Netflix and Android don't always mix due to DRM limitations with the Android operating system. Texas Instruments' new OMAP 4 platform has been certified for Netflix and enables secure HD (1080p) streaming to HD TVs. Although no official announcements have made, bloggers are postulating in posts that the Droid 3 and Droid Bionic will have Netflix HD.
New smartphone buyers of OMAP 4 platform dual ARM Cortex processor smartphones will be able to take their Netflix wherever they go and then stream it. Texas Instruments has not announced what smartphones will be using these chips.
Here's today's bogus-pocus focus of blogger fact or fiction. Some are saying that the Droid 3 and Droid Bionic will have an OMAP 4-platform dual ARM Cortex processors and will, therefore, run Netflix.
This is s surprise since the Motorola Milestone 3 (the Droid 3 Chinese cousin) has been shown to have a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor. In the past, the Motorola Milestone series smartphones had almost the exact specs of the Droid series of smartphones on Verizon.
A leaked screenshot of the Droid 3 details showed it having BlockBuster video on demand. Therefore, we can assume that it will at lease have BlockBuster on-demand video.
So what is fact and what is fiction?
We will only know if the Droid 3 and Droid Bionic will have Netflix when we get an official announcement from Verizon or Motorola.
We talked to a TI rep who confirmed that, if a smartphone comes with a an OMAP 4 processor, it does not necessarily mean that it will operate Netflix HD. Each individual device must go through Netflix certification. So far, the only Android smartphone that has OMAP 4 processor and Netflix is the LG Thrill 4G.
The Droid 3 announcement should be soon. Leaked documents showed it to be "30% faster graphics than it's predecessor." We don't know how to calculate if the Droid 2 Global's 1.2GHz processor is 30% slower than the the OMAP 4.
Update: A new photo of the Droid 3 box shows it having a 1GHz dual-core processor.
Texas Instruments is the first to get Netflix Silicon Reference Implementation (SRI)
certification for the Netflix HD Android app.
The OMAP 4
platform with M-Shield security technology and TI's
quad-radio WiLink 7.0 connectivity combo solution met the Netflix
requirements for mobile content streaming, including the ability to run full high-definition (HD) 1080p video within strict security
measures.
Smartphones and tablets running the Netflix application on the OMAP 4
platform can also connect to larger, HDMI HD televisions. The
OMAP platform's security includes HDCP encryption over the HDMI
connection.
The OMAP 4 platform's Netflix certification supports Android 2.3
("Gingerbread") today, with support for additional Android versions
planned for this year.
The Texas Instrucments' news release states, "Devices with the OMAP 4 processor-driven Netflix
app preinstalled will be launched in the near future."
Read all Droid 3 or Droid Bionic articles.