Change is always tricky. Not many of us like it, it can be unsettling, and most of us would prefer things to stay just as they are. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be how life works.
The software that streams our films online is a case in point – it will soon be moving from Flash to a system called Silverlight.
Studios require robust anti-piracy measures
We’ve been asked to make this change by the Studios who provide us with the films in the first place, because they’re insisting – understandably – that we use robust security to protect their films from piracy, and they see the Silverlight software as more secure than Flash.
Simply put: without meeting their requirements, we’d suddenly have next-to-no films to stream online.
Just to be clear – this change doesn’t affect or apply to any of our streaming devices (PS3, iPad, internet TVs, etc); only PCs, laptops and Macs.
And very regrettably, Silverlight software is not supported on non-Intel Macs (those with an operating system of 10.5 or lower) or on computers using the Linux/UNIX operating systems. In fact, none of the solutions available to us allowed secure streaming to Linux users.
HTML 5 was considered, but video streaming via HTML 5 is an open-sourced solution that is still maturing, and there are simply no security protections available within HTML 5 that would allow us to stream content securely.
Silverlight offers the best combination of security, quality and customer experience from a small number of available solutions, and the majority of our customers already have Silverlight installed.
Here’s another reason: a better streaming experience
Silverlight contains a technology called Smooth Streaming, which automatically adjusts the quality of the video stream to the best level for your internet connection. This reduces buffering for customers on a low broadband speed, but then improves the streaming quality when broadband speed increases.
So what now?
Flash software will continue to run alongside Silverlight until the first week of January 2012, so that everyone has time to make the switch (by following the prompt on the LOVEFiLM website, when you click ‘Watch Now’ on a streaming title).
And we’ll continue to offer streaming across a wide range of platforms, DRM services, Players and application technologies – the service will constantly evolve these as new technologies enter the market and new services mature.
Paul Thompson, Streaming Project Manager
Time to switch to some other streaming film provider then
My media centre doesn’t run Windows, so that’s that. Shame as I’d just upgraded broadband to cope better, too.
(PS: Of course, if anyone wishes to steal films, they will *still do so*; just legitimate customers are prevented watching.)
Well I use your site on my Blackberry Playbook which runs your flash website without any issues. Now I know the playbook is hardly mainstream – but I hope if you release an Android app you will submit it to Blackberry when the 2.0 update comes out which will run android apps, without code changes.
please. its half a days work max – seriously. Im involved in development too you know…….
ITV changed from Silverlight to flash because Silverlight is crap and doesn’t work well.
Hi Luke,
ITV moved from Silverlight to Flash two years ago, however I really can’t comment on their reasons. We made this decision because Silverlight is the interface for the Playready Digital Rights Management suite, which provides the level of security required by the studios. Netflix also use Silverlight for their desktop service.
Thanks,
Paul
Thank you for this!
Even though I use a Mac and I also use Linux, I can not abide Flash and, as long as I can access Silverlight through my Intel OSX Lion computer I will be more than happy.
Do you have a beta I can test things with?
Hi Tim,
We placed it live at 07:30 this morning, so if you go to the website you should be able to see it.
Thanks,
Paul
I have been subscribing to your service for over one year and use a Chromebook to view your content which has Google Chrome OS. I presume that due to Silverlight being a propriety Microsoft plugin that this means I will no longer be able to use your service. How do you justify this decision to use this technology which will impact your present customers ability to view your content?
Yours rather disappointed and looking for alternative services,
Philip Hillman
Hi Philip,
I’m sorry to hear that you’re unhappy with the new service. We have been asked to make this change by the studios to enable us to keep offering a wide range of high quality films to our customers. We had a choice between a small number of Digital Rights Management solutions (aka the software that secures the content) that were suitable, and each way we looked at it a small number of users would no longer be able to stream – in this case it’s Linux, older non-Intel Mac’s and Chromebooks also.
Netflix also use Silverlight to stream content to the desktop, and I understand they faced similar issues.
If you have a Windows machine, or a Mac available you can still continue to watch – or LOVEFiLM also stream on the iPad, PS3, Samsung & Sony TV’s/Blu Ray players and we will be launching on the Xbox soon.
Thanks,
Paul
Will love film either provide a silverlight player for it’s members or at least direct them to a place they can get such a player or software?
Hi Kenny,
The Silverlight player is free and is available to download at http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight – if you go to the LOVEFiLM website and click “Watch Now” on an available title, you will be prompted with a link. You can also keep using Flash until the first week in January, although I would recommend you upgrade as the Silverlight service offers higher bitrate (quality) streams so you get a better experience!
Thanks,
Paul
So it will not work anymore on the million android tablets and phones?
