Nvidia and Netflix now Pre-Viewing Support for 4K streams on Pascal GPU's

Zarathustra[H]

Zarathustra[H]

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It would appear as if viewing 4K Content on Netflix is no longer a Kaby Lake exclusive. You can add Nvidia Pascal to that list now, at least if you have the Windows Insider Program membership required to obtain the 381.74 drivers. In addition, SLI must be disabled in order for 4k streaming to work.

These are - however - not the only limitations. Either Ms. Edge or the Netflix app must be used, and ALL monitors currently active on the machine will also need to be HDCP2.2 compatible or it won't work.

The limitations seem a bit restrictive currently. Let's hope it is just a matter of this being a pre-view, and not a matter of restrictive DRM requirements. While we tend to be a "bleeding edge hardware" bunch, not everyone upgrades their monitors to the latest standard every couple of years. At least I don't.

To enable Netflix UHD playback, the following is required:
  • NVIDIA Driver version exclusively provided via Microsoft Windows Insider Program (currently 381.74).
    No other GeForce driver will support this functionality at this time
    If you are not currently registered for WIP, follow this link for instructions to join: https://insider.windows.com/
  • NVIDIA Pascal based GPU, GeForce GTX 1050 or greater with minimum 3GB memory
  • HDCP 2.2 capable monitor(s). Please see the additional section below if you are using multiple monitors and/or multiple GPUs.
  • Microsoft Edge browser or Netflix app from the Windows Store
  • Approximately 25Mbps (or faster) internet connection.
 
They make it tough for people who want to pay for content.
No lessons learned here, the opposite, its even more restrictive.
Its not NVidias fault, at least they tried.

I dont expect the stiff requirements to change in later versions, they are that hard nosed.
Ridiculous.
 
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Their greed is going to make this system so hard to use, that no one will actually use it.
 
Nenu said:
They make it tough for people who want to pay for content.
No lessons learned here, the opposite, its even more restrictive.
Its not NVidias fault, at least they tried.

I dont expect the stiff requirements to change in later versions, they are that hard nosed.
Ridiculous.
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I suspect it is neither Nvidia's nor Netflix fault, but rather is for to Netflix being forced into HDCP 2.2 through their contracts with the content owners.

Yeah, I agree. The realistic expectation is that these require.ebts remain. Maybe they'll be able to get it to the point where I ly the monitor on which the content is being viewed needs to be HDCP 2.2 compliant, but that's a big maybe...
 
Too many DRM restrictions. This is why people just throw their hands up and download it instead.
 
Requires Windows 10's terrible Edge browser or Windows 10's Netflix store app? So either way it requires Windows 10 = automatic fail.

Niche of a niche. Why would they limit this to only working on a minority of windows computers? It's like they don't actually want adoption.
 
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Other than the HDCP 2.2 requirement, I don't see what 'restrictions' you guys are talking about. I don't mind at all using the Netflix App on desktop Windows. Windows 10 exclusivity is also not that big of a deal since, get this, it is the latest version of Microsoft's operating system. The rest of the stuff will iron itself out once it fully goes public.

This was previously only Kaby Lake capable and at least they are expanding it to Pascal GPUs. The HDCP 2.2 requirement is not that big a deal in my opinion. They have to try and keep people from easily ripping the 4k content somehow (not that it will stop those who want to anyway...).

Rather than meet this with a "hey, looks like I'll be able to watch 4k on my system" for those that meet the requirements, you guys are quick to jump to "fuck em, that's why we pirate" mode.

I guess the funny thing is, once the driver goes public, I'll have no problem watching 4k Netflix on my PC. Maybe that's why my reaction is the opposite of people's here...
 
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I would like to believe this isn't Netflixs own doing. Of course that may not really be true.

I hope at some point in the next year or so Netflix simply 2 tiers their content..... removing the silly restrictions for their own 4k content. Doing so would put a lot of pressure on the content industry to wake up. They make it a real PITA to watch content legally. I believe 1080p is going to be around for a good while because of this type of junk... and most will feel zero guilt pirating 4k content.
 
