This would be great. We'd have in browser access to Netflix streaming.

Yes. A Finnish video-on-demand service called MTV3 Katsomo. They do not offer their content in anything but Silverlight. I can't view the news or watch Finnish series on the PlayBook because of this. Instead, I get this: http://twitpic.com/53ktjw

Please, RIM!
~Yousif

YES!! Silverlight is necessary to provide FULL internet access.

Completely agree!

There's a streaming video service I use quite frequently on my laptop. It's a very small, obscure pay service called Netflix.

I know, I know, you've never heard of it. Why would RIM go out of their way to satisfy a small percentage of users? Who even uses this Netflix thing anyway? Whats this 'streaming video' you speak of?

Those are all excellent questions and to be honest I have no answers for you. I'm sure RIM's dev teams are far too busy to satisfy such a tiny demographic.

/s

xbox.com
forex.com
lafitness.com
sify.com
screencast.com

It's the last element of a truely complet browser.

plus, Netflix...nough said.

how big is the percentage of MSoft's Silverlight enabled websites compared to those which use flash/HTML5? other tablets like the iPad 2 has no flash support but people keep on and on pursuing for them. it now depends on how RIM would satisfy their customers by the power of the QNX here, come on RIM!!!

bad form rim

this is one of the usecases where my PB fallls way short of what I had in mind / what I thought I'd be using it for before I bought it. I too had bought a hdmi cable and wanted to stream vidoe content from a non us television station (nrk.no), but was hugly dissapointed when it didn't work out.

this is also the main reason why I haven't bought a PB for my mom yet..So RIM.. you could've sol..eh.. shipped 500 001 if you had had that plug in ready from the get-go..

In the UK, Sky tv's on demand service, SkyGo, uses Silverlight having only recently changed from flash... the pity is my girlfriends iPad has a dedicated SkyGo app which didn't bother me as I thought I would be able to access it through the browser.... I love my playbook but the iPad is starting to niggle at me......

I need it to listen to my cousin's radio show.

If people stop supporting it, maybe it will just go away. (bitter Linux user)

um NETFLIX!.....

RIM this is a big fail. If you are going to advertise a "full web experience" you need to support a plug-in the is used by companies the size of Netflix. I love the ability to go to multiple sites and watch flash movies without the need of an "app." Come on RIM dont let us down.

The lack of Silverlight, and therefore the lack of Netflix, is what has held me back from buying a Playbook. I planned to buy one the day of release, but with no Netflix capabilities, it's not the right device for my needs anymore [not that any other tablet appeals to me right now :)]. Come on RIM, add Silverlight and you'll have my $500.

I'd rather Netflix ditched Silverlight and moved to a more ubiquitous technology that has a future, like HTML5. How do they serve up video to Android devices? IPads?

Why stop at Silverlight plug-in support? It'd be great to run Silverlight applications as well! Seeing as the Playbook is marketed as a "professional-grade" tablet, this would make sense - there are a lot of corporate apps that are written in Silverlight or WPF. Having a Silverlight/WPF virtual machine running on QNX hyper-visor would be awesome (kind of like the Android player idea).

Their tweet says that they are "open to feedback". Perhaps we should be sending these comments directly to @BlackBerryDev

Sling

Thats why this thing will fail

Everyone saying Netflix should actually read through again...
"companies that use Silverlight on the desktop find other ways to deliver their content be it through Flash or even HTML 5"
Netflix DOESN'T need Silverlight, they just need to create an app, as witnessed on iOS and Android. Sure, the in browser support would be cool.. but a Netflix app would be better and more efficient.

Oh my does this make me mad! I listen to a lot of Internet streaming radio that uses Silverlight. So, I can't access my shows using my PlayBook. That is ok, RIMM doesn't care.

This is absolute bullshit.

+1
Its needs silverlight or apps for the sites that only work with silverlight.

I don't care how its dune but I want netflix on my playbook.

NETFLIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again, RIM is not listening and working to please their customers while at the same time
presenting something the PB is not. A full mutli-media web experiance.

Jim and Mike still dont get it!

Tim

I only care about it if Netflix doesn't make an app. I'd really rather see sites stay away from using Silverlight. Go with standards damnit!

I'm with you...I'd love to get Bell TV online working on the PlayBook!

May I ask what is,or silverlight do?
Thanks

Sky tv in the UK. Kinda sucks when I thought I was getting the 'full web'. There's an app for the ipad though...

i dont really wanna be rude Kevin, but this news post is a waste of time. asking for silverlight is just like asking for spellcheck. or asking to have the option to block broadcast messages in BBM. we can only dream.....

i would rather have an app for netflix and everything silverlight needs, what I would luv to have instead of that is ful IMAP support, kevin can you please request that from RIM?

