Bummer, no Netflix on WMC after 9/15

[Markbnj]

Even the fanciest non-Flash HTML5 video players respond to AVRCP commandos mobile devices, as do all the apps that play media (Pandora, Netflix, Amazon Instant, etc). Obviously, it's really the system media player responding to the system's instructions to Play/Pause/Skip, etc and the system is translating the AVRCP command from Bluetooth.

Yeah it works differently on mobile. I don't believe there is any AVRCP compatibility layer for desktop browsers. I'd like to be wrong.

 

[Markbnj]

A native media playback app should support HID media playback controls without any special hacks. It's either 1) a failure of the Netflix app developers or 2) a failure of Microsoft's framework engineers.

Yeah, I don't know. The Youtube player doesn't respond to media control commands from my keyboard, for example, in windowed or full-screen mode, on Chrome or Firefox. I don't know whose failure it is, but I have never been able to find a working solution other than the cumbersome "remote mouse" feature of my Firefly.

 

[Ichinisan]

Yeah, I don't know. The Youtube player doesn't respond to media control commands from my keyboard, for example, in windowed or full-screen mode, on Chrome or Firefox. I don't know whose failure it is, but I have never been able to find a working solution other than the cumbersome "remote mouse" feature of my Firefly.

Yeah...but we're talking about the Netflix app that comes from the Windows Store and runs natively. Not a web browser plugin.

 

[GrantMeThePower]

Ok, based on the advice here, I'm switching from WMC to Tivo. So far so good, but here is a question:

What should we do with all of our WMC recordings? Since they are all recorded with a cable card adaptor, I'm concerned about playback should I upgrade to windows 10 even though I no longer record to Windows.

Any ideas? I have the last season of Orphan Black and Vikings on there and neither show is available for free streaming.

 

[notposting]

Ok, based on the advice here, I'm switching from WMC to Tivo. So far so good, but here is a question:

What should we do with all of our WMC recordings? Since they are all recorded with a cable card adaptor, I'm concerned about playback should I upgrade to windows 10 even though I no longer record to Windows.

Any ideas? I have the last season of Orphan Black and Vikings on there and neither show is available for free streaming.

Burn to disc? :\

 

[Ichinisan]

Ok, based on the advice here, I'm switching from WMC to Tivo. So far so good, but here is a question:

What should we do with all of our WMC recordings? Since they are all recorded with a cable card adaptor, I'm concerned about playback should I upgrade to windows 10 even though I no longer record to Windows.

Any ideas? I have the last season of Orphan Black and Vikings on there and neither show is available for free streaming.

On my cable provider, almost nothing is flagged as protected. I can convert from .WTV to .dvr-ms format by simply right-clicking the file (a standard function in Windows 7 with the PlayReady package installed). Then, Video Redo software allows me to make manual edits like trimming the beginning/end and removing middle sections (commercials) without re-encoding. See if you can still play the file after converting to .dvr-ms format.

I uninstalled everything, including PlayReady, before updating to Windows 10. I also deleted all DVR content a long time ago since my HDHomeRun Prime was fried in a thunderstorm last year and I haven't purchased another yet.

 

[GrantMeThePower]

On my cable provider, almost nothing is flagged as protected. I can convert from .WTV to .dvr-ms format by simply right-clicking the file (a standard function in Windows 7 with the PlayReady package installed). Then, Video Redo software allows me to make manual edits like trimming the beginning/end and removing middle sections (commercials) without re-encoding. See if you can still play the file after converting to .dvr-ms format.

I uninstalled everything, including PlayReady, before updating to Windows 10. I also deleted all DVR content a long time ago since my HDHomeRun Prime was fried in a thunderstorm last year and I haven't purchased another yet.

Is there a way to tell if it is flagged as protected? I assumed that all were...

 

[Ichinisan]

Is there a way to tell if it is flagged as protected? I assumed that all were...

Maybe...
- convert an episode to .dvr-ms
- then copy it to a Windows computer that doesn't have PlayReady installed
- see if it plays in Windows Media Player

I recall finding old HDDs with old recordings from Vista and Win7 that allowed me to play just fine. Some were WTV format and some were DVR-MS, but I don't think the test was valid because I had probably activated CableCARD support on that system for the same tuner+card.

 

[CZroe]

Yeah, I don't know. The Youtube player doesn't respond to media control commands from my keyboard, for example, in windowed or full-screen mode, on Chrome or Firefox. I don't know whose failure it is, but I have never been able to find a working solution other than the cumbersome "remote mouse" feature of my Firefly.

