Thursday, Netflix announced Android phones would be getting access to their vast library of ancient movies nobody wants to watch on demand. WOOHOO went the world </sarcasm>. But then, as it always seems to go when we’re talking about something as cool as watching “Gone with the Wind” on your mobile… there was a catch. This particular catch wasn’t anything to do with how woefully pathetic Netflix is becoming at stocking worth while movies (Thanks MPAA for your shortsightedness and desire to die slowly like newspapers), but it was the fault of the number one thing that has kept me from moving to Android as my mobile platform of choice – fragmentation.
As of today, four HTC model phones (the Incredible, EVO 4G, G2, Nexus One) and the Samsung Nexus S are the only devices capable of running the app.
What the heck is that? FIVE devices? Doesn’t that account for like one half of one percent of the total Android devices out there?
Netflix product team member Roma De explains the holdup in a blog post. Essentially, the sheer number of different Android devices available is problematic, because Android lacks “standard streaming-playback features that the Netflix application can use to gain broad penetration across all available Android phones,” De wrote.
…
But developing streaming-playback support for the entire Android platform — host to over 300 different Android-powered devices — is a major ordeal. “In the absence of standardization,” wrote De, “we have to test each individual handset and launch only on those that can support playback.”
And that is why Android can’t gain traction with mobile/indie developers. Who has the time, patience and money to test on 300 different devices just to verify basic functionality – let alone complete validation of an application?
I really hope (as mentioned at Google I/O) they can work this out. I have friends who love their googlie-phones and I love the customizations you can make. However, until I know I can go to the android app store and not have to worry if an app will work on my phone, I’m staying away.
As for Netflix – I’m sorry I bashed you a bit back there. I know its not your fault that the movie industry still thinks going to Wal-Mart and buying a single overpriced DVD is what I should be doing instead of being able to subscribe monthly and watch what I want to see on-demand. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I just saw the cover of a rock-on-80’s flick I haven’t seen in a decade…
Continue reading:
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TAGS: Andriod, netflix
