Netflix and XP PRO

[JAS]

My daughter gave her Mother a subscription to Netflix for her birthday.
We have Windows XP PRO SP 3 and use Seamonkey 2.39 but from what I have
read on the site we won't be able to use it. Is there any way??
Seamonkey has the Silverlight 5 plugin installed but I do not think that
HTML 5 is compatible.
Thanks--JAS

[VanguardLH]

You don't need ANY plug-in (Flash or Silverlight) to use an HTML5 player
(which is Javascript and HTML5 code using the <video> tag). How do you
know Seamonkey does not support [some of] HTML5? Despite claiming
support for HTML5 by most [new] web browsers, HTML5 won't be fully
ratified until 2022, or later. Some features are still fluctuating,
like dropping Web SQL Database support to go with IndexDB support. Have
you visited one of the HTML5 test sites to check if your web browser
supports HTML5? I've never bothered with Seamonkey so I don't know what
technologies or degree of support it has for them.

http://html5test.com/

If Seamonkey is not [fully] HTML5 compatible then why not use Firefox
(on which Seamonkey is based)? The lastest version is 44.0.2. That
still runs on Windows XP SP-3; see:

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/44.0.2/system-requirements/

The html5test.com site gave my Firefox 44.0.2 setup a rating of 461 (out
of 555); however, I have some features disabled in my instance of
Firefox, like geolocation and letting sites spy on my clipboard actions,
plus I am pleased that Mozilla has decided to NOT support some of HTML5
(not all of it benefits the end user). Some of the ratings at the HTML5
sites are weighted; i.e., an item may have more than 1 point. Plus they
may test for experimental HTML5 features which are obviously not
ratified for public consumption. So not getting a perfect is no big
deal. Google Chrome (and perhaps other Chromium variants) get a higher
score but then it is supporting many HTML5 features that I would like to
disable via user configuration.

The only article that I found about system requirements for Seamonkey
was:

http://www.seamonkey-project.org/doc/2.0/system-requirements

Are you saying the latest version of Seamonkey does not support and will
not install (there is a big difference in those two) on Windows XP?

Both Flash and Silverlight are in their death throes and will be dead
not too long from now. Even Microsoft has announced they will
discontinue Silverlight. Despite they will support Silverlight 5 until
2021, they will not move forward to a version 6 and sites don't need it
anymore. Mozilla will drop plug-in support. Has Netflix now completely
dropped Silverlight support and moved completely to HTML5 video?

If you visit Google's YouTube site, do the videos play there okay in
Seamonkey? YouTube switched to HTML5 video awhile ago (while still
supporting Flash). There might still be Flash videos at YouTube but
everything I play there uses HTML5 video. Note that I have the Flash
plug-in in Firefox configured to "Ask to Activate" which means Flash is
not available in my web browser unless I say so. Many sites with Flash
content will test if Flash is available and, if so, use that but if not
available then use HTML5 video.

[gfre...@aol.com]

On Thu, 18 Feb 2016 10:46:42 -0700, JAS <jasfor...@outlook.com>
wrote:

I am running Netflix on a bunch of XP pro machines. I think NF uses
Silverlight but I also have some services that use Flash and they work
too. I run Firefox on them.

[Paul]

It takes a moment to digest the table.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742

WinXP SP3
(IE8 or IE7 or Firefox 12+) and Silverlight 5
(IE8 or IE7 or IE6 or Firefox 12+) and Silverlight 4
Firefox 42 or later, Chrome 37 or later (HTML5 + DRM)

There was some whining from Netflix about a lack of DRM for
content protection on HTML5. HTML5 on a number of browsers, works
well enough for Youtube, but for Netflix, a dollop of DRM is needed.
And some sort of scheme was dreamed up for it, and it
might be implemented in relatively recent browsers.
So that may account for the insistence on a relatively
high version number for Firefox and Chrome. I think Silverlight
on the other hand, already had means for supporting DRM.

Silverlight won't last forever. Because Microsoft has
deprecated Silverlight, that means Netflix will also have
to wean itself off the technology. Once Microsoft gets
to the point of no longer issuing security fixes for
Silverlight, that will provide an incentive to pull
the plug on it. (You could check the lifecycle web
page at Microsoft, to see the date of last support
for Silverlight. I don't know what that date is.)

