
Play Netflix on Linux with Firefox - kungfudoi
https://linuxconfig.org/play-netflix-on-linux-with-firefox
======
MayeulC
Sorry for the obligatory anti-DRM content, but I have to defend my right from
this poor management scheme.

Stay off my loan, DRM. I unchecked this box myself when installing Firefox on
Windows as well (Where it seems enabled by default).

Seriously, I have no words to describe the hoops content providers want us to
get trough, so that we can play our "legally owned" (well, it technically is
closer to a lease nowadays) content.

Moreover, if it works on Firefox/Linux, how can they prevent someone grabbing
the video from X and the audio from Alsa? What is the usefulness of DRM in the
first place, in this case?

~~~
syshum
While I too oppose DRM, I find it less objectionable on a Subscription service
like Netflix because there no assumption of ownership. I do not own the
content on Netflix I did not buy it, I am renting a access licenses to a
library of content for a monthly fee.

Now DRM on BluRay, DVD, Digital Downloads, Games, etc that do have an
assumption of ownership because I pay a onetime fee with the expectation of
accessing that content in a non-time limited way. Those types of things should
never have DRM

~~~
kuschku
Technically, it's like getting a DVD from a library for a day — you can still
make a private copy (Privatkopie) under copyright law.

~~~
lorenzhs
Only as long as you don't circumvent DRM, which in practice voids the whole
Privatkopie thing because even CSS is counted as "wirksamer Kopierschutz"
(effective copy protection), which is kind of a joke.

~~~
kuschku
That’s not completely correct. "As long as you don’t circumvent DRM _on movies
or music_ ".

DRM on games, software, books, etc is legally not protected, at all.

And the DRM clause for movies wasn’t in German law originally either, but it
was forced into it via an international treaty, and the US demanded this, and
threatened with embargoes otherwise. Even North Korea signed this treaty. (The
WIPO treaties).

------
gravitypickles
A bit off topic, but since I saw some complaints about DRM, Mozilla does
distribute an "EME" free version of the browser also. This disables the plugin
download and removes the checkbox altogether.

The only place I've ever found it was via the ftp (or http to the ftp site):

Example for the latest version as of this post:
[https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/50.1.0/](https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/50.1.0/)
just look for the EME free folders.

Also the 'learn more page': [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-
drm](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-drm)

edit: more about the subject - [https://hacks.mozilla.org/2014/05/reconciling-
mozillas-missi...](https://hacks.mozilla.org/2014/05/reconciling-mozillas-
mission-and-w3c-eme/)

~~~
cpeterso
The only difference between the "EME-free" and regular version of Firefox is
the default value of the "media.eme.enabled" about:config pref. This pref is
also disabled by default on Linux. When this pref is disabled, Firefox won't
automatically download the Google Widevine CDM or expose the EME API to web
content.

If you already have Firefox installed, just unchecking the "Play DRM content"
setting in about:preferences#content will have the same effect without
requiring you to install a special build of Firefox.

------
valarauca1
I tried this. It works _kind of_. I have 3 monitors, and Netflix stubbornly
refused to play until I had unplugged 2. Had the same issue on my MacBook.
Have a second display because you want to watch Netflix + do something else?
NOPE!

Now with the price increase I'm really wondering why I keep my subscription.

~~~
manarth
I've used Netflix on a mac mini with 2 monitors, and a MBP with an external
display, and haven't had any issues.

Could it be related to the connection cable? I've been connecting to external
monitors with HDMI and display-port, which both support HDCP. Is it possible
that playback get disabled if it detects a non-HDCP-compliant connection?

------
cryptarch
I don't think this is the right direction to work in, though it solves an
immediate practical problem.

I'm exploring ways to share media with family and good friends (legal per fair
use), I'm currently looking at easy-to-understand caching models, where you
have a Spotify-like player functionality with a meta-library composed of your
own library and those of your friends, and a way to manage which media to
store/cache where.

I also think the problem of P2P voting/curation/moderation is very
interesting. I'm looking for ways to combine something like a web of trust
with extra user-provided metadata, as a way to have a P2P library of content
(which can be anything, forum posts, recipes, rich media) with P2P meta-
library to store votes and signatures, where the moderation is tweakable by
and transparent to all participants, because it's a function of the meta-
library.

~~~
alex_duf
You mean you want eDonkey?

~~~
cryptarch
No, I want a platform for decentralized apps that is capable of
moderation/voting.

eDonkey still uses central servers.

~~~
MayeulC
This actually is a very interesting idea. It makes me think of popcorntime,
for which I wish the movies industry had embraced the model. You can still
perform some DRM "check" (check the user's credentials, and allow/deny access
to the content) without embedding DRM in The content itself.

I can't promise anything, but the platform you are talking about sounds quite
interesting; would you be willing to share some more details (privately,
maybe)?

~~~
cryptarch
Yes, PopcornTime gave me the starting point to the idea. I still don't get why
they choose to use a centralized API instead of a dynamic (as in, mutable and
identified by public key and not content) P2P JSON file, I should probably
open an issue.

I don't think I've sufficiently fleshed it out yet, but I'll let you know when
I have something coherent.

------
simopaa
I can confirm that this seems to work, although adding the spoofer somehow
messed with the Netflix UI loading so that it loads maybe 1/10 previews and is
otherwise all black..

Shame that it still requires spoofing the user agent. I would rather not
fiddle around with that whenever I log in or out of Netflix, but would also
like to send actual information to show that Firefox is being used..

~~~
JoshTriplett
> Shame that it still requires spoofing the user agent. I would rather not
> fiddle around with that whenever I log in or out of Netflix,

Several Firefox extensions allow you to easily switch the User-Agent, and even
set a per-site User-Agent string, so that you always use a given User-Agent
for a given site.

> but would also like to send actual information to show that Firefox is being
> used..

If you really care, you could experiment with the accepted User-Agent strings,
and see if you can add a "really Firefox" comment or similar without losing
access.

------
ggregoire
Firefox and Chrome are still limited to 720p. I use Safari only for Netflix...

[https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742](https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742)

------
ramshorns
So Firefox includes the ability to play DRM-encumbered content. Is it
implemented using proprietary software? Do all Firefox builds include this?

It seems similar to Encrypted Media Extensions, which I thought wasn't a web
standard yet.

~~~
hsivonen
Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux (x86/x86_64) can play DRM content using
optional proprietary third-party plug-ins. Firefox itself as distributed by
Mozilla is Free Software.

In the case of EME-exposed plug-ins, Firefox handles the plug-in download for
you. In the case of NPAPI, the download is up to the user.

------
teekert
So... Netflix on the Raspberry Pi? Bought a Chromecast just a tad to early?

------
this-dang-guy
Not sure I get the point - Netflix with Chrome on Linux just plain works. I
use it all the time.

Stop trying to make Firefox happen. It's a rapidly dying browser. I see less
than 10% of the hits on the sites I manage from FF.

~~~
this-dang-guy
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers#/m...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers#/media/File:Browser_usage_share,_2009%E2%80%932016,_StatCounter.svg)

Don't believe me? Fine. Pretend your little echo chamber is the whole world. I
have better things to do with my time.

