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HELP! Windows Media Center Netflix plugin devices no longer allowed by netflix?????

6K views 32 replies 12 participants last post by  Mike_Boulanger 
#1 ·
I reformatted one of my Windows 7 Ultimate x64 HTPCs tonight like I have done a million other times and when I launch media center and choose netflix and attempt to log in I get this error:


YOU PLAN DOES NOT ALLOW INSTANT WATCHING.


I know my plan does because I have another HTPC in another room that we use all the time that is still functioning.


I fire up a laptop(also W7 Ultimate x64) that has never attempted to log in to netflix and I try and launch netflix from media center and log in and get the same error.


I typed in an incorrect password on purpose to see if I would get a different error and I do get a different error about invalid login credentials so I know that it is authenticating against netflix servers properly.


It appears that netflix is blocking new windows media center devices from using the streaming plugin.


At this point I call netflix and I am told flat out that netflix no longer supports the media center plugin. After some frustrating conversation I ask to speak to manager who reiterated that netflix has nothing to do with that plugin and they no longer support it and that I need to use a web browser. I explained to them that it is working fine on one of our HTPCs and that 2 other devices that I have attempted to use give that error. I explained that when I type in a wrong password it gives me a different error so the problem appears to be on netflix end.


They flat out refused to help and insisted that I was not accessing netflix properly and that the media center plugin is not supported at all and nobody uses it... thats when I just hung up on them.


What the heck is going on? anyone else have this problem using the media center netflix plugin on a fresh install of windows recently?


All of my windows licenses are legit and I have done this literally dozens of times so I know I am not doing anything wrong. It really does appears that netflix has blocked this feature. I am looking for confirmation. This only appears to affect NEW windows 7 media center setups.
 
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#2 ·
Hmm, how many discs do you have mailed to you at a time? I recall from way back, we only had the 1-at-a-time plan and apparently, that limits you to watching from just one device at any given time. Had to upgrade to a higher plan so we can watch Netflix from both bedroom and living room at the same time. Dunno if their policy has changed. Just tried Netflix on my PC and it seems to be working.
 
#4 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by AVTechMan /forum/post/20601134


Just checked my Netflix account via WMC and logged in with no problems.

I posted this over at the windows experts community and someone else confirmed that if your media center device is not already activated against your netflix account that you will not be able to activate it. he is having the same problem and issue.


For you guys that this is still working for you probably have already logged in previously at least 1 time on that HTPC activating the device against your netflix account. I bet if you reinstalled windows and tried to log in you would have the same problem.


This isn't impacting current users just new device activations through windows media center netflix plugin.
 
#5 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovejedd /forum/post/20600885


Hmm, how many discs do you have mailed to you at a time? I recall from way back, we only had the 1-at-a-time plan and apparently, that limits you to watching from just one device at any given time. Had to upgrade to a higher plan so we can watch Netflix from both bedroom and living room at the same time. Dunno if their policy has changed. Just tried Netflix on my PC and it seems to be working.

I have a 1 out plan + streaming + blu ray.


I have at least 8 devices in my house that use netflix without a problem until I reformatted this laptop and PC tonight. The rest of my devices are all still working fine. New activations against your netflix account seem to not be working.
 
#6 ·
If this is the case then I am only mildly saddened. The picture quality from the MCE plugin is terrible compared to any of the HD hardware players. Maybe they are trying to force MS to fix their crappy plugin, so it plays back at the level of quality they are delivering it. The only time iwatch it on the PC is if I am feeling too bothered by having to start up the PS3.
 
#7 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by brianjb /forum/post/20601637


If this is the case then I am only mildly saddened. The picture quality from the MCE plugin is terrible compared to any of the HD hardware players. Maybe they are trying to force MS to fix their crappy plugin, so it plays back at the level of quality they are delivering it. The only time iwatch it on the PC is if I am feeling too bothered by having to start up the PS3.

many of us use remotes with HTPCs on our TV and opening up a web browser is kind of a pain nor do the stop, pause, etc buttons with most remotes work with the silverlight plugin.


this is a very sad day for me and just about ruins my entire home setup.
 
#8 ·
Anyone else have a laptop or PC with windows 7 that they have NEVER used the netflix media center plugin on can attempt to run it and log in?


Steps:

1. Open media center

2. perform first time setup, just choose express setup

3. go to movies strip

4. launch netflix plugin

5. attempt to log in and report any error messages you see at bottom of screen


If this is happening to more people I will make a call to microsoft today to see if they have any feedback on what is going on
 
#9 ·
Hi Seth.


