FTA receiver w/ NetFlix capability

[Mountain Do]

Hi all

As I've been considering some new equipment lately, and am interested in ending up w/ something that will stream NetFlix and EweTooob and whatever from my LAN, I'm wondering if there's an STB that throws in such features. It looks like Azboxes do the latter, but - do they also do NetFlix??? Seemed like if they did, 'twoulda been touted in the write-up.

I was hoping that I could find the technical def'n of what that streaming protocol is called, so that I could check the spec's of receivers for such a buzzword, but neither NF nor Roku seem to share that little detail. Anyone got that low-down?

Thanks up front

MtDo

 

[flyznest]

I don't know for sure but I would be suprised if the AZBox did netflix. the AZBox runs linux. Netflix depends on Microsoft Silverlight... Though microsoft and novell have released silverlight packages for linux, they have been careful to always make sure that netflix requires a newer version than is available for linux. I am looking for the same receiver as you.

 

[mr3p]

If you can find an FTA receiver that is DLNA compliant, you could stream Netflix via Playon software running on a PC on your network. I had previously done this with a PS3, prior to them adding their own Netflix support, and it works. DLNA support would allow you to also playback media content from your PC which is why it is a desired feature for the Roku. Maybe some of the newer FTA receivers have DLNA support but I'm not aware of one. YOu can definitely playback media content including HD recordings from a networked PC with the Azbox, which I've done. You do need to have sufficient network bandwith for HD.

 

[putney]

Google has licensed Android to Sony to make a netflix compatible media box. It would be nice to see them enter the STB market.

 

[Anole]

If it's going to cost the FTA boys a licensing fee, I can't see them going for it.
If they can get away for free, then ...maybe...

You find Netflix/Youtube capabiility in BluRay players these days, and some new TV sets.
So, looking at the entire end-user market, I don't see any attraction to putting it in FTA receivers.
It'd just wind up being a duplication of capability.
Much like it's now difficult to find any audio CD players in some retail stores...
The DVD players do CD, so why bother?

 

[putney]

With the exception of brief update periods, Android has been available as open source since 21 October 2008. Google opened the entire source code (including network and telephony stacks) under an Apache License.[free]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)

FTA is mentioned breifly (by the bar graph)

Android gets boxed in

 

[bruin95]

I don't know for sure but I would be suprised if the AZBox did netflix. the AZBox runs linux. Netflix depends on Microsoft Silverlight... Though microsoft and novell have released silverlight packages for linux, they have been careful to always make sure that netflix requires a newer version than is available for linux. I am looking for the same receiver as you.

Silverlight is strictly a web-based application. I know of no STB's that run Silverlight. The Roku box runs on linux and was the first Netflix capable STB.

As for seeing Netflix capable FTA boxes, it all depends on if the company making the box wants to pay the necessary licensing fees to make it happen.

 

[flyznest]

Silverlight is strictly a web-based application. I know of no STB's that run Silverlight. The Roku box runs on linux and was the first Netflix capable STB.

Silverlight is a streaming application... not necessarily web based. The roku is linux based, but uses an asic to decode the silverlight stuff... it does not use software.

 

[Tron]

The new version of the WDTV Live, the WDTV Live Plus, will stream Netflix. I believe that media player is Linux based.

 

[flyznest]

The new version of the WDTV Live, the WDTV Live Plus, will stream Netflix. I believe that media player is Linux based.

again... this is using an asic for hardware decoding... Linux is not doing the work.

One of these days MS/Novell allow netflix to run on linux.. until then I don't think we'll see it in FTA STB's... mainly because they won't license the asics.

In NA, FTA manufacturers are selling products and services to a small market. This market is a mixture of foreigners(my wife), people too cheap to pay for cable/DirecTV(me), and chronic tinkerers(me again). all three cases are people with no money, or who don't like to spend their money. Microsoft and Netflix would likely never waste their time on us. They want someone who makes a product for the masses... TV's, DVD's, phones, tablets... whatever.

Buy a roku... I have one... For $10/mo it rocks