Is Silverlight simply perceived as secure by the Studios, or does it genuinely have something that makes it more secure?
Hi Gavin,
Silverlight uses a Digital Rights Management technology called Playready, which is very secure. This uses a high level of encryption and other security measures to ensure that our content can’t be pirated.
Thanks,
Paul
Thank you for the explanation. This is definitely a blow for Linux users, though. You might want to consider operating system based perks – e.g. Linux users who can no longer stream online are allowed extra films at home as part of their package, or can stream a limited number of pay-per-view films for free until the changeover happens. Something like that, perhaps.
1. What platform is used to stream to iPad? I understand it does not support either flash or silverlight?
2. Will there ever be a Wii ‘channel’ for lovefilm?
3. Or Xbox360 support?
Thanks
Hi Graham,
We use a DRM called Widevine to stream on the iPad, which uses it’s own player so no need to worry about Flash or Silverlight installation on the iPad.
Lovefilm is always looking to expand the devices we are rolling out to, but I can’t comment on our future road map I’m afraid – although we are launching our service on the Xbox soon!
Thanks,
Paul
Annnnd the penguin gets stepped on again… Boo
I have a Mac version 10.7.2
Does that means that I can still stream movies? I hope so as I use the streaming service a lot and would not like to cancel me subscription because of this!!!
Hi Chris,
You should be able to use Silverlight. It’s older non-Intel Macs that we can’t support, they’re usually on OSX 10.5 or lower.
Thanks,
Paul
Great. So it will be all nice and jerky, like Sky Go.
So any word of Android support ?
Does the inclusion of DRM genuinely prevent any customers from violating the studios’ copyright; or does it just give those same studios the illusion that this in any way will reduce the prevalence of piracy?
Thanks for the update. Lets say a number of us for what ever reason
don’t watch on line untill after 12jan will we still get the prompt when after that time we watch again on line?
Yay for discrimination of Linux users!
This is all fair enough in the sense that the studios are the ones insisting on heightened security for streams.
But Silverlight has already been abandoned by Microsoft.
Was there really no alternative but to use an already EOL’d software platform?
Cripes!
Studios require robust anti-piracy measures? Really? Name one thing that they make available to you that isn’t available on BitTorrent first. This rationale is clearly nonsense. The LoveFilm streaming service is significantly lower quality than iPlayer, let alone DVD releases. Can you provide one example of a single film or TV show where the source of the pirated version has been your streaming service, rather than one of these other media?
I sometimes use the LoveFilm streaming service to watch things on my HP TouchPad. It, in common with all non-Apple mobile platforms, supports Flash and, in common with all modern mobile platforms, supports HTML 5 video. Also in common with all modern mobile platforms except Windows Phone 7, does not support Silverlight.
You are switching from a platform that, while far from ideal, is widely supported to one that is effectively Windows-only (yes, there is a Mac version, no I am not going to install it because it is horrible, buggy, and a source of regular security holes).
Perhaps you should refer the studios to:
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/11/cutting-their-own-throats.html
Or perhaps to this:
http://www.1up.com/news/gabe-newell-drm-strategies-dumb
Congratulations LoveFilm. You have just made your streaming service less attractive than illegal alternatives. What a great way to retain customers.
I hope that those of us who are no longer able to use the streaming service (i.e. anyone who does not use Windows, or owns a mobile device that they used for streaming) will receive a discount on their subscriptions.
Well looks like i will probably be cancelling my membership as i primarily use my account to stream to my Ubuntu laptop or android tablet.
Hopefully the android app will shortly allow streaming and i might consider staying. Surely native apps can be written for android and linux that have the required security as is done with iOS.
What about the fact that Microsoft have all but confirmed that they’re stopping development of Silverlight after version 5 – except for, as they tend to do, software updates? Shame there aren’t any security protocols available with HTML5 – would’ve been tidier for sure.
All the best with the switchover.
I’ve been enjoying streaming love film on my android tablet using Flash, is there going to be a solution to allow me to continue enjoying steams on my android tab?
when the change happens how do i get silverlight is this free
If you switch to Silverlight, I simply won’t use Lovefilm streaming. If Lovefilm wants a sustainable business model in the face of bittorrent, you need to support proper, convenient, accessible alternatives, and Silverlight is not any of those. Even Microsoft will be ditching it from IE 10 in Windows 8.
I thought Silverlight was dead? Anyway, I won’t be installing it. I can’t face having another security liability on my PC. No Java, no ActiveX and no Silverlight for me. Flash only, and that’s bad enough.
