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

[JRobinsonJr]

Not sure why one would need this anyway.. if you have an apple tv to airplay to, you might as well use the netflix app on it.
If you have a tv with integrated airplay, it is new and definitely has netflix on it.

So.. you're at a friends house / on vacation / in a hotel / etc. and want to watch the content you've paid for. Fortunately the hotel provides an AirPlay compatible TV! Whoops.... too bad. Netflix says "NO".

I can appreciate that they want to provide a fully integrated experience. That's not unreasonable, and may be one of the factors that keeps people paying for content. Intentionally blocking my ability to watch it when/where/how I want is not reasonable. It's just protectionism. If Netflix is having to resort to that... they are foreseeing a future with problems.

 

[falainber]

Well, at least for some people



Yes they do.

1) I download a bunch of Netflix shows for my kid onto my add. Travel to europe. The hotel tv has Netflix. I don’t want to enter my credentials because I don’t trust that setup, but even if i did, because of geoblocking, i couldnt watch those shows in europe anyway. Which is why i downloaded them onto my iPad. I used airplay. (In Italy, fwiw.) It worked fine back then.

2) We had an internet outage at our house for two days. We used an iPad with LTE to airplay Netflix onto the family room TV set. Now that won’t work.

3) We have apple tv’s hooked up to the conference room monitors in all our offices. They are primarily for displaying PowerPoint. As part of a group social activity we airplayed Netflix on two occasions. Management doesnt want to install the Netflix app, nor does management have a Netflix account, so someone would have to enter personal credentials even if they did.

4) Smart TVs will now increasingly have the airplay functionality built in. So now there are two choices: when traveling someplace (to a hotel, a friend, a family member, whatever) I can enter my credentials into some strange TV, or I can airplay. The latter is like in the old days when you’d just plug your game console or portable player into the tv with rca cables. Nothing to log in, etc. Much easier.

5) Some people have pointed out that they have cabins, vacation homes, time shares, etc. without external internet access or with expensive internet access. A pre-loaded or unlimited LTE iOS device is great in those situations.



Nope. See above.



Or vice versa.

All your examples are valid use cases. They are much less common than people using wired headphones (with 3.5mm plug) though and yet Apple felt fine depriving them this feature. Unlike Netflix they did not give any reason whatsoever. So perhaps we can give Netflix some slack here. It's probably about money one way or another but then, with corporations, it's always is, isn't it? Apple not playing nice with other companies is nothing new. It improved a little bit after Steve Jobs departure but it's still part of Apple business strategy.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Casting is to an Android device / Chromecast. For example, most Sony TVs run Android.

It's present in some iOS apps, including Netflix.

Is this functionality dependent on either the iPhone or the TV being connected to internet, or can an iPhone not connected to anything cast to a TV with built-in functionality but not connected to internet?

Also, with AirPlay, same question. Can the AppleTV and iPhone not be connected to any WIFI and they just detect each other and work?

I ask because some hotels WIFI has portal pages that require entering info, and that doesn't work on the casting devices or is troublesome. Plus, hotel wifi can really SUCK sometimes.

 

[JRobinsonJr]

Can't blame them for not spending finite resources on a feature with low market share especially after Apple has thrown them under the bus.

Except that this 'feature' was already working and because of the API's that Apple provides... likely took zero (or virtually zero) effort to maintain. It took more work to remove it than leave it alone.
[doublepost=1554650702][/doublepost]

That brings up an interesting point. If casting still exists, then the argument that they are limiting "streaming only" users, from paying for a cheaper plan but still watching it on the TV, is invalid. And if casting to Android devices, doesn't kick back information of the device being casted to ... it renders Netflix's entire argument moot.

Aside that ...

Ultimately, I see Netflix's concern as valid. It's not in Apple's privacy approach to provide details of Airplay target devices. So the only way Netflix would be able to discern how each of their apps are doing, and how each device compares, is to remove Airplay. -- It's not like they removed the app from Apple TV or other devices, so it's not really a jab at Apple I don't think. It's a matter of Apple's privacy choices. I think people are just upset that their options have been limited.