They wouldn't yet but I expect Spartan/Edge to and I expect Microsoft to update guidelines for how Modern apps work. Once we have Modern versions of Firefox and Chrome then I would expect them to work just like they do on other platforms.

The YouTube player in the browser on an iPad responds to the system playback controls and AVRCP. The YouTube app on iPad does too. Basically, we are waiting for browsers and apps on Windows to catch up.

Yeah it works differently on mobile. I don't believe there is any AVRCP compatibility layer for desktop browsers. I'd like to be wrong.

Yep. Still waiting for apps and browsers to catch up but IE and Edge are intended for tablet/mobile use and I expect them to work. I'll test when I get my hands on a Windows tablet.

Media Player worked with AVRCP controls of you had the right BT stack installed way back in 2005/2006. We should now have system level controls to tie AVRCP to.

 

[lupi]

Wouldn't hold my breath on xb1 becoming a useful item for this. Had thought when they first announced the dvr capability add on in Europe that maybe it meant they were still working on making WMC last. If you think there is not a lot of people using WMC/cablecard, I can imagine the OTA number is even less. And with stations getting money by having the cable companies be their distribution method, I haven't seen anything in some time about upgrading their signal systems.

As far as checking for protected status, if you open the file in WMC or open the properties of the file you can look and see if it has been flagged for protected status. For me it's only about half a dozen stations, disney xd and lifetime movies only ones I recall.

 

[NutBucket]

I wonder what the statistics are. I'm inclined to say the OTA crowd is bigger than the cablecard crowd. Cable cards are a lot more "techy" than OTA IMHO.

 

[Markbnj]

Yeah...but we're talking about the Netflix app that comes from the Windows Store and runs natively. Not a web browser plugin.

How is the Netflix metro app on Win 10? That might actually be a reason to upgrade, but I kind of doubt I will be able to get it working with the Firefly remote.

 

[mandatory]

Considering that MS is basically dropping all support for WMC, I don't see why Netflix would continue to try and work with a dead line of development.

That is irrelevant. Netflix should continue to at least allow usage of the plugin as it is. If they don't, I see no need to continue my subscription with them. I'm not going to run out and start buying more stuff just to be able to continue justifying sending them a monthly fee. I'm certainly not upgrading my OS to a new version that doesn't have WMC. There is no expectation to do so, it's not compulsory.

Just because the 2016 autos come out doesn't mean that everyone isn't going to expect to be able to continue to run all the autos that are already on the road and aren't even paid off yet. And just because windows 10 no longer has WMC is no reason to assume that people won't be real pissed about early withdrawal of functional continuance of the still viable product versions. Not only that, it's hardly what I'd call green, or eco friendly. I believe you can still buy Win 8.1 WMC add on, at least you could last month as the current product.

In California there are laws regarding when you can terminate support for a product. It certainly isn't the month after the new version comes out, more like 7 years after it's no longer sold as the new version by the manufacturer. This doesn't apply to Netflix's plugin, but considering the money spent and the good faith, I think it really should.

Kodi can be operated with my cheapo WMC remote. The netflix app play/pause also is remote controlled, but the app itself isn't very remote friendly. However, I have a wireless keyboard that works well or I can use my phone or tablet as a remote through a mouse-over-wireless app.

Kodi doesn't do protected cablecard TV and I don't intend to run multiple media apps just for Netflix, that doesn't fly well either and is untenable.

I have a BT mouse and keyboard, they are hardly convenient for regular HTPC use though.

BTW, I use HP remotes that are made for their HT device, but are programmable for numerous other devices, and Windows HTPC is one. They're really quite good, I like them much better than the Harmony remote solution. Repeating jump ahead and back keys respond very well, as do all functions. I can tap them as fast as I can and they all respond immediately, no annoying lag in the remote.

 

[zenischosen]

If you have a PC with working Netflix, copy the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\Packages folder to the one that had it removed, overwriting any files. If you were receiving the September 15 message you will continue to get it, but Netflix will work. If it's a clean install, or if you recover Media Center using Task Scheduler the message wont be there. If Netflix disappears again, just recopy that folder again. It also does not seem to be removed if you don't have Service Pack 1.

 

[Raduque]

I've been using WMC since all the way back in 2004/5 when I first discovered it in Windows XP MCE. I used it for DVRing my satellite stream. I converted my whole family over to it (including the hardware, setup and config). Up until about two years ago, when most of them switched to overpriced cable co. provided DVRs and streaming things, as hardware started to die.

I personally still use a WMC HTPC on W7x64 for playing networked content. I have long since gotten rid of the tuner/capture cards.