I just tried it on my pc at work (Windows 7 Home Premium) and had no issues at all. Logged in. Played about a minute or 2 of a movie and no problems at all.


I also remotely logged into my PC at home where I never used Media Center (am using mediaportal right now) and it also worked.


One note though - I have previously activated my netflix account with MCE (and also with my WDTV) but this was awhile back on a different computer. Not sure if that made a difference.


Hope this helps.
 
#10 ·
I just installed Win7 with 7MC last night and the Netflix plugin loaded and worked wihtout issue.


I believe you are only allowed a specific number of computers with the plugin (4 I think) so when you reinstall Windows or repalce computers you have to go to the Netflix site and remove the "accounts/computers" no longer used.


I did this once before and the accounts where idnetified by the last movie played on that account/computer.
 
#11 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by CountryBumkin /forum/post/20602156


I just installed Win7 with 7MC last night and the Netflix plugin loaded and worked wihtout issue.


I believe you are only allowed a specific number of computers with the plugin (4 I think) so when you reinstall Windows or repalce computers you have to go to the Netflix site and remove the "accounts/computers" no longer used.


I did this once before and the accounts where idnetified by the last movie played on that account/computer.

Netflix support told me the limit was raised to 50 a year ago and I was only using 8 devices. I removed all of them but 2 and I am still having the issue. VERY ODD. Still trying to figure this out. This is obviously a netflix issue but they refuse to help me becuase it is the media center plugin....


Just tried another device(work PC) and still having the same problem. Yet everything works fine through IE and silverlight.
 
#12 ·
50?!!. Either Netflix didn't want to deal with "exceeding account limits" issues or the guy you spoke with was way off. Either way if you only have two active accounts that isn't you problem. I have another setup/build I'm just finishing up. I'll see if I can active Netflix on it and post back tonight.


I don't know how far you are into the install - but you may want to try a fresh re-install again. Maybe your setup got a bug in it.
 
#13 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by CountryBumkin /forum/post/20602425


50?!!. Either Netflix didn't want to deal with "exceeding account limits" issues or the guy you spoke with was way off. Either way if you only have two active accounts that isn't you problem. I have another setup/build I'm just finishing up. I'll see if I can active Netflix on it and post back tonight.


I don't know how far you are into the install - but you may want to try a fresh re-install again. Maybe your setup got a bug in it.

The guy from Netflix was right. At least, he was right about the number of devices.. not sure about the timeline though --

http://hd.engadget.com/2011/06/06/ne...antly-devices/
 
#14 ·
I was stated sometime last year that Netflix had stopped supporting the MC pluggin when people had issues after some updates broke Netflix. You may want to try some of these fixes-most of them were related to IE 9 settings IIRC. Though it's not and hasn't been officially supported for some time it has and should still work.


Also I have a fresh install from just a few weeks ago fully updated and had not touched Netflix on this install until just a few min ago, I installed pluggin via 7MC movies menu entered my user name/password and it worked. So it has nothing to do w/ new installs, so again I suggest you try applying some of those fixes others had to use in the past.
 
#15 ·
I just created a trial account and I am able to log in to the media center plugin just fine. I just can't log in under my main account on any new device. My devies that are already working continue to work fine.


How the hell do I get netflix to UNJACK my main account... this is ridiculous. its obvious they have some hard limit on the number of media center plugins they will register under and account and these devices DO NOT show up on the list of activated devices so it must be hidden somewhere on the back end somewhere.


This is not my specific setup. I've tried 6 different PCs that I have never used netflix on before and none of them will work for my main account. THERE IS a hard limit on number of media center plugins that can be registered that is not reflected in the activated device list. On all of these PCs I can log in just fine with my new trial account but not with my main account. I get an error about not being allowed to stream video with my account.
 
#16 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by lovemyram4x4 /forum/post/20602544


I was stated sometime last year that Netflix had stopped supporting the MC pluggin when people had issues after some updates broke Netflix. You may want to try some of these fixes-most of them were related to IE 9 settings IIRC. Though it's not and hasn't been officially supported for some time it has and should still work.


Also I have a fresh install from just a few weeks ago fully updated and had not touched Netflix on this install until just a few min ago, I installed pluggin via 7MC movies menu entered my user name/password and it worked. So it has nothing to do w/ new installs, so again I suggest you try applying some of those fixes others had to use in the past.