I don't really get the complaints either. Seems like they're making it easier to watch 4K Netflix on the PC. For months you essentially had to have a brand new PC. When it launched Kaby Lake wasn't even really available.
This is a step in the right direction. It's in beta right now, but it'll be available to the masses soon enough. Hopefully Nvidia can do something similar for 4K Blu-Rays very soon, too.
 
Sonicks said:
Other than the HDCP 2.2 requirement, I don't see what 'restrictions' you guys are talking about. I don't mind at all using the Netflix App on desktop Windows. Windows 10 exclusivity is also not that big of a deal since, get this, it is the latest version of Microsoft's operating system. The rest of the stuff will iron itself out once it fully goes public.

This was previously only Kaby Lake capable and at least they are expanding it to Pascal GPUs. The HDCP 2.2 requirement is not that big a deal in my opinion. They have to try and keep people from easily ripping the 4k content somehow (not that it will stop those who want to anyway...).

Rather than meet this with a "hey, looks like I'll be able to watch 4k on my system" for those that meet the requirements, you guys are quick to jump to "fuck em, that's why we pirate" mode.

I guess the funny thing is, once the driver goes public, I'll have no problem watching 4k Netflix on my PC. Maybe that's why my reaction is the opposite of people's here...
Click to expand...

I don't run windows (at least as a main OS) never will again >.< Right now I don't care to much about this as 1080p is fine by me I haven't jumped into a bunch of 4k displays yet. Having said that... right now I happily sub to netflix, and purchase a small handful of content. (like everyone else I pirate stuff like GOT cause what other option have they allowed). I have already resolved that when I end up swapping out my displays sometime in the next year or two... if Netflix isn't allowing me to stream more then 720p they are gone. Netflix has exactly that long to retain my business. I want to support them, I love a lot of their content and even in months when I haven't had much time to binge supporting them was worth it. At this point though they are making it hard to even view 1080 content never mind 4k...

Anyway my point is... they have built a bit of good will. Still for myself and I believe many others the clock is ticking. If I run out of patience before they get wise I believe many of us will simply revert to full time pirating again. It really is 1000x easier to pirate quality content.
 
ChadD said:
I don't run windows (at least as a main OS) never will again >.< Right now I don't care to much about this as 1080p is fine by me I haven't jumped into a bunch of 4k displays yet. Having said that... right now I happily sub to netflix, and purchase a small handful of content. (like everyone else I pirate stuff like GOT cause what other option have they allowed). I have already resolved that when I end up swapping out my displays sometime in the next year or two... if Netflix isn't allowing me to stream more then 720p they are gone. Netflix has exactly that long to retain my business. I want to support them, I love a lot of their content and even in months when I haven't had much time to binge supporting them was worth it. At this point though they are making it hard to even view 1080 content never mind 4k...

Anyway my point is... they have built a bit of good will. Still for myself and I believe many others the clock is ticking. If I run out of patience before they get wise I believe many of us will simply revert to full time pirating again. It really is 1000x easier to pirate quality content.
Click to expand...

You do know Game of Thrones, and all HBO content, is available through $15/month service called HBO Now.....

It's all out there if you're willing to pay a little for it. Back in college I had the 'what other option do they leave me" mentality but with a salary job I couldn't care less giving a few dollars here and there to get what I want to watch more conveniently. And let's not try to argue otherwise, it IS more convenient to pay for content than go through all the stupid shit it takes to download illegally. Paying for the content means I can watch it on my TV immediately with no hassle. Pirating things has me setting up a Plex Media server, getting a set top box that can use Plex, converting videos to hard-code subtitles, etc.. it's all that stupid hoops. And I suppose you can say that's more convenient than giving a little of your money away but to each his own I guess...

It is way harder to pirate and comfortably watch content. Arguing otherwise is simply trying to justify your choice to steal.

