Netflix Won't Offer Apple Vision Pro App at Launch

[Spanky Deluxe]

I don't plan on using a Vision to watch TV shows just yet. I've had many VR sets over the years and while watching films was a cool gimmick (best way to watch a 3D film for sure), the convenience of just being able to chill on the sofa, lying on my side, cuddling my dog and eating snacks and drinking drinks is just too great. However, it would have cost Netflix nothing to at least *be* on there.

The problem I have with Netflix in their war against supporting Apple stuff is that it just seems to hurting themselves. I often forget about Netflix shows I'm watching because it's not in my Apple TV 'up next' thingy. Unless it's a show I'm super into, I can easily forget. Especially if it's a weekly release show. I just don't see it. Even Amazon Prime is in there and Amazon's UI is literal garbage.

 

[Realityck]

Netflix is actively trying to put itself out of business. This is news?

Against the vast number of Vision Pro subscribers? 🤣

 

[Randel.D]

Netflix is that green bubble friend we have to leave out of group texts.

 

[vantelimus]

I don't think very many people intend to watch movies on this $3500 headset with 2 hours of battery life.

That's a canard. If you couldn't plug it into a power brick through the USB-C cable, then the two-hour battery life would make it useless for the type of computing revolution Apple is hoping Spatial Computing will become. Remember, this is a full computer that will allow most people to use it for all their computation needs. It may take a few years for that to pan out. Apple is the only company that I would bet has the tenacity to see the VisionPro through to fruition. This won't be a toy, like Google glass was.

 

[GermanSuplex]

Why is Netflix always a step behind these things? I think their catalog gets some unfair hate, but it’s things like this that aggravate me about them. I say that knowing I can’t afford the Vision Pro anyways 😂

 

[WingingIt]

I don't plan on using a Vision to watch TV shows just yet. I've had many VR sets over the years and while watching films was a cool gimmick (best way to watch a 3D film for sure), the convenience of just being able to chill on the sofa, lying on my side, cuddling my dog and eating snacks and drinking drinks is just too great.

Wait! I can’t eat snacks while wearing a Vision Pro?? Well this changes everything! <cancels pre-order> 😉

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Have fun breaking that vr headset for 3500 before boarding the plane. And if it breaks and you feel like you want to cry over your latest toy. You can always hide your tears with your broken helmet goggles.

That big joke post aside, exactly like you, I'm actually set up with the equipment described in that post. Should I choose to buy Vpro (which awaits a live demo so I can see what it can do with my own eyes instead of trying to pass complete & final judgement on a wide spectrum of up to very optimistic to very pessimistic speculation & imagination), I will NOT be using it for entertainment viewing when I have all that A/V equipment right around me. I seriously doubt ANYONE with a big TV and some great speakers are going to opt to substitute Vpro instead to watch virtual TV.

But then, as implied by the post, I am not always in proximity to my home theater setup. And, as is, something like watching a movie or show becomes an exercise in holding up a phone, an iPad or- for a really big screen- a 16" MB on the plane. Vpro will apparently offer the ability to summon a gigantic screen and/or screens in a package that fits inside a smallish laptop-like bag. How well will it do this? I don't know. That's to be determined with my own eyes in an upcoming demo. But if it does it well, then that has some great value for me... both for working on long flights on a screen much larger than 16" and for entertainment when the work is done.

If I never or rarely travel and thus always have access to my desktop computer screen and my huge home theater screen, my interest in Vpro dramatically falls. I don't even need a laptop, iPhone and maybe iPad too if I have immediate access to a good desktop. It will have to do other stuff to make up for those obvious & simple uses if someone doesn't have much need for those uses. Maybe it does some other amazing things? Or not? To be determined when anyone interested can have a look at whatever this can do with their own eyes... SOON.

Enjoy your apparently great home theater setup. I have one too and LOVE it. Very likely like you, I've spent much more than $3500 for it and it is basically anchored to a single location for however long it all keeps functioning. I can't do a thing with it as soon as I leave the nest... not enjoy more than $3500 spent on the speakers... not see 1 pixel on the TV that cost more than $3500 too, etc.

If I have Vpro available to me right now and could watch something on the home theater or Vpro tonight, home theater for the win almost every time. That proposition dramatically changes though as soon as I step on that plane... or am in some distant hotel room, etc... or have a long layover in some airport terminal, etc.

