Too late to edit, but I contacted support: Netflix on linux is "unsupported" with no time frame for moving it to a fully supported platform. They claimed linux does not support some technology that other platforms do (presumably special DRM), so they cant offer HD quality, even to customers who pay extra for it.
This has more to do with licensing restrictions than with technology.
That was my point -- there is zero technical reason HD cant be delivered to desktop linux. Netflix shows do it, and so do a small number of other TV shows and movies. The vast majority of content, however, is limited to 480P. Presumably for licensing reasons only.
The most irritating thing is that "HD" now costs extra, and there is zero indication linux clients cant get the paid for HD content. I watch Netflix via Roku maybe 5% of the time, so mostly Im getting less than I pay for.
Re:Netflix – Chasing 60fps [video]
by darkmighty on Wednesday August 12, 2015 @11:20PM
(#10052102)
Just fake your user agent?
Sadly, another area where paranoid content owners have made legally available, paid for content inferior to illegal pirate copies.