The HTML5 idea was originally intended not to support
stuff like DRM. But you can't keep powerful business
interests at bay. And everything has to have DRM.
I mean, even the nightly news carried over IP
to your home, has to have the "Do Not Copy" bit
set on the feed. Why ? I guess a lot of people
pirate the nightly news and play it two years later.

Paul

[gfre...@aol.com]

They pretty much let you steal anything you want in low def. It only
seems to be HD that they are protecting. If you have component out and
a component in recorder, I am not sure how they stop you from copying
HD too but everyone is pushing you to HDMI that has DRM in the
hardware.

One issue with using the newer browsers is the hardware requirements,
which are tougher than the older ones. Usually you can get by it with
more RAM.

[Mike S]

1: I installed Seamonkey 2.39.1 on my XP SP3 box, logged into Netflix,
clicked on a movie, and was taken to *this page (below).

2: Next I found this discussion which contains a suggestion which worked
for me after I did it, then activated Silverlight.

http://codeverge.com/mozilla.support.seamonkey/netflix-sm-2.39/2039086

Ari Hansson wrote:
> Den l�rdag 14 november 2015 kl. 02:54:06 UTC+1 skrev BL:
>> Since SeaMonkey update to 2.39 I have problem with Netflix. Movie
>> selection loads normally but playback stays at black screen and no
>> sound. I reinstalled Silverlight but problem remains. Netflix plays
>> normally on FF and IE. Any ideas??
>> Thank You BL

> I've run into the same thing, and when I tried to watch Jessica Jones
about 10 minutes ago, I just get redirected to the Netflix system
requirement page.

The issue is with Netflix not SeaMonkey. Just a common issue pf stupid
agentagent sniffing instead of proper object detection to determine
browser requirement. The scourge of poor web development. You can see
for yourself

Go to about:config

Right-click and create new string key
general.useragent.override
enter value of
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:42.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/42.0

Restart browser and try netflix and lo and behold it works.

You can install a userangent string extension, I was just using this a
demo. Best thing is to complain to Netflix support and demand that the
properly develop their site. If enough folks complain we may not have to
endure the "shame" of not using the browser with the approved name.
I did my part. I called them.
--
Take care,
Jonathan


*https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742?tnid=23742

Help Center
Netflix system requirements for HTML5 Player and Silverlight

Netflix system requirements for HTML5 Player and Silverlight

You can use our HTML5 player or Silverlight to watch Netflix movies and
TV shows on PCs running Windows XP or later, and Intel-based Macs
running OS X Tiger (v10.4.11) or later. You'll find a complete list of
requirements below for HTML5, Silverlight 4, and Silverlight 5.

Supported Browsers:

Google Chrome version 37 or later on Windows XP Service Pack 2 or
later and Mac OS X 10.6 or later (Snow Leopard)
Internet Explorer 11 or later on Windows 8.1 or later
Microsoft Edge on Windows 10
Mozilla Firefox version 42 or later on Windows Vista or later
Supported on stable, official release builds from Mozilla.
Non-Mozilla builds are not supported.
Opera version 33 or later on Windows Vista Service Pack 2 or later
and Mac OS X 10.9 or later
Safari on Mac OS X 10.10 or later (Yosemite)
Supported on all 2012 or later models and select 2011 models

Resolution: Stream in HD if your Internet connection supports 5 megabits
per second or more.

Google Chrome up to 720p
Internet Explorer up to 1080p
Microsoft Edge up to 1080p
Mozilla Firefox up to 720p
Opera up to 720p
Safari up to 1080p on Mac OS X 10.10.3 or later

[JAS]

I also contacted Netflix and have put the new User Agent in but still
the same. I may just get her a new tablet but then probably more
problems. I like Seamonkey better than NetFlix so we can live without
it. Thanks for all the replies and advice.
JAS

--
You either teach people to treat you with dignity and respect, or
you don't. This means you are partly responsible for the mistreatment
that you get at the hands of someone else.

[JAS]

I had been using Pref Bar UA changer with Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1;
WOW64; rv:42.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/42.0 and it did not work but I
followed these instruction and it is working.

Go to about:config

Right-click and create new string key

general.useragent.override.netflix.com

enter value of
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:42.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/42.0

Restart browser and try netflix and lo and behold it works.

Thanks again everyone