 

[swingerofbirch]

I read Apple is blocking the iPad iMovie app from running on Vision OS which seems even more significant.

John Gruber wrote in his Mastodon Q&A he thinks beyond entertainment that video editing would be one of the most compelling uses for the device because it's like using a super large display.

But they don't have a video editing app. I suppose they have the feature where it can mirror your Mac's display, which could let you do video editing, but none of the demos have shown that yet so I don't know if it will be available at launch.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Don't forget that Apple also offers FCPX for iPad. Perhaps FCPX is ready for spatial video editing and iMovie is not? TBD... soon.

And yes, if neither is ready for Vpro, do the heavy lifting of video editing on a MB while viewing the gigantic video editing screen in Vpro. I do a fair amount of video editing myself and there is no screen that is big (wide) enough... certainly not 16"

 

[ErikGrim]

Netflix is that green bubble friend we have to leave out of group texts.

Netflix has huge green bubble energy

 

[tazinlwfl]

I read Apple is blocking the iPad iMovie app from running on Vision OS which seems even more significant.

John Gruber wrote in his Mastodon Q&A he thinks beyond entertainment that video editing would be one of the most compelling uses for the device because it's like using a super large display.

But they don't have a video editing app. I suppose they have the feature where it can mirror your Mac's display, which could let you do video editing, but none of the demos have shown that yet so I don't know if it will be available at launch.

Final Cut Pro

 

[Verified Whiskey]

Apple makes it easy for developers to port their iPadOS apps to visionOS, with over one million apps to be available on the Vision Pro's App Store at launch, but Netflix has evidently opted out.

This. This is what I was afraid of. Just like how the Apple Silicon Macs were able to run iPhone and iPad apps natively, but Apple gave the developers the option to restrict that. Meaning most every single one will. If you can tell me a few quality iPhone and iPad apps that are available natively on the Mac then I would be surprised. It worked for the first few updates when Big Sur was launched, but once Apple allowed developers to restrict their apps, then a lot of them disappeared.

 

[tazinlwfl]

That big joke post aside, exactly like you, I'm actually set up with the equipment described in that post. Should I choose to buy Vpro (which awaits a live demo so I can see what it can do with my own eyes instead of trying to pass complete & final judgement on a wide spectrum of up to very optimistic to very pessimistic speculation & imagination), I will NOT be using it for entertainment viewing when I have all that A/V equipment right around me. I seriously doubt ANYONE with a big TV and some great speakers are going to opt to substitute Vpro instead to watch virtual TV.

But then, as implied by the post, I am not always in proximity to my home theater setup. And, as is, something like watching a movie or show becomes an exercise in holding up a phone, an iPad or- for a really big screen- a 16" MB on the plane. Vpro will apparently offer the ability to summon a gigantic screen and/or screens in a package that fits inside a smallish laptop-like bag. How well will it do this? I don't know. That's to be determined with my own eyes in an upcoming demo. But if it does it well, then that has some great value for me... both for working on long flights on a screen much larger than 16" and for entertainment when the work is done.

If I never or rarely travel and thus always have access to my desktop computer screen and my huge home theater screen, my interest in Vpro dramatically falls. I don't even need a laptop, iPhone and maybe iPad too if I have immediate access to a good desktop. It will have to do other stuff to make up for those obvious & simple uses if someone doesn't have much need for those uses. Maybe it does some other amazing things? Or not? To be determined when anyone interested can have a look at whatever this can do with their own eyes... SOON.

Enjoy your apparently great home theater setup. I have one too and LOVE it. Very likely like you, I've spent much more than $3500 for it and it is basically anchored to a single location for however long it all keeps functioning. I can't do a thing with it as soon as I leave the nest... not enjoy more than $3500 spent on the speakers... not see 1 pixel on the TV that cost more than $3500 too, etc.

If I have Vpro available to me right now and could watch something on the home theater or Vpro tonight, home theater for the win almost every time. That proposition dramatically changes though as soon as I step on that plane... or am in some distant hotel room, etc... or have a long layover in some airport terminal, etc.

Generally speaking, that amazing system isn’t off limits while wearing Apple Vision Pro. The passthrough and open ear design means you get the benefits of physical devices like that theater or your phone / watch, plus all of the spatial apps that can be pinned throughout your space. You don’t have to choose.