Plugins (such as Silverlight) will not work in Windows 8 when browsing in the default “Metro” version of Internet Explorer: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/14/metro-style-browsing-and-plug-in-free-html5.aspx
Silverlight is being discontinued after the next verision: http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/9/2548975/microsoft-may-halt-development-work-on-silverlight-after-next-release
Basically, you have bet your entire company’s streaming strategy on a dead technology. You are going to lose your job. Oh well.
Very disappointed that Linux is not supported. This is very petty and annoying – If I wanted to download films without paying I could do. All the studios are doing is penalising their law-abiding customers and encouraging us to look for workarounds to their annoyances.
I play my streamed Lovefilm movies through my Sony BDP-S370 Blu-ray player. Does this support Silverlight? If not do you know if Sony will be developing this and providing a firmware release for it?
Goodbye Lovefilm. It was nice while it lasted.
The studios suggesting that this is for protection against piracy are clearly delusional. With a £14.99 per month account I could have 3 discs out at anyone time, this would be easily 20 discs per month. Anyone with the know how and inclination to pirate from a flash stream has the knowledge to rip DVDs and BluRay discs. As such I have voted with my wallet and cancelled my account.
So will this mean the end to streaming to an Android handset?
” In fact, none of the solutions available to us allowed secure streaming to Linux users.”
I’ll fix that for you:
“In fact, none of the solutions available to us allowed secure streaming.”
Anyway, didn’t MS just cancel silverlight?
Does this mean that we will now be able to stream on iPads?
Thanks
Christian
Given the well publicised fact that the number of invasions of security across the web is ever increasing this change makes good sense
Sucks for Linux users but it’s perfectly understandable.
Congratulations on making a technology choice that will make sure I won’t be able to use the service anymore. I have been a customer since the beginning of the service when it was still called Amazon rentals. I guess I will have to look somewhere else for my streaming needs. We’ve already been there before with DRM on mp3s, it didn’t work then and I seriously hope it won’t now. Again studios don’t understand the needs of customers and you are just helping them with their out of touch choices. I would wish you best of luck but I wouldn’t mean it.
Regards,
A future former customer
Does the new software work with Moonlight? Or do your need features in Silverlight 3 and above?
For those of us using Windows, PS3, etc. will this allow an increase in the currently abysmal video quality? The resolution is currently rather low, and the bitrate is so poor that fast movement often causes artifacts.
Hopefully the impending launch of a well-known American competitor in the UK next year is encouraging you to sort out these sorts of issues before their launch to encourage people to stay with LoveFilm and not defect.
On that note, you will also need a much larger library of streaming content, particularly in the area of TV shows.
So what exactly are you going to do for Linux users? Provide a reduction in costs?
I hope the playstation 3 version works.does this mean my iPad w?ill no longer play movies
Hi, just so we can be specific, I am currently streaming Lovefilm on an iMac with software OSX 10.6.8 and I have Silverlight installed for use with another provider’s product, UK Ordnance Survey GetaMap product.
Therefore can you confirm that your proposed switch will work on my iMac.
I have subscribed to LoveFilm for many years and often promote the service to friends. As both a Linux and Android user I am upset by this announcement. It would be more palatable and useful if you allowed me to stream on my various Android devices using the native App, but that seems to be beyond your capabilities too.
Hopefully the arrival of Netflix in the UK market will force you to step up and get your act together with streaming for Android devices otherwise I will be switching.
Hi, this is probably answered by the comments regarding the mac but does this change affect streaming on an iPad?
Well, no more streaming to Linux. This sucks. I might have to be considering cancellation.
I am a Linux user, I do not have, or intend to acquire a machine running Windows or MacOSX. Does this mean that I will be downgrading my subscription?
Given that Microsoft have deprecated their Silverlight technology on the desktop, surely this means that this is a short term / short sighted way forward?
Oh my god, from bad to a lot worse. Can’t wait until we get rid of all this closed trash from Internet.
Silverlight is rubbish and is no longer developed!(Neither will flash soon) Im a Linux user and this completely cuts me of from your streaming service. You had better offer me some compensation OR at least offer me a DRM secure android app to stream to tablet
The Greish
To Paul Thompson,
I very much in agreement with you in taking this stance to protect your good services in which I enjoy very much as a Customer.
Myself I voluntary help out in the security side of pc games, it makes sense as we both know about the serious security implications that can happen is step were’nt going to be taken.
With Smooth Streaming will we be able to select the quality as well, for example if I’m on a slow connection but want a high quality stream and don’t mind leaving it to buffer for a while. Will I be able to do this?
I have a Mac OS X version 10.6.8 PC attached to my television. Will I still be able to stream films using the Mac Mini or do I have to cancel my Lovefilm Account.
I was going to switch to a Movies + Games plan but I was hesitant because I’d lose streaming but as a Linux user I suppose that doesn’t matter any more. Bring on some gaming