Just as an example, the other day I digitally rented Star Wars Rogue One through my Apple TV because I was bored, didn't want to go out, and wanted to watch it once on my TV. It took all of 30 seconds and $4.99 and that was it. I went from thought to impulse to watching comfortably in less than 30 seconds. You cannot tell me that's more hassle than pirating.
 
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Sonicks said:
You do know Game of Thrones, and all HBO content, is available through $15/month service called HBO Now.....

It's all out there if you're willing to pay a little for it. Back in college I had the 'what other option do they leave me" mentality but with a salary job I couldn't care less giving a few dollars here and there to get what I want to watch more conveniently. And let's not try to argue otherwise, it IS more convenient to pay for content than go through all the stupid shit it takes to download illegally. Paying for the content means I can watch it on my TV immediately with no hassle. Pirating things has me setting up a Plex Media server, getting a set top box that can use Plex, and all that stupid shit.

It is way harder to pirate and comfortably watch content. Arguing otherwise is simply trying to justify your choice not to pay.
Click to expand...


This must be a relatively recent development. Up until recently trying to sign up for HBO's GO package required you to change your cable package to include HBO.

That being said, a service that requires you to stream real time (and thus be exposed to bandwidth fluctuations) rather than pre-download content, that only works on specific platforms, and requires making do with low bitrate streaming file sizes is not satisfactory.

As it currently stands, I just don't watch HBO content, getting most of my content by buying BluRays and ripping them to my server, for playback via Kodi.

If now that Kodi is getting some DRM functionality for plugins, HBO GO decides to support the platform I may give it a try, but even then, the inability to pre-load content, and get full Blu-ray bitrates will be major negatives to me.

I don't personally like piracy. I believe that the creators of content should be paid, but they just seem hell bent on making it as difficult as possible for users to do so, and I fully understand why many people opt for that route.

Again, this comic hits the nail on the head.

In order for me to embrace any of these services they will have to:

- Either be fully cross platform through some technological development, or just drop the DRM and provide bare .mkv or other file formats.

- Not require switching between multiple apps to play different Content from.different publishers. A single unified interface - like I get in Kodi once I have ripped my Blu-ray's is key

- Ditch platform exclusives, region exclusives, etc. Release everything at the same time on all platforms in all regions.

- Allow me to pre-download high quality content, so I never need to worry about bandwidth related interruptions mid show, because even with my 150/150 connection funky shit always seems to happen resulting in quality drops or buffering mid stream when streaming video.

The best way to accomplish all of this would be to turn everything into single file DRM free downloads at ~25GB a pop. Let me pay for them, Dow load them and stick them in a local folder for me to watch using the platform and program of my choice. Because let's face it. DRM isn't stopping pirates. The content winds up on piracy sites within minutes of launch (or as fast as they can encode it) anyway. All DRM does is inconvenience and piss off legitimate paying users, like myself.
 
Sonicks said:
You do know Game of Thrones, and all HBO content, is available through $15/month service called HBO Now.....
Click to expand...

When that option is allowed to me in Canada... sure I'll be all over it. As it is the only legal option I have for new game of thrones here is $100+ a month bell tv sub. The only other legal option is to wait until the release blu ray versions a few months after they air... and avoid the internet and spoilers until then.

Ya I pirate it and will continue to do so without one guilty bone in my body. I will not subscribe to 50+ BS television channels just so Bell will allow me to subscribe to HBO... and then have bell charge me another 10 bucks a month so I can use their DVR to record the show. (The Bell streaming service offers plenty of HBO shows, but not GOT).