 

[swingerofbirch]

Final Cut Pro

Oh I forgot about that being on iPad even though it just recently came out.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Generally speaking, that amazing system isn’t off limits while wearing Apple Vision Pro. The passthrough and open ear design means you get the benefits of physical devices like that theater or your phone / watch, plus all of the spatial apps that can be pinned throughout your space. You don’t have to choose.

Yes, that's true, but while I certainly lean positive on Vpro, I'm with that other guy in terms of imagining not wearing Vpro while at home with both a loaded home theater and a big desktop computer screen available.

Yes, I can see applications for why someone MIGHT opt to mix (use) BOTH, but that's probably not me. I'd have to have a strong reason(s) driving interest (which I'll simply leave as a possibility for now, presumably the whole range of AR possibilities comes to mind) to shift my imagination in that direction. Just like that guy, I have a fantastic surround sound setup in place. I also own some good headphones. There's been a time or three in the last few years where I've found some reason to use the headphones instead of the speaker setup... but that's unusual because almost always the surround sound is better.

As is, Vpro to me is very much a mobile device... mostly a super-sized lid to working on a MB while traveling and a super-sized movie screen when seeking something to watch while away from home. Yes, I'm sure Vpro is a LOT more than that... but that I readily visualize as LIKELY very real, very tangible benefits when it arrives. Beyond that, there are endless possibilities that could be dazzlingly great OR of no interest to me whatsoever.

I look forward to finding out the full scope of what it can do beginning with an in-person demo... and then- in time- as new apps pop into the store able to do new things.

Forgive my perhaps limited imagination on the full potential of the device. I generally am not lacking in imagination but may be too narrow in how I think I envision core uses for me. As is, I'm hoping it just does ONE simple thing really well. Anything more than that would be gravy IMO.

 

[scrapesleon]

no one cares about Netflix then again they probably want to know how many people will get vision pro before making the app

 

[wikiverse]

There is that OTHER- perhaps still secret (shhhhhh, don't tell anyone)- benefit of summoning a gigantic screen anywhere you happen to be and watching any 2D movie or show on it that you can stream or have synced to your other Apple devices (via Airplay).

For example, instead of watching a big movie on a phone or iPad or laptop screen in the cramped quarters of row 11 on the plane, you could wash away the plane and the passengers heads & seats right in front of you (row 10) and watch the movie on a giant screen. To me, this seems more desirable than holding up a puny iPhone, my puny iPad Mini or even a 16" MB screen instead, which I see LOTS of people doing on many flights in the last few years. But maybe that's just me.

Apparently, even the poor souls jammed into the crampiest of cramped quarters on Spirit could summon a 100" screen for a movie or show, to try to improve upon that spectacular flying experience.

Most people don't fly that regularly. If you're flying regularly enough to need something like this, you would have enough mileage to fly business class on long haul flights where it would be useful, and they already have larger screens, noise cancelling headphones, and a larger collection of movies and tv shows than you're likely to have downloaded to your device.

You won't be allowed to use the Vision Pro during take off or landing, which will carve up to 40 minutes out of your viewing time on that screen, when you could easily watch something on an ipad or phone.

But this mythical use case is a non-starter for most people. A flight over 2 hours would require additional batteries - which adds extra cost to the $3500 you're already paying on top of your plane ticket. You'll need a travel case as well, and if you've got the money to waste on a Vision Pro for a 'gigantic screen experience' while flying, you've got the money to avoid flying Spirit anyway.

 

[enjoi52]

You can also plug it in... It's not a big deal.

Exactly. It’s been made abundantly clear through marketing and communication that it’s not an “on the go” product.

 

[WingingIt]

Most people don't fly that regularly. If you're flying regularly enough to need something like this, you would have enough mileage to fly business class on long haul flights where it would be useful, and they already have larger screens, noise cancelling headphones, and a larger collection of movies and tv shows than you're likely to have downloaded to your device.

You won't be allowed to use the Vision Pro during take off or landing, which will carve up to 40 minutes out of your viewing time on that screen, when you could easily watch something on an ipad or phone.

But this mythical use case is a non-starter for most people. A flight over 2 hours would require additional batteries - which adds extra cost to the $3500 you're already paying on top of your plane ticket. You'll need a travel case as well, and if you've got the money to waste on a Vision Pro for a 'gigantic screen experience' while flying, you've got the money to avoid flying Spirit anyway.

