Netflix App for iOS No Longer Supports AirPlay Because of 'Technical Limitations' [Updated With Netflix Statement]

[haruhiko]

Lame excuse.

For me I just find it easier to use my phone. My husband does too. The Apple remote is just too damn cumbersome to use sometimes and by using our phones, each of us doesn’t have to hunt for the remote. If we decide to stop watching on the TV, we can easily pause and pick right up in another room on our phones.

Additionally we have found the app experience on the Apple TV very inconsistent. First off the apps aren’t updated as often there and are often broken in some way. But secondly they all behave differently here and there. Whereas the phone apps just seem to not have these issues and are more consistent in user interface. It’s just easier to pick something with your finger than grabbing a remote, moving a cursor to an item and then clicking on it. Same with rewind or FF.

Apple TV remote is supported by an app AND the control centre widget on iPhone and iPad. Much better than the remote itself.

 

[itsmilo]

Never even occurred to me to try but that’s still a BS excuse. They are probably preparing a mobile only plan and don’t want you to use a loophole to just stream it anyway tho I am sure they could just block the video on those with a mobile only plan

 

[haruhiko]

One thing Netflix has which other services don't, guess what? is INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE. I literally have no choice other than Netflix in Hong Kong given that Amazon Prime Video and whatever name you can think of don't bother to open service here. So Netflix has much better future than some of you may think despite their dick moves.

 

[devman]

Netflix knows that for many Apple TV users, access to Netflix is a primary use case for the device. Netflix may also believe that people value the subscription more than having an Apple TV. If Netflix can weaken the value of having an Apple TV and subsequently Apple TV+, they may just chance it and abandon tvOS altogether.

Killing AirPlay support may be a precursor to this larger decision. It would essentially isolate the Apple TV box from playing any Netflix content and Netflix may be willing to gamble with some membership loss if it means hobbling Apple’s larger media ambitions.

Apple's larger media ambitions aren't tied to Apple TV hardware box. Apple would not suddenly open up airplay 2 and put an app on TVs if they wanted to protect their hardware box.

 

[Chundles]

Feature is not needed anyway. Netflix is on everything and remembers exactly where you were in a show.

That’s if you’re using it strictly with your personal devices.

Schools, businesses, hotels, conferences etc are all situations where AirPlay streaming from Netflix to local AppleTVs is a necessary feature.

 

[Manzanito]

Really disappointed in Netflix. Prices increasing and functionality decreasing.

Maybe they’re trying to copy apple.

 

[chfilm]

Odd. Have you any good headphones for this?

Yea I do, but I enjoy my speakers but ok, I’ll survive. It’s just really odd.

 

[himanshumodi]

Disney has been pushing to bring everything in house. My guess is Disney wanted too much for the licensing fees for the Marvel shows and Netflix just said forget it. Plus those shows were already quite expensive to make I’m sure.

Not to mention they had gotten progressively worse from the Daredevil and Jessica Jones season 1. Punisher was more of a generic one guy against The Man show and barely felt like a Marvel show anyways.

 

[Danny1984]

Not just the Netflix app, I have problems playing music and videos with iTunes and, YouTube from safari too on my MacPro desktop to homepods, so I think it’s more an apple airplay problem.

Netflix has it out for apple. It's irritating.

 

[zombierunner]

Friendship ended with Nvidia, Qualcomm, Netflix ..... Who's next?

 

[Dieseldk]

Their excuse is crap, apple certifies all AirPlay devices. Meaning they will have the same experience on an Apple TV as any other device that official supports AirPlay. This really doesn’t make since, because all those new devices will most likely have a native Netflix app built in.
While I don’t care too much as I never AirPlay long movies or shows from my phone to a device, it would be nice to do this in hotels when traveling so that I can use my own account.

