Netflix API!

[jrog]

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/09/30...eloping-begin/

Wonder what it would take to add this to SageTV

[Morgan111]

Sweet! Maybe we can dump a lot of parsing code overboard and maybe more...

[Brent]

If the Engadget piece is correct, this might open up SageTV to officially support Netflix Watch-Now on the extenders right? Or am I missing something?

Originally Posted by Engadget

The API itself allows access to data for 100,000 movie and TV episode titles, is completely free and (most importantly) allows commercial use.

Originally Posted by Engadget

API includes a REST API, Javascript API and ATOM feeds, and it also uses OAuth standard security "to allow the subscriber to control which applications can access the service on his or her behalf."

[jrog]

Gizmodo seems to think that it's just going to be accessing account info, searching for titles, and managing Queues, but that doesn't seem nearly as exciting...

http://gizmodo.com/5057203/netflix-t...-to-the-public

[Morgan111]

Originally Posted by jrog

Gizmodo seems to think that it's just going to be accessing account info, searching for titles, and managing Queues, but that doesn't seem nearly as exciting...

http://gizmodo.com/5057203/netflix-t...-to-the-public

Sounds pretty good to me! I'm sure it would also help the problem some people have with saving their queue in the NetFlix import. I don't see it helping Sage to watch videos. It's still DRM content that the Sage player will not do.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Morgan111

Sounds pretty good to me! I'm sure it would also help the problem some people have with saving their queue in the NetFlix import. I don't see it helping Sage to watch videos. It's still DRM content that the Sage player will not do.

How are they doing it on the VMC extenders? Is it because those VMC extenders can do DRM?

[Brent]

Another thought. What if this could be added to a "media search" feature in SageTV. Then SageTV could search for that media (TV, Movie etc) on your HTPC and if it doesn't find it there search Netflix Watch Now and even Hulu if we ever get a Hulu plugin... I like the sound of that.

[jrog]

I like the thought of expanding intelligent suggestions to places like Netflix and Hulu. Then it can suggest movies to add to queue (or watch now!) based on what you watch on SageTV, movies you record, etc.

[bastafidli]

How about this one? Roku to go open source

http://hardware.slashdot.org/hardwar.../1645200.shtml

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Brent

If the Engadget piece is correct, this might open up SageTV to officially support Netflix Watch-Now on the extenders right? Or am I missing something?

I didn't read that much into it. I think it's bascially an API for accessing the Netflix database/website. The "problem" with watch now for Sage is not the lack of an API (it obviously exists, as evidenced by the Roku player) it's the DRM.

What this could be useful for is more tightly integrated metadata retrieval.

[Morgan111]

Originally Posted by Brent

If the Engadget piece is correct, this might open up SageTV to officially support Netflix Watch-Now on the extenders right? Or am I missing something?

Looks like there is an API to launch the standard NetFlix viewer and no additional control functionality.

[jrog]

Originally Posted by Morgan111

Looks like there is an API to launch the standard NetFlix viewer and no additional control functionality.

What? so you can watch, but not fast forward? or is this limited so that if someone created a Netflix app in Windows, it could access videos through Netflix?

[Morgan111]

Originally Posted by jrog

What? so you can watch, but not fast forward? or is this limited so that if someone created a Netflix app in Windows, it could access videos through Netflix?

Alot of the API functionality seems to be for browser support (but still quite usable from an app that can do Internet queries). it launches the standard viewer with the same controls as when you launch it from the NetFlix website.

[sic0048]

The API seems to allow user to access their Netflix accounts and:
- Perform searches of movies, TV series, cast members, and directors
- Retrieve catalog titles, including details about the title such as name, box art, director, cast, etc.
- Determine the subscriber's relationship to a specific title, e.g, in queue, saved, available on DVD, etc.
- Manage and displaying queues for users
- Provide conveniences such as auto-completion of partial search terms typed by a user.
- Display a user's ratings and reviews.
- Include functional Add and Play buttons in your web application.

You can access the information now about the API by going to the Netfilx home page and clicking on "Developers" at the bottom of the page.

[tmiranda]

I see that some Blu Ray players (Samsung I think) now support NetFlix directly. I'd really like to see this capability come to Sage as well.

Can the DRM issues be ironed out in a way that makes the NetFlix people, as well as us, happy?

[Ryokurin]

The thing with DRM support is that some companies require very restricting license requirements to do so such as code review, or the ability to pay a fine if a crack is discovered and your code is at fault. Its something that would make the small business pretty wary of getting into, or just simply can't afford to do. I'm not saying that Netflix has such requirements, but typically if DRM'd content isn't supported in something, there is a good reason why.

[Brent]

Netflix is coming soon to Tivo's. Really, really hope this will be possible on extenders some day soon - official support that is.

More about the Netflix/Tivo announcement at ZatzNotFunny!

[stanger89]

I don't care, I get HD Watch Now on my Xbox 360 on Nov 19th. Take that Tivo , and well, everyone else

[Brent]

Originally Posted by stanger89

I don't care, I get HD Watch Now on my Xbox 360 on Nov 19th. Take that Tivo , and well, everyone else

I care - don't have a xbox 360 and really want my SageTV boxes to handle the media stuff anyway

[stanger89]

OK, "don't care" is a tad strong