You make an interesting point, but I'll counter with a question:

As long as the display device receives, processes and display's the content correct... why would Netflix want or need to care about what make/model it is? That's the beauty of standardized signals.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Casting is to an Android device / Chromecast. For example, most Sony TVs run Android.



It's present in some iOS apps, including Netflix.



I don't think I've ever used this in a hotel room, and I suspect most others haven't either. Too unreliable to count on this. Way too many variables. In fact, I don't remember the last time I've used a hotel room TV that either had Netflix installed or ran Android. I also used to bring an HDMI cable to play video files from my laptop, but I gave up on that too since many hotels don't allow access to the extra HDMI port even if it's there.

I just watch on the device itself.

So just because you don't use it you suspect most others haven't either.

Funny that, so how come more and more hotels have these systems installed? And not just hotels, there are lots of communal airplay systems. We have only have a small office and we have 6 in there, I don't want our staff to enter their personal details, they don't want that either.

The week before last I went for business to Australia, via Dubai, and then on to South-Korea. Airplay available everywhere. Was very nice to hook up my laptop in meetings. And chill out in my room with a movie from my account.

 

[gijoeinla]

This is just a new money grab. Knowing that Apple is integrating into other TV’s - which I think is a great idea and long overdue - Netflix just doesn’t want me and you showing grandma our PAID Netflix account just anywhere. Soon the multiple devices availability per Netflix account will disappear.

Any naysayers of “AppleTV+” should now open their eyes wider that the rest of the content companies too will do the same so Apple and everybody else that wants to distribute exclusive content to its in house devices will only grow. To me long term this will be the beginning of the erosion of Netflix... money

 

[cyb3rdud3]

I've never seen an Apple TV in any hotel, ever, in the last decade. Literally, never, not even one. Where did you see that? Or are you talking about an AirBnB or something?

Anyway, my point wasn't that it doesn't suck for you, but that very few other people will actually care. I mean if you already have an AirPlay device like an iPad or iPhone, that means you already have a device to play the video from. This is not going to impact Netflix's bottom line much at all, so I'm not surprised they went this direction.

As previously mentioned the Hyatt do them. As do the IHG group (Intercontinental, Crowneplaza, Indigo, De Witt, Holiday Inn etc...). Marriott same experience. It is everywhere.

 

[cmaier]

I've never seen an Apple TV in any hotel, ever, in the last decade. Literally, never, not even one. Where did you see that? Or are you talking about an AirBnB or something?

Anyway, my point wasn't that it doesn't suck for you, but that very few other people will actually care. I mean if you already have an AirPlay device like an iPad or iPhone, that means you already have a device to play the video from. This is not going to impact Netflix's bottom line much at all, so I'm not surprised they went this direction.

I just saw one in a hotel in white plains ny. And with airplay coming to most new TVs, it will be much more common to have airplay even for TVs that don’t have Netflix apps (the hotels buy special TVs in bulk, and would likely offer airplay/chrome cast as a feature)
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As previously mentioned the Hyatt do them. As do the IHG group (Intercontinental, Crowneplaza, Indigo, De Witt, Holiday Inn etc...). Marriott same experience. It is everywhere.

Also red lion (https://9to5mac.com/2018/10/25/apple-tv-in-a-hotel/)
Aloft by Starwood (https://www.idownloadblog.com/2013/03/18/cupertino-hotel-apple-tv/)
RLH (https://www.globenewswire.com/news-...a-Kind-Guest-Experience-Through-Apple-TV.html)

Etc. etc.

 

[samwight]

They are much less common than people using wired headphones (with 3.5mm plug) though and yet Apple felt fine depriving them this feature.. Unlike Netflix they did not give any reason whatsoever.

Apple did not deprive people using wired headphones. They just made it slightly more difficult, by requiring a dongle.

And the reasons were clear. Thickness and water infusion.

 

[jkwr]

People used airplay to watch Netflix? Why not use the dedicated app? Problem solved. What's the big deal because of no airplay support?