Dude, if there are airlines out there that have Vision Pro sized screens even in 1st class then I've never found them. And anyway, ability to watch movies on the Vision Pro big screen while flying is only one of the travel use cases. I travel for work a lot, and let me tell you, the Vision Pro is going to be better than any hotel TV.

Does anyone need a Vision Pro? Probably not. Especially if you have a movie theatre-esque home entertainment system. But then, I don't need an iPad, but I have one. I don't need an Apple Watch, but I have one. I didn't need the original iPhone when it came out, but I bought it. If people only bought tech that they needed we'd all still be buying beige 1990s style PC towers and Apple would have gone bankrupt years ago. Do I want the cool new eye-tracking UI? You bet! Worth $3,499? That is an individual question dependent upon your individual personal circumstances. If you're on food stamps, probably not; if you are a middle-aged professional who earns a good salary and has that sort of disposable cash, maybe.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Most people don't fly that regularly. If you're flying regularly enough to need something like this, you would have enough mileage to fly business class on long haul flights where it would be useful, and they already have larger screens, noise cancelling headphones, and a larger collection of movies and tv shows than you're likely to have downloaded to your device.

You won't be allowed to use the Vision Pro during take off or landing, which will carve up to 40 minutes out of your viewing time on that screen, when you could easily watch something on an ipad or phone.

But this mythical use case is a non-starter for most people. A flight over 2 hours would require additional batteries - which adds extra cost to the $3500 you're already paying on top of your plane ticket. You'll need a travel case as well, and if you've got the money to waste on a Vision Pro for a 'gigantic screen experience' while flying, you've got the money to avoid flying Spirit anyway.

All that's fine. I readily acknowledge that it is NOT for everyone. Nothing is for everyone. I don't even have "the holiest of holies" (iPhone) or Watch and I'm perfectly fine with that. If you happen to have either or both, good for you. You won't see me wasting a minute trying to apparently convince you or others that there's absolutely nothing in either product for anyone. If you see no value in Vpro, don't buy it.

I don't "need" this. I can just keep using a MB, as I have for decades. I tangibly feel that productivity plunge when I shift from big-screen desktop to 16" laptop. This has potential to let me have a big screen with me... without having to drag a 40" screen onto the planes, to the hotels, and so on. Will it do that well? I don't know. I haven't seen it yet. Since the cheapies can certainly provide a big virtual screen in 1080p lenses that gets some reviewer praise, I presume the same in 4K lenses would be some level of upgrade. I look forward to taking a look with my own eyes and seeing if it can do this one key thing well.

I don't care if I can't use it when taking off or landing. If I buy it, I won't be living in it. I don't use the laptop when taking off or landing either. I pull out the computer when I'm ready to get some work done and put it away when I'm done. If I buy Vpro, I expect to do exactly the same.

In roughly 200X, I paid the Vpro price for a Powerbook G4 with 2 hours of battery life. And then I paid more for some extra batteries to solve this monumental problem of battery life. Apply 20+ years of inflation and it cost far more than Vpro. Why did I pay such an insane price for a stupid bit of obviously useless, niche tech with only 2 hours of battery life... and then even more for some extra batteries? I wanted to get a lot of work done while traveling. I fly a lot. I'm in hotels a lot. I'm on layovers in airport terminals a lot.

And Spirit was a joke... but conceptually, even when packed into a space as tight as that, presumably a Vpro user could summon a gigantic screen and somewhat wash away the perception of being a sardine packed tightly.

 

[ke-iron]

Netflix seems pretty lackluster when it comes to their streaming apps, so this isn’t surprising. Not sure you’d want to run their iPad app as it only supports 1080p. Meanwhile their existing VR app (on Meta Quest) only supports 480p (!) and hasn’t really been updated since 2015 - when it was written by John Carmack, not Netflix.

Wtf I guess I’m really going to cancel Netflix, it would not be a good experience on Vision Pro at all

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Exactly. It’s been made abundantly clear through marketing and communication that it’s not an “on the go” product.

Is that sarcasm? Else...

There was an article about Apple highlighting Vpro Travel mode yesterday. Here's more details about using it for travel from way back in June. Did you watch the WWDC videos? Here's a relavant segment...

 

[PowerMac5500]

Deleted

 

[aidler]

Not unnecessarily spending money to develop an App for a device that only a few will use and even fewer will be able to wear long enough to view an entire movie (that is if the batteries last long enough) is probably the right move.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

The picture of a guy on a couch watching the fake TV while wearing a gigantic headset is simply not enticing at all.