I make more then enough money... that ins't the issue. I simply refuse to pay 1000s of dollars every year for crap I don't use, so I can watch one television show. lol

As for difficulty, I have been a member of a very good under the radar private community for years and ya downloading anything I want in 720/1080 takes seconds 4k content doesn't take all the much longer either, although very little content really justifies downloading at 4k. I run Linux boxes anyway... universal media server is free high quality and with a properly setup network no big thing to leave running. No jumping through any hoops, don't have to run 10 different apps and purchase from 20 different sources. There just isn't really any comparison pirating is far easier. Still I do support things... I pay my netflix sub, and I still purchase plenty of blu disks. Netflix is great... and I have no issues running a Netflix app on a PS3/4 or smart tv. Still yes it does drive me crazy that I can't stream content at more then 720p on my PCs because I refuse to run MS's BS W10... and 4k will be locked out unless I purchase very specific CPUs or GPUs. I have zero issues streaming the same content when I pirate it at which ever quality I feel like downloading that day.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Because let's face it. DRM isn't stopping pirates.
Click to expand...

But here's the other side of this. "No DRM at all, so nobody ever has to pay for any content at all without a single hoop in the way." Neither solution is perfect when what you're selling is a digital good. Indeed, all content being DRM free precludes the point of a Netflix in the first place.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
The best way to accomplish all of this would be to turn everything into single file DRM free downloads at ~25GB a pop. Let me pay for them, Dow load them and stick them in a local folder for me to watch using the platform and program of my choice. Because let's face it. DRM isn't stopping pirates. The content winds up on piracy sites within minutes of launch (or as fast as they can encode it) anyway. All DRM does is inconvenience and piss off legitimate paying users, like myself.
Click to expand...
I'm beginning to suspect that content owners don't even want to stop pirates. They just want to make the life of everyone who is not pirating the content absolutely miserable.
 
heatlesssun said:
But here's the other side of this. "No DRM at all, so nobody ever has to pay for any content at all without a single hoop in the way." Neither solution is perfect when what you're selling is a digital good. Indeed, all content being DRM free precludes the point of a Netflix in the first place.
Click to expand...
What do you mean nobody has to pay? You don'T have to pay anyway if you choose to pirate it. How would not having drm change anything? He's not suggesting to give the show away for free. You still have to pay for it, only you'd get it in a neat download without strings attached. I've been paying and buying non-hollywood content this way for years.
 
In my opinion these requirements are extremely prohibitive. They make it harder for consumers to view 4k content for no reason besides DRM. I mean seriously I need a specific driver, specific OS, compatible monitor to view 4k content that if I simply pirated it, wouldn't require any of those hoops.

Edit: Forgot the specific generation of nvidia cards. Screw that.
 
M76 said:
What do you mean nobody has to pay? You don'T have to pay anyway if you choose to pirate it. How would not having drm change anything? He's not suggesting to give the show away for free. You still have to pay for it, only you'd get it in a neat download without strings attached. I've been paying and buying non-hollywood content this way for years.
Click to expand...

It's a tough argument. So with DRM it's easier to pirate. But with no DRM it's still just as easy, if not easier to pirate.
 
heatlesssun said:
It's a tough argument. So with DRM it's easier to pirate. But with no DRM it's still just as easy, if not easier to pirate.
Click to expand...
Without DRM piracy looses all advantages.
The original stream having or not having drm on it changes nothing in the difficulty of the act of downloading a torrent.
 
heatlesssun said:
But here's the other side of this. "No DRM at all, so nobody ever has to pay for any content at all without a single hoop in the way." Neither solution is perfect when what you're selling is a digital good. Indeed, all content being DRM free precludes the point of a Netflix in the first place.
Click to expand...

That isn't at all true. GOG I think proves you can drop all the consumer punishing software and still make money.

Provide an actual service with value and people will use it. Netflix has 100% proven this already. EVERYTHING on Netflix can be pirated easily by just about anyone. Yet Netflix still makes billions.

Netflix is successful because it provides a convenient service that even people that have no issues pirating find value in. Netflix is imo the only service of its kind worth paying for... every other legal option is a serious PITA, due to restrictions, exemptions, and in general poor quality service.

NO DRM doesn't mean people are not obligated legally to purchase content. The point about DRM being pointless is valid. There is no way the industry can ever bake DRM into consumer level hardware that won't be broken within days. From where I pirate content, in general we have 720p versions up within 10 min of airing, 1080 around 15-20 min and more and more their are folks in the community getting 4k content up within a few hours or so. DRM doesn't work as a barrier to pirating video content, it never has and never will.
 
