[JoshH37]

Title says most of it. LOVED this app on my iPad2 and am missing it dearly with the Playbook. Anything other than writing in to the company itself that could bring us an app?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[samab]

Much like the Facebook app, you don't need Netflix to make the Netflix app itself. RIM is probably going to write it themselves and have it certified by Netflix.

[Laura Knotek]

I actually called Netflix a few days ago.

The issue is due to RIM's servers being in Canada and the movie studios being US-owned. They need a way to get around BIS being in Canada so US customers will be able to use an app. Android, iOS, and Win7 Phone do not have those issues, since they do not go through a NOC in Canada.

[samab]

I called that complete BS.

If that were true, Canadian Playbook owners would be able to watch Netflix movies in Canada right now --- because Netflix has a Canadian operation.

Yesterday, Texas Instruments announced that their OMAP4 android platform is certified by Netflix for HD movies. Guess what? Netflix didn't write that particular Netflix android app, TI did. TI is trying to sell as many of their chips as possible, so TI wrote the Netflix app themselves and have it certified by Netflix.

[Laura Knotek]

I called that complete BS.

If that were true, Canadian Playbook owners would be able to watch Netflix movies in Canada right now --- because Netflix has a Canadian operation.

Yesterday, Texas Instruments announced that their OMAP4 android platform is certified by Netflix for HD movies. Guess what? Netflix didn't write that particular Netflix android app, TI did. TI is trying to sell as many of their chips as possible, so TI wrote the Netflix app themselves and have it certified by Netflix.

There are differences between the US and Canadian versions of Netflix. We get newer releases available for streaming before you do. I know this since I have a friend in Canada who said the Canadian Netflix is not as good.

Perhaps an option would be to only have a Netflix app for BlackBerry for customers of US carriers, similar to the Pandora app, which is only available in the US, due to the licensing restrictions of the record companies.

[JDukeOSBB]

I actually called Netflix a few days ago.

The issue is due to RIM's servers being in Canada and the movie studios being US-owned. They need a way to get around BIS being in Canada so US customers will be able to use an app. Android, iOS, and Win7 Phone do not have those issues, since they do not go through a NOC in Canada.

Currently, Playbook models are all wifi only and do not utilize Blackberry servers in anyway, except for updates. Playbooks do not independently utilize BIS or BES.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Erandhawa]

Sorry lak611 if you were told that others are correct someones yanking your chain. I've been using playon on all my other devices and it works great if only there was some way to play upnp on the playbook we could have netflix through that. I feel like the android app player will bring us more developers (as long as its released).

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Laura Knotek]

Currently, Playbook models are all wifi only and do not utilize Blackberry servers in anyway, except for updates. Playbooks do not independently utilize BIS or BES.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

You are correct. I wonder if the bridge has anything to do with it, though, since bridging the Playbook would use BlackBerry servers.

I do not even own a Playbook, but I would be interested in an app for BlackBerry devices in general, including the Playbook.

[samab]

It has NOTHING to do with bridging --- bridging only exist for email, contacts, calender and the bridge browser. You can watch a youtube video via the bridge browser, but you cannot use the youtube APP via bridging.

It has EVERYTHING to do with Hollywood studios making very strict DRM requirements for high def movie and tv streaming. That in turn forces Netflix and Hulu to make end-to-end DRM requirements for HD content.

Right now, the Playbook doesn't have end-to-end DRM --- it has a HDMI output, but it doesn't have HDCP encryption to protect the HDMI output signal. Well, if RIM hasn't lock down the HDMI output, then there is no way you have HD content streaming deals with any Hollywood studios.

A couple of days ago, TI got its Android netflix app certified by netflix --- read their press release and you will find out that the TI netflix app uses Trustzone/M-Shield extensively.

If you look at ARM Trustzone (which TI's implimentation is called M-Shield), you will notice that the way it works is to have your Android OS (non-secure OS) and a secure OS (which is mostly supplied by 2 firms, Gieseke & Devrient, and Trusted Logic).

TrustZone - ARM

Trusted Logic is the firm that did the work on the TI's netflix implimentation (read the press release).

Here is a video showing Gieseke & Devrient jumping in and out of Android OS and their secure OS to make mobile payment.



Playbook doesn't need to do things that complicated (i.e. jumping in and out of 2 OS) --- because QNX has a Secure Kernel with EAL 4+ certification.

QNX Neutrino RTOS Secure Kernel

Playbook is going to have a much simpler architectural solution because it needs only a single operating system --- unlike the Android version where it has to jump in and out of 2 operating systems. It is going to be closer to metal and have higher performance. However it also means that RIM can't just purchase a ready-made third party solution like Texas Instruments did with Trusted Logic --- and that's going to delay its release.

[howarmat]

netflix is already available on android phones. I am guessing that announcement yesterday justs expands its availability.

[samab]

netflix is already available on android phones. I am guessing that announcement yesterday justs expands its availability.

Hollywood studios differentiate between SD and HD contents --- that's why a lot of android phones have SD Netflix already.

[howarmat]

good point

[bulls2213]

I feel like if RIM wasn't behind in almost every aspect of their company they'd have made getting quality apps like Netflix, Hulu, Kindle - ****, even Angry friggin Birds - on the PlayBook a priority -- whether they'd have to write the app or pay up to have it done. It really should not be that difficult given the hardware capabilities the PlayBook has.

