Netflix worked closely with Apple to bring HTML5 video support to Safari in OS X Yosemite
So long, Silverlight! Apple on Monday announced that Safari on OS X Yosemite will support HTML5 video streaming for Netflix. Translation? Users can enjoy the majesty of Netflix without having to fiddle with any external plugins.
On top of the added convenience, the transition to HTML5 video will offer much improved battery life to the tune of two extra hours of 1080p streaming on a MacBook.
In a blogpost highlighting the news, Netflix relayed that it worked closely with Apple to implement the upcoming transition via HTML5 Premium Video Extensions.
We've been working closely with Apple to implement the Premium Video Extensions in Safari, which allow playback of premium video content in the browser without the use of plugins.
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We're especially excited that Apple implemented the Media Source Extensions (MSE) using their highly optimized video pipeline on OS X. This lets you watch Netflix in buttery smooth 1080p without hogging your CPU or draining your battery. In fact, this allows you to get up to 2 hours longer battery life on a MacBook Air streaming Netflix in 1080p - that's enough time for one more movie!
Finally, a Safari announcement even non-techies can get excited about.
