Netflix: Open Content

(opencontent.netflix.com)

196 points | by tosh 3 hours ago

14 comments

  • Fiveplus 1 minute ago
    This could be a huge deal for anyone working on video codecs or display tech. Finding legally clear, high-quality, uncompressed (or mezzanine) 4K HDR footage to test encoders against is surprisingly difficult. Most test footage you find online has already been stomped on by YouTube or Meta compression.

    Having the raw EXR sequences and the IMF packages for Sol Levante and Meridian means researchers can finally benchmark AV1 vs HEVC vs VVC using source material that actually has the dynamic range to show the differences. The fact that they included the Dolby Vision metadata is the cherry on top.

  • everlier 7 minutes ago
    Is this for some sort of a formal compliance or being able to point out "we host things free of charge too?
  • 332451b 7 minutes ago
    More recent content from Netflix is part of the ASWF Digital Production Example Library. https://dpel.aswf.io/
  • _flux 2 hours ago
    Funny how how all the links, including the ones to their own pages, are routed through google.com/url, e.g. the link "Assets Available to Download". Usually tracking isn't quite this visible.
    • reddalo 50 minutes ago
      It's because their blog is hosted on blogger.com (yeah, weird decision), which is owned by Google and does that by default.
    • afandian 2 hours ago
      It is very odd. I don’t see a good reason, not even tracking.
      • jmathai 1 hour ago
        Aren't those just the URLs in google search results if you copy from the results page instead of clicking through to the destination?
  • carschno 3 hours ago
    The last addition was made in 2020.
  • jcattle 2 hours ago
    I was curious about this recently. I was wondering about open files of well known artists.

    Unlike netflix/YouTube its not immediately clear to me which Organisation would spearhead something like this out of their own interesting. Closest I know of is the MuseGroup, which are doing this "growing of the pie" with open source music creation Software.

    Anyone know of something else?

  • HelloUsername 3 hours ago
  • cooper_ganglia 2 hours ago
    Cool! I'm looking forward to going through some of these, looks very interesting!
  • FunnyLookinHat 2 hours ago
    Anyone else surprised that the download links are plain HTTP without SSL? I know it's a page that in the past I would have typically not worried about securing - but nowadays it's SSL everything or else your browser yells at you.
    • ronbenton 1 hour ago
      Yeah, this is bad. The page almost seems like someone’s pet project that didn’t have any explicit funding and they got bored or left Netflix in 2020. I’m not sure how that would explain the lack of SSL cert except for just general lack of thoroughness.
      • reddalo 49 minutes ago
        > The page almost seems like someone’s pet project that didn’t have any explicit funding

        It probably is, given that it's just a static page hosted on blogger.com

      • gregoryl 25 minutes ago
        From the names mentioned in the most recent blog post, they left late 2022.
    • uyzstvqs 1 hour ago
      I'm surprised they didn't use BitTorrent, with these HTTP links as web seeds. That'd make the most sense.
      • alex_duf 44 minutes ago
        Politically it would be an interesting choice for Netflix to encourage people to use their BitTorrent clients..

        But technically, you're right.

    • mrtksn 1 hour ago
      The page look like zero effort given anyway, like one of the free templates you can find.
    • robingchan 1 hour ago
      this is hosted on s3 which doesn't support HTTPS, that said - if they used cloudfront in front of this bucket, they could save $$$ and have a SSL
  • andrewstuart 1 hour ago
    There’s basically zero innovation in online video.

    Such a pity startups can’t innovate on the content stores of the big companies.

    • gibsonsmog 38 minutes ago
      It's actually a regression overall compared to physical media like DVDs and Blurays. No director commentaries, no behind the scenes, no silly menu games, etc. Streaming would theoretically allow for tons of this type of content to be made and connected to a film at any time but instead we have this stagnant recreation of cable TV. C'est la vie
      • expedition32 0 minutes ago
        DVDs were iirc 480p which would look absolutely terrible on a modern TV.
      • michaelbuckbee 29 minutes ago
        The lack of director commentaries and behind the scenes content on streaming has always baffled me as the rights to that must be much cheaper to acquire and would result in more minutes of streaming watched for less licensing money.
        • wincy 3 minutes ago
          We’ve started watching Pluribus on Apple TV and it seems like when they’re making the show Apple contractually obligates them to make a podcast about each episode. Some of them are very interesting (like costume design) and some are less so.

          It was funny how the sound engineers remoted in for the podcast and had extremely low quality mics, despite it being a show with fantastic sound (really it’s an excellent show in general, just really good).

        • sbarre 4 minutes ago
          It's telling that VFX subcontractors are putting out their own BTS content on YouTube now as promotional material, since the primary production companies for shows and films (with a few exceptions) have completely stopped doing this.

          I miss director commentary, I loved re-watching movies with that audio track.

          Is there just too much content now? Or has streaming become such a "content mill" that the creators aren't inspired enough about their own work to sit down and talk about it after it's complete?

    • philipallstar 48 minutes ago
      > There’s basically zero innovation in online video.

      AV2 is coming out this year.

      > Such a pity startups can’t innovate on the content stores of the big companies.

      What do you mean?

      • afavour 42 minutes ago
        Can’t speak for OP but personally I’m thinking of things like the ability to actually add new features. Like what Netflix did with the Bandersnatch episode of Black Mirror years ago. Online video is extremely locked down when compared to the web.
  • levibev 21 minutes ago
    [dead]
  • danielktdoranie 2 hours ago
    [flagged]
    • FartyMcFarter 2 hours ago
      They have downloadable files that you don't need an account for.
  • Adesany 3 hours ago
    [flagged]
  • niceboy2 1 hour ago
    I love it just because squid game.