 

[Gogeta-Blue]

People used airplay to watch Netflix? Why not use the dedicated app? Problem solved. What's the big deal because of no airplay support?

exactly, I was think the same just because Netflix doesn't have native or integrated support it doesn't mean that an app like reflector can't get the job done

 

[cmaier]

People used airplay to watch Netflix? Why not use the dedicated app? Problem solved. What's the big deal because of no airplay support?

Read the thread. Heck just read this page of the thread. People have explained repeatedly why this matters.

 

[silvandiepen]

"We want to make sure our members have a great Netflix experience on any device they use."

Well.. my Netflix Experience just got a lot less pleasant. Thank you Netflix.

 

[SubduedTiger]

Netflix became a bloodsucker long ago, and I tire of their doublespeak experts finding ways to milk profit out of existing models by tightening belts and crafting new tiers to reprice what they already offer. I wish that corporations would get through their thick skulls that price-value consistency and genuine innovation is a better long-term model than coming off as sleazebags issuing feigned apology letters. Loyalty these days means so much more than just initially capturing a credit card. I only want to pay more for more over time, reasonable inflation excluded.

I'm not responsible for upholding unreasonable shareholder expectations of 50% gain year-over-year, and I'm certainly not offering to pay for their returns so they can go to another company and squeeze me out. So Netflix, would you rather keep what I was paying yesterday or to not exist at all because I and others dump our subscriptions?

 

[Gogeta-Blue]

Read the thread. Heck just read this page of the thread. People have explained repeatedly why this matters.

I know you didn't replied to me but please enlighten me, I always read all the pages most of the time but today I'm a bit tired and a bit busy so I honestly don't have time to read them all, but my guess is has to be money, people simply don't want to pay extra to have an extra feature that can also be use with another app, anyway this is the industry firing back at apple, a few weeks ago I mentioned that if apple continue with their tactics they will become abandonware, so let me get this straight Netflix is forced to provide airplay support? air play is an apple iOS feature that is apple responsibility they can use that feature with their own apps, we all know how apple is maybe apple wants to charge Netflix if Netflix wants to use that feature, maybe they didn't in the past but maybe apple is requesting a payment if Netflix wants to continue using that feature, look what apple did to Nvidia, so is fair that a company also do that to them, apple thinks everyone needs them, Netflix said guess what apple we don't need you and we are cutting the wire


I don't understand why people makes this such of big deal most smart tv already come with Netflix
so maybe Netflix figures that they don't need to implement that technology anymore

 

[mpuk]

Apple did not deprive people using wired headphones. They just made it slightly more difficult, by requiring a dongle.

And the reasons were clear. Thickness and water infusion.

...and profit -- with one more reason to buy an expensive pair of wireless Apple headphones.

 

[Mac 128]

This is just a new money grab. Knowing that Apple is integrating into other TV’s - which I think is a great idea and long overdue - Netflix just doesn’t want me and you showing grandma our PAID Netflix account just anywhere. Soon the multiple devices availability per Netflix account will disappear.

Then why didn’t they also disable chromecast?

 

[cmaier]

I know you didn't replied to me but please enlighten me, I always read all the pages most of the time but today I'm a bit tired and a bit busy so I honestly don't have time to read them all, but my guess is has to be money, people simply don't want to pay extra to have an extra feature that can also be use with another app, anyway this is the industry firing back at apple, a few weeks ago I mentioned that if apple continue with their tactics they will become abandonware, so let me get this straight Netflix is forced to provide airplay support? air play is an apple iOS feature that is apple responsibility they can use that feature with their own apps, we all know how apple is maybe apple wants to charge Netflix if Netflix wants to use that feature, maybe they didn't in the past but maybe apple is requesting a payment if Netflix wants to continue using that feature, look what apple did to Nvidia, so is fair that a company also do that to them, apple thinks everyone needs them, Netflix said guess what apple we don't need you and we are cutting the wire


I don't understand why people makes this such of big deal most smart tv already come with Netflix
so maybe Netflix figures that they don't need to implement that technology anymore

First: supporting airplay takes NO effort from developers. They actually have to work to PREVENT it, but not to ENABLE it, so I have no idea what you are trying to say about Netflix being “forced to provide airplay.” The OS provides airplay. If Netflix does NOTHING they get full airplay support.


