More Secure - Google Chrome or Silverlight

[Tucom]

I'd like to watch Netflix on my 5,1 Mac Pro - but as you may or may not know, Netflix plug-in free with Safari is only for Sandy Bridge or newer Macs. I'd like to steer clear of anything having to do with Flash Player (Google Chrome) - but would Google Chrome be more secure - even with Flash - than Microsoft Silverlight?

Are there any security issues with Silverlight? Is it something I'd need to disable when not on Netflix if I use it [Silverlight] with Safari?

Thanks!

 

[KALLT]

Is this a theoretical question or are there actual concerns on your part? I presume that it would be safer to use Google’s sandboxed Widevine plugin for watching Netflix rather than using browser plugins which are known to cause security issues from time to time. That is not to say that Silverlight is insecure at this point, but it’s not in active development anymore.

However, I use Silverlight myself. In Safari 8 you can block specific plugins by default. You can set Silverlight permission level to ‘Block’ or ‘Ask’ and only enable it for specific sites you trust, like Netflix.

 

[Tucom]

Hey man, thanks for the reply - this is a real world use scenario and concern.


If I were to disable Silverlight after not using Netflix, do any possible security vulnerabilities and/or issues it has become a non-issue?

You say "rather than plug-ins which are known to cause security issues from time to time" - Silverlight does this?

 

[Tucom]

Is this a theoretical question or are there actual concerns on your part?

Real world use - I replied already, but quoting to hopefully let you know that I replied.

 

[Kissmyne]

In Safari 8 you can block specific plugins by default. You can set Silverlight permission level to ‘Block’ or ‘Ask’ and only enable it for specific sites you trust, like Netflix.

I use Safari with Silverlight, You can allow or block the plugin on a site specific basis, just set the plugin to ask, and allow it on Netflix. What you choose to do elsewhere with that plugin is your call. Whether or not the plugin has vulnerabilities, should not matter in real world use if you take this approach.

 

[Tucom]

I use Safari with Silverlight, You can allow or block the plugin on a site specific basis, just set the plugin to ask, and allow it on Netflix. What you choose to do elsewhere with that plugin is your call. Whether or not the plugin has vulnerabilities, should not matter in real world use if you take this approach.

Thanks for the reply - I actually ended up just using Chrome, as upon further research I found that yeah Silverlight is dead, and I don't want to bother with having to remember to disable and then enable etc.

Besides, Chrome will only be used for Netflix and the History channel.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Definitely safari + Silverlight. Chrome is a battery hog on the best of days, I wouldn't even keep it installed.

 

[Tucom]

Definitely safari + Silverlight. Chrome is a battery hog on the best of days, I wouldn't even keep it installed.

Eh, that argument may be true for laptops, but I'm on a Mac Pro, so no worries there.

Also, Silverlight is dead, and Netflix may be ditching it altogether at a drop of the hat, so in the end I think Chrome is the best way to go.

 

[Kissmyne]

Yeah netflix is transitioning to HTML5 video support which is natively supported in most browsers including Safari.

 

[Tucom]

Yeah netflix is transitioning to HTML5 video support which is natively supported in most browsers including Safari.

Only if you're running Safari on a Mac with Sandy Bridge or newer though, thus the thread haha.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

Only if you're running Safari on a Mac with Sandy Bridge or newer though, thus the thread haha.

iThought™ that OS X 10.6+ supports other GPUs for hardware accelerated video decoding!?

 

[Tucom]

iThought™ that OS X 10.6+ supports other GPUs for hardware accelerated video decoding!?

I think it's something to do with the CPU and not the GPU. Try Netflix on Safari on an older non Sandy Bridge Mac and you'll be prompted to install Silverlight.

Look it up. It's interesting, and it doesn't make any sense to me. GPU accelerated decoding is supported on many older Macs, such as mine, for just about everything. For some reason Netflix decides to impose what seems to be some kind of superficial requirement.