![\"Netflix](\"http:\/\/www.pocketpccentral.net\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/android_netflix.jpg\" "\\"Netflix")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
As we told you last month<\/a>, Netflix has been hiring developers for Android in an effort to bring their streaming video service to Google\u2019s mobile platform. At the time we speculated that a Netflix app would hit the Android Marketplace in early 2011.<\/p>\n And, we were right… sort of.<\/p>\n Yesterday, Netflix confirmed that early 2011 is, indeed, their target Android release timeframe. But the company also regretfully reported that the release won\u2019t be pretty. <\/p>\n VP of Product Development Greg Peters posted<\/a> on the Netflix Blog that they\u2019ll have a streaming app for \u201cselect Android devices \u2026 early next year.\u201d Why not all Android devices, you ask? Shockingly, it\u2019s because of the most unlikely of culprits\u2026 DRM.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n As Peters writes, content owners \u2013 i.e. studios \u2013 require DRM (Digital Rights Management<\/a>) to be in place on a target device in order for Netflix to be allowed to stream their videos to it. But no such \u201cgeneric and complete platform security and content protection mechanism\u201d is currently available across all Android smartphones and tablets. Put another way: No satisfactory OS-level DRM, no streaming video.<\/p>\n So, Netflix will \u201cwork with the Android community, handset manufacturers, carriers, and other service providers to develop a standard, platform-wide solution\u201d that would pacify the studios and allow Netflix to do what they do. We suppose this means that, at least at first, Netflix will only be available on a few Android devices, or perhaps devices from one or two device makers or carriers.<\/p>\n We know it\u2019s difficult to believe that ironhanded DRM requirements could result in delays, incompatibilities, user headaches or service denial, but we fear \u2013 at least in this case \u2013 it\u2019s true. And we were so<\/u><\/em> looking forward to using our phones to pirate video (Attention MPAA: that was sarcasm).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As we told you last month, Netflix has been hiring developers for Android in an effort to bring their streaming video service to Google\u2019s mobile platform. At the time we speculated that a Netflix app would hit the Android Marketplace in early 2011. And, we were right… sort of. Yesterday, Netflix confirmed that early 2011 […] Continue reading