[jwn66]

canadian netflix sucks, everything I want to watch is unavailable

[papped]

I feel like if RIM wasn't behind in almost every aspect of their company they'd have made getting quality apps like Netflix, Hulu, Kindle - ****, even Angry friggin Birds - on the PlayBook a priority -- whether they'd have to write the app or pay up to have it done. It really should not be that difficult given the hardware capabilities the PlayBook has.

Most of the apps you just mentioned are not open to be developed by 3rd parties...

Also getting major developers to release an app within a specific timeframe isn't as simple as that

[samab]

I feel like if RIM wasn't behind in almost every aspect of their company they'd have made getting quality apps like Netflix, Hulu, Kindle - ****, even Angry friggin Birds - on the PlayBook a priority -- whether they'd have to write the app or pay up to have it done. It really should not be that difficult given the hardware capabilities the PlayBook has.

Yes and no.

It's going to be more difficult because there aren't going to be much 3rd party solutions available. But just watch the first 2 minutes of the youtube video that I linked --- the 3rd party solutions are jerry-rigging solutions with the android device jumping in and out of android os to a secure os.

But RIM is also super cheap to not buy 3rd party QNX solutions when they are available. There are 3rd party QNX bluetooth stacks available --- with stereo headphone profiles. IBM sells JVM for QNX platforms. We could have legacy java app compatibility from day 1 of the Playbook launch --- if RIM just buy the IBM jvm instead of trying to make one out of scratch by themselves. Sure it will kill the margins for the first generation of QNX tablets and handsets --- but it also reduce the development time for months.

There are tons of little QNX consulting firms around the world that are capable of doing custom jobs. RIM should spend some money and buy engineers.

[bulls2213]

Most of the apps you just mentioned are not open to be developed by 3rd parties...

Also getting major developers to release an app within a specific timeframe isn't as simple as that

Sorry, I don't buy that. Money talks -- ESPECIALLY with major developers who had months and months to prepare for the PlayBook's release. RIM seemed to have no problem negotiating/working with Kobo, Adobe, EA, etc...

[papped]

Sorry, I don't buy that. Money talks -- ESPECIALLY with major developers who had months and months to prepare for the PlayBook's release. RIM seemed to have no problem negotiating/working with Kobo, Adobe, EA, etc...

How do you know netflix (for example) had months free to develop apps for PB? Are they going to shuffle resources away from android rollout (which is still VERY incomplete) to switch to a brand new platform on the PB? Unlikely...

Also do you think RIM has more cash than either M$ or Google to burn on app priorities? If you say yes to either I'd say you are 100% wrong....

[BuzzStarField]

Most of the apps you just mentioned are not open to be developed by 3rd parties...

Also getting major developers to release an app within a specific timeframe isn't as simple as that

It's all about money. If the big players could earn a buck writing apps for PlayBook they would not wait for RIM's invitation.

[lnichols]

Angry mob and pitch forks!

Seriously I don't know if Netflix would write the app or it would be RIM, or even TI. TI just wrote an Android app that works with the TI OMAP4 platform, yes the same one running in our playbook, that got certified by Netflix for HD plus security. Maybe they are waiting for Android support on Playbook, or maybe someone is working on it. RIM needs to be on top of these popular apps and be making them.

[samab]

I can guarantee that they are NOT waiting for Android support --- because the way it works in an Android device is that they put in a secure OS as a second operating system to jump into and out of.

RIM is not going to put a second OS into the Playbook.

[BSFA2008]

Angry mob and pitch forks!

Seriously I don't know if Netflix would write the app or it would be RIM, or even TI. TI just wrote an Android app that works with the TI OMAP4 platform, yes the same one running in our playbook, that got certified by Netflix for HD plus security. Maybe they are waiting for Android support on Playbook, or maybe someone is working on it. RIM needs to be on top of these popular apps and be making them [or making sure somebody is making them quickly].

And THAT is the bottom line. It doesn't matter WHO does it. It just needs to get done. And it needs to get done yesterday.

I'll wait through the end of 2011. But by then, all or most of the big names need to be available, angry birds, pandora, netflix, twitter, hulu... and some other personal favs of mine like unblock me, youversion bible, enjoy sudoku ... and of course native email et al

[M.Rizk]

It's all about RIM App World, RIM Charges you 200$ for each 10 apps to be submitted to App World, We could have some experts young developers developing best apps for the PlayBook, but they would never pay 200$ for 10 apps only, When Apple is offering UNLIMITED Apps for 99$ on time fee for developers!

[BuzzStarField]

It's all about RIM App World, RIM Charges you 200$ for each 10 apps to be submitted to App World, We could have some experts young developers developing best apps for the PlayBook, but they would never pay 200$ for 10 apps only, When Apple is offering UNLIMITED Apps for 99$ on time fee for developers!

$200 charge has been waived indefinitely so has the $20 fee for signing keys. There is no monetary barrier to entry. I signed up in March and have since released two apps and upgrades for both. Credits remain at 10. RIM's share of proceeds has increased from 20% to 30% but I can live with this.

[Kronk]

Forget an app... Just give me Silverlight support and let me stream from the Netflix site.