If netflix don’t know if your devices is fullHD or 4K, has Dolby vision, support for Dolby Atmos then how do Netflix know what stream to send you?
If they just default to 480i and stereo on all AirPlay 2 devices to make sure everyone can play it, a lot of customers will be disappointed.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

The article update makes sense. Netflix doesnt need Airplay because smart TVs are getting Apple TV and already have Netflix apps. Also you don’t need Airplay to beam Netflix from your iOS device to a smart TV. The Netflix app broadcasts to most smart TVs over WiFi.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

Friendship ended with Nvidia, Qualcomm, Netflix ..... Who's next?

The thing is each of those companies become an example to other companies that they don't have to swallow the garbage Apple is feeding them. As more and more companies understand this the less Apple has a hold over users.

 

[4jasontv]

If netflix don’t know if your devices is fullHD or 4K, has Dolby vision, support for Dolby Atmos then how do Netflix know what stream to send you?
If they just default to 480i and stereo on all AirPlay 2 devices to make sure everyone can play it, a lot of customers will be disappointed.

Has letting the user decide become so uncommon that companies have forgotten about that option?
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The article update makes sense. Netflix doesnt need Airplay because smart TVs are getting Apple TV and already have Netflix apps. Also you don’t need Airplay to beam Netflix from your iOS device to a smart TV. The Netflix app broadcasts to most smart TVs over WiFi.

You need airplay to beam Netflix to someone else’s TV. Sometimes I want to watch a show at work or at a friends house. Airplay let me use my subscription without sharing my log ins. Now I’d be forced to share it and the likelihood that I forget to log out and other people use my account has increased.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

It's like they want me to cancel my subscription.

Why? Every device literally has Netflix. I never needed to do this anyhow.

 

[EugW]

You need airplay to beam Netflix to someone else’s TV. Sometimes I want to watch a show at work or at a friends house. Airplay let me use my subscription without sharing my log ins. Now I’d be forced to share it and the likelihood that I forget to log out and other people use my account has increased.

Netflix still works fine via casting.

I understand the loss of AirPlay support will be a bummer for a few people but I suspect that 98% of Netflix customers just won’t care much.

 

[joueboy]

Prices hike and cut down features. Sounds like very Apple-ish to me.

 

[341328]

Makes sense to me.

Just use the app on your Apple TV.

 

[Azeroth1]

Lame. Got greedy(er). Drop support for this, and just raised my monthly rates.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

You need airplay to beam Netflix to someone else’s TV. Sometimes I want to watch a show at work or at a friends house. Airplay let me use my subscription without sharing my log ins. Now I’d be forced to share it and the likelihood that I forget to log out and other people use my account has increased.

Unless Netflix explicitly say in there T&Cs that you can Airplay your subscription to a strangers TV without sharing your log-ins what you are doing is, at best, an undocumented advantage to you.

If they never said you can do this you have no right to be butt-hurt if they take it away.

 

[WRChris]

I can't believe you didn't know they cancelled all their Marvel TV series.
[doublepost=1554595657][/doublepost]
In my case it isn't laggy at all and I don't even have a gigabit internet connection but I will in the near future.

I don’t watch Netflix that much or stay up on their shows. They did not inform me they cancelled those shows.

They only spam me with new shows and price hikes.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Netflix still works fine via casting.

I understand the loss of AirPlay support will be a bummer for a few people but I suspect that 98% of Netflix customers just won’t care much.

What is the difference between casting and Airplay? How does one "cast" on an iPhone vs using AirPlay?

 

[cloudyo]

They did not inform me they cancelled those shows.

Disney owns the marvel IP and will probably use it to push their own streaming service. Netflix announcing their cancellations would only be advertisement for the competition.

 

[Pepe4life]

One thing Netflix has which other services don't, guess what? is INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE. I literally have no choice other than Netflix in Hong Kong given that Amazon Prime Video and whatever name you can think of don't bother to open service here. So Netflix has much better future than some of you may think despite their dick moves.

You know what else has international presence? Piracy. Eventually people will be sick and tired of these consumer-hostile moves and the frequent price hikes.

 

[Manzanito]

Friendship ended with Nvidia, Qualcomm, Netflix ..... Who's next?

Intel.