M76 said:
Without DRM piracy looses all advantages.
Click to expand...

You still have to pay for the service, DRM free doesn't mean monetarily free. And that's BY FAR the driving force behind piracy. The only effective means of stopping piracy is to make all digital goods free. As long as there is a cost associated with, people are going to pirate.

I don't like DRM anymore than anyone else, but dropping DRM as an effective means of combating piracy is specious at best because it's the cost of products that drives it. Why pay when you can get the same for free? Dropping DRM doesn't solve that problem.
 
heatlesssun said:
You still have to pay for the service, DRM free doesn't mean monetarily free. And that's BY FAR the driving force behind piracy.
Click to expand...

I'd argue against this. Maybe it is with high school and college students, but among everyone I know with jobs, they try to and want to pay for the content,and only turn to piracy once they get frustrated with the limitations of the legal options.

Again, this comic.
 
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heatlesssun said:
You still have to pay for the service, DRM free doesn't mean monetarily free. And that's BY FAR the driving force behind piracy. The only effective means of stopping piracy is to make all digital goods free. As long as there is a cost associated with, people are going to pirate.

I don't like DRM anymore than anyone else, but dropping DRM as an effective means of combating piracy is specious at best because it's the cost of products that drives it. Why pay when you can get the same for free? Dropping DRM doesn't solve that problem.
Click to expand...
DRM is proven to be completely unsuccessful in stopping piracy. I'd hazard it even increases piracy by those who would have the means to buy but choose not to because of the hoops and restrictions.

Sure dropping DRM wouldn't stop piracy. I don't think anyone here suggests that. But it would make the life of a quite few people much easier. And it might just convince some people to subscribe.

DRM is like the clerk points a gun at you when you step into the supermarket and starts insulting you and spouting things like "I'm watching you fucking garbage, don't even try to take anything out from the store, you have to eat or drink it here in front of my watchful eyes!"
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
I'd argue against this. Maybe it is with high school and college students, but among everyone I know with jobs, they try to and want to pay for the content,and turn to piracy once they get frustrated with the limitations of the legal, free options.

Again, this comic.
Click to expand...

That's some of it, but 4k Netflix has never been available for PCs until now, so this is what it going to get people to start pirating?
 
M76 said:
DRM is proven to be completely unsuccessful in stopping piracy. I'd hazard it even increases piracy by those who would have the means to buy but choose not to because of the hoops and restrictions.
Click to expand...

Again, there were no 4k streams on PCs before and so this is going to go out and get people who want 4k streams on PCs to pirate? And sure DRM may not stop too much, but just think how easy it would be for anyone with a browser extension or app just to download an unencrypted movie from Netflix like YouTube.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
I'd argue against this. Maybe it is with high school and college students, but among everyone I know with jobs, they try to and want to pay for the content,and turn to piracy once they get frustrated with the limitations of the legal, free options.

Again, this comic.
Click to expand...

You keep posting that comic, and while it's cute to an extent, it's written in a gigantic bubble where things can only be consumed via online services. The truth of the matter is that the Blu-Rays for each season are available to purchase if the big guy in the green shirt in that comic can bother to get out of his darkly lit room to see the sun and walk into a store.

The only hurdles with paying for what you want are the hurdles people introduce and therefore and the hurdles people will use to justify stealing.

I'm not arguing your earlier post either. That would be a perfect consumer friendly model: have everything up for a price and DRM free. Unfortunately companies never think what's best for consumers only what's best for themselves and their endless pockets. But no matter how we, the consumer, get the shaft, we have many options on how to take it because they ultimately want you to take it one way or another.

Pirating is never the only option. That's car jacker or convenient store robber mentality.
 
Sonicks said:
I'm not arguing your earlier post either. That would be a perfect consumer friendly model: have everything up for a price and DRM free.
Click to expand...

