Technology

59082 readers

3410 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

963

Netflix Windows app is set to remove its downloads feature, while introducing ads (www.techradar.com)

submitted 5 months ago by ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

219 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Netflix has managed to annoy a good number of its users with an announcement about an upcoming update to its Windows 11 (and Windows 10) app: support for adverts and live events will be added, but the ability to download content is being taken away.

Netflix must realize that it's a huge frustration for people who relied on offline downloads to watch content without internet access: on planes, trains, and campsites, and anywhere else where Wi-Fi is unavailable or unreliable.

There's a small chance that Netflix will change its mind if it gets enough complaints, but the streaming service seems determined to add as many money-making features as possible, while taking away genuinely useful ones.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Kethal@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I think the only way to get surround sound is in the desktop program. I don't know if that's a limitation of browsers or if the Netflix guys are just assholes.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I could imagine a technical limitation if they use some proprietary audio codec to send compressed surround sound that the browser somehow doesn't support, but on the other hand why the fuck am I giving a big tech corporation any benefit of the doubt?

[–] subtext@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

In my limited understanding, they almost certainly do not because if they did client devices would struggle to decode some non-standard format.

It’s probably a DRM limitation.