I listen to some radio stations that require Silverlight. Would be really nice. If Netflix doesn't stop using Silverlight, that would be sweet. I would like an app, but I would prefer the desktop version on the PlayBook.

Silverlight would be great, Sky and ITV both use it over here so would be nice plus it seems to be coming more common as well now, I reacon I view more content via silverlight per day than flash now.

netflx and I'm a bell customer and the online streaming service for it uses silverlight...make it happen!

yes. this would be awesome!

God yes, and please hurry, what harm can it do....Besides make things even better and you sell more playbooks?...

Doesn't slingmedia use silverlight aswell?....

While a company cannot be expected to create plugins for every single piece of content on the internet I do believe this is an important one. I have run into some sites which require this plugin and I have been unable to use. When advertising the full web experience they should do their best to support more widespread formats such as this. To not do so is lying about the capabilities of a device, even if it is a little white lie. Unfortunately when attempting to make a mainstream device those little white lies aren't so little anymore and companies have much less wiggle room with what falls under the "must have" items. This omission does not surprise that much. When speaking specifically about the playbook RIM has neglected quite a few essentials which have hurt their image in the publics eye.

Regardless of some of these glaring omissions I have found my playbook quite useful. Their are quite a few things done right.

Yes, RIM needs to get this done. I've been a PlayBook owner almost since release day, and I've been patiently waiting for Silverlight support. I don't see Netflix moving off the Silverlight platform anytime soon, and the PlayBook user base appears to be too small for them to do active dev work for a native app. Silverlight support on PB would allow us to use Netflix and other sites, such as NBA.com video streaming.

sky go would work in the browser if we had silverlight here in uk for sports

Playbook's lack of support for Silverlight is akin to iPad with no support for Flash. Playbook brags about the full web experience. I tell my iPad friends, I don't need an app because I have a fully functional browser. WIthout Silverlight, I don't.

P.S. RIM, if you don't step up to the plate and deliver this as well as the Android player, can I have my money back? #mightbefalseadvertising#

I need Silverlight support on my playbook for a full web experience. Please implement NOW!!

I am actually thinking about creating a twitter account so I can follow RIM and complain when they make stupid decisions like this.

The first thing I thought of when I read this was Apple and Flash! Don't do it RIM! DON'T BECOME APPLE!!! It shouldn't be to hard to incorperate Silverlight! I know licensing is probably the issue, just bite the bullet and do it!!!

*Jim Balsillie Haiku*

Jim is the C.E.O. guy
Research In Motion
I like to use his cell phones

(DONE FOR GOOSECHASE CONTEST)

Any additional ability is a feather in RIM's cap. They should go for it.

yeah bring it .... silverlight!!!!!!!!

I guess it depends on how hard the implementation is. If its possible to talk to microsoft to help them out with the coding then sure. If it takes away resources away from other projects for the playbook then I think there are other priorities. But RIM should strive to be the best, no taking the lazy way out. If its possible, they should go for it.

Can't think of much other than Netflix. Like others have already said, this would likely eliminate the need for netflix to develop an app in order to support the platform.

HBOGO and Comcast.net use Silverlight (at least in IE).

I am a big fan of Netflix and would love support in one form or another, but more important to me in regards to silverlight support is honestly the management site for Microsoft Windows InTune. I am a computer consultant and bought my Playbook with the belief there would be Silverlight support and a GoToAssist support agent. That way, either through the bridge, or normal tethering if necessary, I could provide support for some of my clients without my laptop.

I do hope RIM is listening to/reading this feedback.

Why doesn't MS provide it via their partnership with RIM (Bing maps & search integration that is forthcoming per BB World)? Seems it would bein MS's best interest. It'd be nice but this is way down the totem pole of necessary feature updates. What tablet can currently run Silverlight that isn't a version of Windows?

I don't care as long as it's an optional thing and not included on all playbooks/devices. I have absolutely no interest in Silverlight. If a website/app requires it I say bye to the website/app.

What's a "full web experience" without a little Silver? I would guess its a relitivley short development cycle but what do I know...

Long live The RIMPIRE

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I thought RIM stated from the outset that they would be bringing Netflix to the PlayBook and I've been waiting for Silverlight to be implemented. YES to Silverlight!

Yeah, Silverlight support should come to the Playbook. Lot's of dutch newsmedia sites are using silverlight for streaming.

There is a moonlight for android port in the works. Hopefully that will allow sliverlight apps to work on the playbook through android. Maybe someone could try it out and let us all know.
Also, pretty poor form by MS, but I guess that wasn't a surprise.

i have a few clients who have developed applications using Silverlight and the entire community of field workers are unable to use any tablets etc to access there systems while in the field. while this may have been there oversight it does open up an opportunity for RIM to provide a slew (1000+) playbooks to there community. Yes, please make the Silverlight plug-in available on the Playbook.