I bet you if you go to 4 different PCs that you have not used the media center netflix plugin on before and try using the media center plugin it will stop working eventually and give you the same error.
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by sethhobrin /forum/post/20602627


I bet you if you go to 4 different PCs that you have not used the media center netflix plugin on before and try using the media center plugin it will stop working eventually and give you the same error.

Ok well 1 down, I try the others later as I have a few fresh installed that I haven't ran/installed netflex on yet..


Again you need to try some of those old fixes-look at the ones having to do changing things in IE, from your last update I really think this will help.
 
#18 ·
Have you tried a different method of accessing netflix (PS3, wii, xbox, bluray player) and see what happens when you use your account? If it fails on any of those then it is definitely an issue with Netflix. Only way around it would be to close that account and open a new one. You'd lose your que but it may solve your problem.
 
#19 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by lovemyram4x4 /forum/post/20602787


Ok well 1 down, I try the others later as I have a few fresh installed that I haven't ran/installed netflex on yet..


Again you need to try some of those old fixes-look at the ones having to do changing things in IE, from your last update I really think this will help.

I will take a look at it but since I can log in to the media center netflix plugin with a trial netflix account i think the plugin is not broken.


I am aware that there were issues with it and IE9 and Windows 7 SP1 several months ago and I don't think this is related since it my main netflix account is broken on any PC I try to use that I haven't used before.


-Activated Windows Media Center Plugins for netflix don't show up on list of devices on the netflix website so we can't deactivate them - suspicious - how are these being managed at netflix?

-Trial account works fine on multiple PCs in the netflix plugin for media center by my main account does not and gives error that my account does not support Watch Instantly

-my previously activated devices all still work fine but the now six different PCs I have tried all don't work. They are all running windows 7 and are all valid licensed computers fully patched and up to date. 2 of them are fresh installs.


I have spoken to several managers now and they obviously have some kind of beef with microsoft as they absolutely refuse to troubleshoot the issue and they flat out "refused to troubleshoot my account devices if I am using windows media center netflix plugins."
 
#20 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by penone /forum/post/20602895


Have you tried a different method of accessing netflix (PS3, wii, xbox, bluray player) and see what happens when you use your account? If it fails on any of those then it is definitely an issue with Netflix. Only way around it would be to close that account and open a new one. You'd lose your que but it may solve your problem.

Device activations for PS3, XBOX360, and the silverlight plugin all appear on the netflix site for management. I can deactivate unused devices.


Device activations for Windows Media center netflix plugin and suspiciously MISSING from the list which means they are handled somewhere on the netflix backend and not shown to customers. I am guessing there is a seperate limit that affects Media Center activations independant of the other device activations which is why they HIDE those devices on the netflix site.


After i created a trial account and logged in to media center netflix plugin successfully and checked the netflix site I can't see the device listed. On my main account I have several active working media center netflix plugins and none of them are listed. So they are tracked but just not shown to us.
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vladd /forum/post/20603606


Although the number of devices was raised to 50, you are still limited to 4 simultaneous streams.

I was only trying to log in. none of my other devices were running.
 
#24 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rwpritchett /forum/post/20604566


Have you looked into manually setting your DNS? I have two HTPC's and the most recently built one will not work with the WMC Netflix plugin unless I play with the DNS settings. The older HTPC has no problems at all.

Tried that 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 google DNS servers.


As I have said repeatedly, the netflix plugin works fine in media center if I use a trial account. however when using my main netflix account that I have used for years I am not longer able to log in to the netflix plugin on NEW devices only. Only the ones I have previously activated and used. I only get the cryptic message from my original post about my account not supporting watch instantly and not letting me log in.


there is obviously a secret hard limit on the number of windows media center's you can activate against netflix. the fact that they keep these devices hidden from you on the management page that lets you view your activated devices is also telling.
 
#26 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by sethhobrin /forum/post/20604768


Tried that 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 google DNS servers.


As I have said repeatedly, the netflix plugin works fine in media center if I use a trial account. however when using my main netflix account that I have used for years I am not longer able to log in to the netflix plugin on NEW devices only. Only the ones I have previously activated and used. I only get the cryptic message from my original post about my account not supporting watch instantly and not letting me log in.


there is obviously a secret hard limit on the number of windows media center's you can activate against netflix. the fact that they keep these devices hidden from you on the management page that lets you view your activated devices is also telling.

Are you using the same email address as a login in more than one account?
 
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