How To Download Shows On Netflix On Mac

How to Stream Netflix on a Mac

Past David Weedmark

i Image courtesy of Netflix

Watching Netflix on a Mac couldn't exist whatsoever easier, since the streaming video service phased out its reliance on the Microsoft Silverlight browser plugin. All y'all demand is a Netflix account, a high-speed Internet connection and the time to watch your favorite shows and movies. Netflix automatically detects your Net speed and streams its videos in the best quality your bandwidth and browser can handle. On modern Mac computers, Safari supports the best resolution: upward to 1080p when streaming Netflix on OS X Yosemite.

Safari Requirements

i Screenshot courtesy of Netflix.

Safari streams Netflix on any Mac reckoner with OS 10 10.10 Yosemite or later using HTML5, without the need for whatever plugins or boosted software. This includes any Mac estimator produced in 2012 or after, as well as some 2011 models, provided you accept upgraded to the free Yosemite operating system.

For high-definition video, you lot need a high-speed Internet connection with download speeds of at to the lowest degree v megabits per second.

Google Chrome Requirements

i Screenshot courtesy of Netflix.

Google Chrome version 37 or later supports streaming Netflix videos using HTML5. This means if you take upgraded to the most contempo version of Chrome available on whatsoever Mac using OS X Snowfall Leopard 10.six or later, you tin commencement streaming without needing extra software. Chrome supports Hard disk drive video up to 720p with an Internet connection of five megabits per second or faster.

Older Macs with Mac OS 10 Tiger 10.4.11 or later running Google Chrome version 3 or afterwards don't back up HTML5 streaming for Netflix. Netflix will prompt you lot to download the Microsoft Silverlight plugin when you lot first try to play a video.

Mozilla Firefox Requirements

i Image courtesy of Mozilla.

For anyone who loves Mozilla Firefox, unless yous want to try using Safari or Chrome for your Netflix sessions, you need to install Microsoft Silverlight. As of February 2015, Mozilla won't support the HTML5 Encrypted Media Extensions that Netflix requires.

Co-ordinate to PCWorld, Netflix uses these extensions to download a closed-source plugin that restricts subscribers from recording content. Although Mozilla has plans to release a modified version of these extensions, in their electric current course they violate Mozilla'south policies on digital rights management, or DRM.

Until that happens, when you try to play a Netflix video on Firefox, the browser volition give you instructions for installing the Silverlight plugin, a small 14.5MB file that takes only a minute or two to install.

Getting Started

i Image courtesy of Netflix

The beginning fourth dimension you lot go to Netflix.com on your Mac, yous are prompted to sign in. If y'all have never used Netflix earlier, click the "Sign Upwards Now" link at the lesser of the Sign In box. Otherwise, enter your Netflix business relationship email accost and password. You can also log in with Facebook, provided you have linked Netflix to your Facebook account. You do demand a credit card to start a Netflix account, merely the first month is free. Scroll through the recommended videos or apply the Search pick to discover a specific title, actor or director. When you observe a video you desire to spotter press the "Play" button and the video starts playing immediately.

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