With WMC gone, I might switch to Kodi. But I will still run w7 on that PC - the hardware is too old for 8.1 or 10.

 

[notposting]

I've been using WMC since all the way back in 2004/5 when I first discovered it in Windows XP MCE. I used it for DVRing my satellite stream. I converted my whole family over to it (including the hardware, setup and config). Up until about two years ago, when most of them switched to overpriced cable co. provided DVRs and streaming things, as hardware started to die.

I personally still use a WMC HTPC on W7x64 for playing networked content. I have long since gotten rid of the tuner/capture cards.

With WMC gone, I might switch to Kodi. But I will still run w7 on that PC - the hardware is too old for 8.1 or 10.

MS is a master at hitting the market too early and then just screwing the pooch royally and exiting the market right when they should be doubling down with loads of experience in hand.

Media Center great example.
Zune - great software. hardware wasn't bad evidently. The song credits each month was a twist. Dump all of it and just start marching backwards yearly.
Live Mesh/Skydrive - build build build...haha, fooled you! Back we go!
Windows Home Server - gee, a central hub like device roping it altogether nowadays, tightly integrated with the cloud, multi user aware, plugin capability, usage of some local storage (and dead simple at that) wouldn't be popular AT ALL nowadays, would it?
Windows Mobile/WP - hmm, so the interface is pretty bad on WM6, eh? But people do appreciate the open/flexibility of it? Well, let's get some pretty innovative interface work out, but dump the features and openness in WP7. Okay, let's keep ignoring features in WP8, but start taking away some of the forward looking integration of WP7. Features? Well, we have some half hearted Android copies, but no, still a hot mess in 8.1 and btw the interface is going backwards. Welcome to WM10! Interface should be back to the desktop on a tiny screen feel, but no features because we are reinventing everything again. BTW, we aren't inventing gapless playback yet. Hahahahah.

While I stare at the wall drooling and wondering what I'm going to do with an ancient HTPC and a WHS v1 packed with DVD folder rips, our Roku, Fire Stick, and DVD player get used. Bah. :\


edit: LEST I FORGET TABLET EDITION

 

[GrumpyMan]

If you have a PC with working Netflix, copy the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\Packages folder to the one that had it removed, overwriting any files. If you were receiving the September 15 message you will continue to get it, but Netflix will work. If it's a clean install, or if you recover Media Center using Task Scheduler the message wont be there. If Netflix disappears again, just recopy that folder again. It also does not seem to be removed if you don't have Service Pack 1.

Went to my Macrium backup image file pulled out that folder and followed your intructions, worked great. Keeping it saved in another folder to redo if necessary. Thanks!

 

[zenischosen]

Went to my Macrium backup image file pulled out that folder and followed your intructions, worked great. Keeping it saved in another folder to redo if necessary. Thanks!

Glad it worked.

 

[Markbnj]

Unfortunately the plugin was already removed on my system, although it worked until the end of the day on the 16th. I imagine this solution will be temporary since they likely have some specific API support for WMC that they will be retiring. I'm getting by with the web player and using my Firefly in mouse pointer mode. I can at least pause/play pretty easily but I have no volume control. When I get some time I will start looking at better solutions. Might just get a TV and a Roku for the office. The days of using my computer as an entertainment device seem to be numbered.

 

[zenischosen]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B03Jg35P1NJVdEFNcWxWVkEtcUk/view

These are the files.

 

[ITcrack]

Went to my Macrium backup image file pulled out that folder and followed your intructions, worked great. Keeping it saved in another folder to redo if necessary. Thanks!

Are you on WMC on Win7 or Win 8.1? I tried this same procedure on Win 8.1 and it does not work.

 

[evident]

Why cant you just open up an internet browser and watch netflix in that? that's what i do with my WMC HTPC. was there some type of benefit opening it from WMC?

 

[ITcrack]

Why cant you just open up an internet browser and watch netflix in that? that's what i do with my WMC HTPC. was there some type of benefit opening it from WMC?

For me, with a family of younger kids, all of our pictures, music, and videos are stored on the server and mapped to WMC. Also we watch/record live TV in WMC. We use a remote control to do all of this. It is very much like a cable box. To switch to a mouse/keyboard, and have the kids have to move back an forth between WMC and a browser for Netflix, just wouldn't work well at all for us.

 

[zenischosen]

Are you on WMC on Win7 or Win 8.1? I tried this same procedure on Win 8.1 and it does not work.

I've only tested on Win7.

 

[WT]

What am I missing here ?? I'm using WMC on a Vista Ultimate 32bit HTPC and I just tried Netflix yesterday from within WMC ... and it's working fine with no errors, popups, or issues.