Yes, we need support for Silverlight. Nothing bad can come from it.

It needs to support Silverlight. That's something I would do. The PlayBook would be undeniable!

Complete garbage RIM... This makes me wanna abandon the playbook

Smart move, Silverlight is a Adobe Flash wannabe. Silverlight sucks!!

I would love to have it for Sky Player and Netflix, I know I attack RIM a lot but this is why, Silverlight is obviously an important tool, if M$ wont support it for blackberry then RIM have to try an make inroads themselves, they can't just keep burying there head in the sand and disrespecting their user base this way.

I echo my other sentiments – time for massive sweeping changes at the top of RIM – they have done really well to this point but they are not competent enough to take the company further and respond to customer needs. #Lazaridis&BalsillieOutNow

In my opinion this is another must have feature on the PlayBook.

The lack of silverlight causes problems for me and I hope they reconsider their lack of support.

I run a Windows Home Server and I can't stream my media to my PB because it requires Silverlight. If they added support for remote network file access this wouldn't be such an issue for me.

I don't use netflix but a lot people do. Sky News requires Silverlight as do many other websites.

Windows Phone doesn't support Silverlight in the browser. 'Native' apps are built with silverlight, but it doesn't run in the browser.

WHY!? Why does no one recognize that there are several cases of Microsoft making statements about a shift from Silverlight!? I mean, they ditched it in their SkyDrive (http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archive/2011/06/20...) and there are plans for it to be implemented elsewhere.

All I can grab from the comments here are that people want their specific video streaming websites, which Silverlight is good for, but that is in no way a reason for RIM to divide development from something such as the Android Player to support Silverlight.

Please people, be more diverse in your knowledge of these technologies when you want to start a force to get RIM to do something. I honestly wouldn't expect Silverlight support and if that somehow comes to my Playbook, but BIS email does not, I will hate the loud minority.

The lack of Silverlight limits my access to some GIS viewers. This limits the use of the Playbook for me.

This is off topic, but how do you use HBO GO with Playbook?

Forget my question, I figured it out.

yes they should

Bringing Silverlight to the Playbook would increase my productivity exponentially. Without Silverlight the web app which I use www.aq360.com requires Silverlight. Netflix would be great and all, but I would like to use my professional grade tablet, professionally.

Mr. K Why NOT???...it will only make berry stronger...they should take everthing they can get....the more they have to offer the more they will sell

bell's internal site uses internet explorer, thats the only that i care about personally so that i can help my customers if our computer is busy

This one's trickier than it looks, and there's some politics around it.

The uptake for Silverlight among developers has been pretty low (Netflix notwithstanding), and there's some suggestion that Microsoft itself isn't that enthused about it anymore. It's also quite possible that Adobe has done a little arm-twisting to keep RIM from supporting Silverlight as an alternative to Flash.

Personally, yes, I'd like to see it, and there's no harm in RIM showing a little love for Microsoft technologies.

Don't forget that the Olympics were streamed and broadcast using this stream, using Silverlight. Twice now. MS and RIM have a long history of colaboration so I think is either a technical issue or a political (Adobe-Flash) thing.

Too bad. My company does a lot of Silverlight development (medical field) and we had hoped to use the playbook as an access point. It is a real pain (expensive in time and resources) to have to develop for each mobile OS. It would be much better to to be able to produce a rich user experience in SIlverlight and have that available across all platforms. Doctors dream of walking around with tablets but unless the tablets support a standard then you are stuck as a developer of applications.

I don't foresee a down side to adding silverlight. It just enables greater use and access to the whole internet.

tvonline.bell.ca doesn't work. :(

I have faced similar problem when i try to watch SKY TV in london, i think to make the playbook an all round internet too for both business users and social users they would need to get the silverlight add-on

I was at a store the day the PB hit the market with cash in hand ... realized that there is no Netflix support, went back home VERY DISAPPOINTED without the PB :-(
Please don't judge me for making Netflix a deal breaker -- for me its simple ... I subscribe to Netflix, travel a lot, refuse to pay for in hotel movies/mess with loading movies on a tablet/and refuse to view "pirate" versions of movies. I am looking to purchase a tablet to replace my laptop -- not for everything, but definitively it needs to be able to be my media player.
Until RIM/Netflix have this resolved, I will not purchase a Playbook ... and if this does not get resolved before my birthday in December, I will purchase another tablet.

I ***WANT*** a Playbook -- as soon as Netflix is available, I am buying one...I realize I am just one voice, but am sure that RIM would get quite a few more PB sold if they had a commercial showing users streaming Netflix using PB attached to HDTV via the mini-HDMI. Just my 2 cents ;-)