Here’s Why Netflix Is Leaving Some Older Devices

Last week, Netflix announced it would be pulling its app from a handful of old devices, including older products from both Roku and Samsung. The streaming giant’s initial statement remained vague in why it was pulling itself off the devices. Now, the company has explained itself further in a new report. According to one Netflix spokesperson (via Gizmodo), it’s all a direct result of aging technology that the company no longer wants to have to support. “We’ve notified all impacted members with more information about alternative devices we support so they can keep enjoying Netflix uninterrupted,” the spokesperson said.

While the quote itself doesn’t provide much, Gizmodo says the streamer won’t be able to run on devices running Windows Media DRM, an older digital rights management suite from the Redmond-based tech giant. Since Netflix upgraded from DRM to Microsoft PlayReady, it’s ditching support for the older devices still using the older software package.

The complete list of items losing the ability to run Netflix starting December 2nd includes Roku SD (N1050), Roku HD-XR (N1101), Roku HD (N1100, 2000C), and Roku XD (2050X, 2060N, 2100X, 2100N). On the Samsung side, any television made in 2010 or 2011 starting with a model code of C or D will ultimately lose Netflix support. You can check the Samsung support page here to see if your TV is one of the affected models.

Samsung all released a statement, saying some of its products would lose Netflix due to “technical limitations.” The full statement can be found below.

“Due to technical limitations, Netflix will no longer be supported on some devices beginning on December 1st, 2019. Some older Samsung smart TV’s are affected by this change. In the future, Netflix can be viewed from many other devices capable of connecting to your TV.

“Although some of our older TV’s will no longer support Netflix directly beginning December 1st, 2019, many other devices you may have connected to your TV are still supported. You can find a list from Netflix at netflix.com/compatibledevices. As long as you have one of the supported devices, like a game console, streaming media player, or set-top box, you’ll still be able to watch Netflix on your TV.”

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