Sunday, August 15, 2010

CWTV adds Support for Streaming to Linux

Back in March I had mentioned that one of the only issues I had to deal with when converting my girlfriend's laptop to Linux Mint was that her favourite TV show would not stream to Linux. The reason for this is that CWTV, instead of using Adobe Flash, uses Move Media player to stream to Windows and OSX (Move does not support Linux). Because of this if you are on a Linux system you would simply receive an "operating system not supported" message when browsing the page with the stream.

Shannon VanWagner and myself (and hopefully more than a few others) wrote emails to CWTV, asking that they support all operating systems equally with their live stream. Meaning if Move Media player refuses to support Linux, they should still offer a stream via flash.

Never doubt that your voice matters. CWTV will now stream on your operating system of choice so long as said operating has a flash enabled browser.


Hopefully this is a sign of Linux gaining more support as a desktop operating system from larger companies. Who knows, maybe other companies such as Netflix will follow suite at some point in the next year with Linux desktop variations such as Meego and Chrome OS coming into play very soon.

~Jeff Hoogland

6 comments:

  1. Netflix has lost thousands of customers through not supporting Linux, May be MS have got the forced IE monopoly there too,

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  2. I have been waiting to buy a Linux version of Netflix for awhile. Flash and Silverlight are on their way out anyway so eventually they will have no choice.

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  3. Jeff, right on.. Thanks for the follow up blog on CWTV. I have since went to their site and left some positive feedback (this time) to award them for doing the right thing. Using GNU/Linux gets better everyday, and it's thanks to people like yourself and people that speak up for GNU/Linux that it does.

    As for Netflix, I have been boycotting their entire service for years now for the simple reason of their non-Linux compatible streaming content. In a world that benefits so much from Open Standards, non-compliant or monopoly-supporting companies should be punished. But recently, I read that Netflix will be coming to Android Linux, which I think is a step towards it being available on full-fledged GNU/Linux as well. So this will be good.

    In the meantime, I will be training my consumer sights onto the new target, Netflix. And as a community - GNU/Linuxers everywhere will bring Netflix to the table as well, because it is the right thing to do to support it.

    Get your GNU/Linux on! Cheers!

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  4. Netflix will come to android... with google tv

    I personally see googletv as much better than apple tv

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  5. hey,the best way is to use firefox and mediaplayerconnectivity extension, so you can play your video with vlc media player, and you know that vlc play wmedia well ...

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  6. Hey Jeff... You probably heard about it but recently a VP over at netflix had enough nerve to post a story about how they use and contribute to open source. Joe Brockmeier had written a story about it on networkworld http://www.networkworld.com/community/netflix-touts-open-source-ignores-linux and the original netflix blogpost is here http://techblog.netflix.com/2010/12/why-we-use-and-contribute-to-open.html

    I've been trying to spool up some attention to the whole thing by posting it on various social networks and I plan to make a blog post.. Although I'm not as quick about kicking out quality blog posts as you are.

    So anyways here's your chance to let Netflix have it.. Whether you comment on their blog or make your own entry or both... lol
    Cheers!

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