Second, why is it my job to repeat what has already been said a hundred times because you don’t want to RTFM? Fine. Here is a copy and paste from a post made only a few before yours:

1) I download a bunch of Netflix shows for my kid onto my add. Travel to europe. The hotel tv has Netflix. I don’t want to enter my credentials because I don’t trust that setup, but even if i did, because of geoblocking, i couldnt watch those shows in europe anyway. Which is why i downloaded them onto my iPad. I used airplay. (In Italy, fwiw.) It worked fine back then.

2) We had an internet outage at our house for two days. We used an iPad with LTE to airplay Netflix onto the family room TV set. Now that won’t work.

3) We have apple tv’s hooked up to the conference room monitors in all our offices. They are primarily for displaying PowerPoint. As part of a group social activity we airplayed Netflix on two occasions. Management doesnt want to install the Netflix app, nor does management have a Netflix account, so someone would have to enter personal credentials even if they did.

4) Smart TVs will now increasingly have the airplay functionality built in. So now there are two choices: when traveling someplace (to a hotel, a friend, a family member, whatever) I can enter my credentials into some strange TV, or I can airplay. The latter is like in the old days when you’d just plug your game console or portable player into the tv with rca cables. Nothing to log in, etc. Much easier.

5) Some people have pointed out that they have cabins, vacation homes, time shares, etc. without external internet access or with expensive internet access. A pre-loaded or unlimited LTE iOS device is great in those situations.

 

[falainber]

Apple did not deprive people using wired headphones. They just made it slightly more difficult, by requiring a dongle.

And the reasons were clear. Thickness and water infusion.

Samsung phones are just as thin and waterproof as iPhones and they have 3.5mm plug. Netflix also just made things a little bit more difficult. People still can watch Netflix on TV, they will just need a "dongle": a Chromecast or a lightning to HDMI dongle.

 

[prasand]

As long as the display device receives, processes and display's the content correct... why would Netflix want or need to care about what make/model it is? That's the beauty of standardized signals.

Because there's nothing about that experience that they can improve or work on.

Developers rely on interaction and content data to be able to make decisions on how to optimize an app for its audience. Seeing how users interact with an app on specific platforms can mean the difference between seeing "users on Android TV, view this more than on Apple TV, and on Android TV it takes 3 clicks to get there, we can make that 1 click since it's a priority for Android TV users." Therefore making the experience more pleasant, and making it easier for others that didn't notice it, thus increasing the retention rate. It's not something they'd change in the Apple TV version, because Apple TV users are different and have different methods of navigation.

if I am AirPlaying to an Android TV there would be no indication that I'm using an Android TV remote to navigate through the video stream. It would just be indicated as an iOS device air playing. It muddles the data, because now you're getting Android TV device interactions with iOS identifiers.

 

[mudflap]

but smart tvs have had netflix built in for ages. so they don't need airplay

My smart TV has Netflix. My Tivo has Netflix. But I like to use my iPad or iPhone to find stuff to watch because they have built in keyboards. Much easier.

 

[tito2020]

I only have Netflix for Better Call Saul and Brooklyn 99. They’ve gotten rid of so many movies, and now that they’re acting in such a petty way to smite Apple but also customers, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll remain one.

they didnt get rid of movies the content providers did they are all getting there own streaming apps

 

[ChromeAce]

Netflix video on a mobile device is more compressed than directly from an tv, so this change makes sense to ensure the best experience.

 

[cmaier]

Netflix video on a mobile device is more compressed than directly from an tv, so this change makes sense to ensure the best experience.

Video on mobile is much higher quality than alternative, when the alternative is no video at all (because you don’t have internet other than mobile, you don’t have a Netflix app on the big screen because it’s not your big screen, etc.)

 

[lederermc]

Don’t you have an Apple TV to watch Netflix. The app is still ok Apple TV interface right?

Wrong. The Apple TV Netflix app has a "feature" called preview that force plays a trailer with audio when scrolling thru the content. The iPhone does not.