A bunch of older Samsung and Roku devices will no longer be able to access Netflix starting on December 1, 2019.
Netflix has been around long enough officially that certain older devices will no longer be supported by the service by the end of the year. This will be the case for some Roku streamers and certain Samsung smart TVs that will be made obsolete by Netflix on December 1st.
Samsung explains on its support website that technical limitations are to blame for the loss of Netflix.
Due to technical limitations, Netflix will no longer be supported on some devices beginning on December 1st, 2019. Some older Samsung smart TV’s are affected by this change. In the future, Netflix can be viewed from many other devices capable of connecting to your TV.
Samsung’s support website
Unfortunately, Samsung did not specify which of its smart TVs will be affected. Therefore, if you own a Samsung smart TV that you bought more than a year ago, you might want to keep an eye on Netflix’s list of supported devices. It will possibly be updated to include specific models of devices in the future as they become obsolete.
Netflix cites “technical limitations” as the reason for this sudden loss of support but it’s unclear what those technical limitations are in the first place.
Sadly for those of us trying to grasp the situation, no one seems to understand what, exactly, those “technical limitations” are. It could be that they don’t want to dedicate developer time and effort to writing software for devices that are no longer widely used. It could also be a conspiracy to sell new equipment, or something entirely different. But the fact that none of the three companies is eager to provide exonerating details suggests that something less than consumer-friendly is afoot.
Although Samsung points out that you’ll be able to continue watching Netflix on your TV with a supported device, but what this also means is that you’ll have no choice but to buy a Roku, an Apple TV, a PlayStation 4, or another device that still supports Netflix.
Plenty of Samsung smart TV owners probably already rely on a streaming stick or box of some nature, but those who don’t will have to find another way to access the world’s biggest streaming service.
It’s undeniable that the lack of transparency is frustrating, which is even worse if you’re trying to see which devices are getting cut. Now that a full list of all the affected devices has yet to surface, both Roku and Samsung have provided some clues.
Here are at least some of the devices that will no longer be supported come December:
Roku devices
- Roku 2000C
- Roku 2050X
- Roku 2100X
- Roku HD
- Roku SD
- Roku XD
- Roku XR
- Any other Roku devices that cannot auto-play the next episode
Samsung TVs
- 2010 and 2011 TVs with a C or D in the model code. Samsung’s support page will help you find your TV’s code. Note that the loss of Netflix support only applies to the TVs themselves; You can still watch Netflix on older Samsung TVs as long as you do so through a device that Netflix currently supports.
Be sure to check Netflix’s official list of supported devices in case you need to find a replacement because it’s possible that more devices will be impacted by the change.