So all content, no DRM, easily copied and that'll reduce piracy? I just don't buy that. Everyone and their gramda would just download stuff and make copies for everyone because again, as everyone said, it's easy with the DRM, no DRM makes it easy for everyone without trying.
 
jesus fuck. Just go buy a $100 Roku 4 and connect it to a 4k TV. Is it that big of a deal that people can't watch 4k content on their PC's? And why the fuck is it requiring high end equipment?
 
heatlesssun said:
Again, there were no 4k streams on PCs before and so this is going to go out and get people who want 4k streams on PCs to pirate? And sure DRM may not stop too much, but just think how easy it would be for anyone with a browser extension or app just to download an unencrypted movie from Netflix like YouTube.
Click to expand...

I don't think you understand just how useless DRM is. The 4k DRM has been cracked already... it means its not useless. Accept the industry is going to at some point update their HDMI standard again... causing headaches for actual paying customers. That new version won't likely stay secure for more then a few months tops either... and then all the content will flood out again. Right now 4k Content hits the pirate world as fast as it hits the paying world... if you don't want to pay for it you don't have to DRM or not. So the only people being hurt are legit costumers that go out and buy the latest greatest... its well and fine if you buy hardware that can have its hardware upgraded. Of course the problem has always been hardware manufacturers don't in general rush to provide firmware upgrades for hardware when they want to sell you new stuff all the time.

DRM for video content is a failure, it expands piracy, and it slows hardware sales. No one wants to buy the first generation of anything anymore... cause chances are you end up with hardware that isn't compliant when content shows up a few years down the line. If the goal of DRM is to stop piracy, they have failed completely.
 
heatlesssun said:
So all content, no DRM, easily copied and that'll reduce piracy? I just don't buy that. Everyone and their gramda would just download stuff and make copies for everyone because again, as everyone said, it's easy with the DRM, no DRM makes it easy for everyone without trying.
Click to expand...

Movie distributors thought VHS would be the death of movies because of that very same problem. It wasn't. Music industry was afraid of cassette tapes because of this too. Neither of them destroyed any of their business.

Companies today are as scared about the 'new and uncharted' digital landscape as they were with the new media then and their lack of understanding of digital media has them locking things down so tightly. Truth of the matter is, I do think that people would buy DRM free content and very few, though it would happen, would end up sharing it. Not unlike how people still share Netflix logins or walk into a library, checkout music/movies and rip them (I have done this once or twice).
 
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heatlesssun said:
So all content, no DRM, easily copied and that'll reduce piracy? I just don't buy that. Everyone and their gramda would just download stuff and make copies for everyone because again, as everyone said, it's easy with the DRM, no DRM makes it easy for everyone without trying.
Click to expand...

It has been easy to copy content for years... copying DVDs was easier for average people then copying VHS tapes. Its been easier for grandma to pirate movies on the internet then drive to wal mart and buy a blu disc for years.... yet somehow the industry still turns tons of profit. So I don't buy that DRM makes them more money either. Other then confusing the heck out of consumers with standards what advantage does it give them. DRM doesn't stop the average person from downloading a "cracked" movie or television show. All it does is make it a race with different pirate groups to get their content out first... every true pirate is hoping the next DRM will be super duper strong so they can be the hero to crack it first. lmao
 
The people really getting jacked are the high-end home theater people who are expected to replace their TV and AVR every year or two if they plan to keep up with the HDMI and HDCP iterations.

HDMI 2.0 has finally stabilized and now folks are trying to figure out how to pass the latest HDR through, and 2.1 is looming... And no doubt that'll get multiple iterations too.
 
There's no perfect solution here. DRM content that's easily downloadable and copied, that simply doesn't address piracy. And by easy I mean just a browser extension or downloader for YouTube or any unencrypted source.
 
heatlesssun said:
There's no perfect solution here. DRM content that's easily downloadable and copied, that simply doesn't address piracy. And by easy I mean just a browser extension or downloader for YouTube or any unencrypted source.
Click to expand...

Its not harder then that now... so whats your point.
 
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