Computerworld - Netflix Inc. on Friday began letting customers stream the DVD rental company's catalog of on-demand movies and television programs to Macs.
The public beta, which made good on a Netflix promise made earlier in the week that it would expand its video-streaming service to Macs, requires customers to opt in at the company's Web site, then download and install Microsoft Corp.'s Silverlight 2.0 player. Only Intel-powered Macs can run Silverlight 2.0.
Netflix went with Microsoft's streaming technology after Apple Inc. refused to license its proprietary antipiracy software.
The company warned users that the new "Watch Instantly" functionality might be troublesome. "There may be bugs," Netflix acknowledged in a post to its official blog. "Not all movies are available to watch with Silverlight [and] you may notice errors or lower than normal quality when watching certain titles."
The streaming service varies video quality based on the speed of the user's broadband connection. Speeds of 1Mbit/sec. and less can handle what Netflix dubbed "basic" quality, while a connection of 1.6Mbit/sec. or faster will result in "high" video quality.
Most Netflix customers are allowed to watch an unlimited number of streamed movies and TV programs each month. Netflix currently has about 12,000 films and television shows on its Watch Instantly list.
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