I don't capture on my Tivo. Screw you, MPAA, Microsoft and Netflix.
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    What is your argument that they need some kind of DRM is needed? So some pirate can't copy and distribute a T.V show or movie that's already on Thepiratebay? This is just making it harder for legitimate users to use and pushing people to download shows someplace else that works. The real problem is DRM doesnt work to protect shows, it just pisses off legitimate users.
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