Why does Firefox 5 have to run in 32-bit mode to stream Netflix with the latest Silverlight? Safari does not seem to have this limitation.
Why does Firefox demand to be run in 32-bit mode on a Mac to stream Netflix? If I try to stream a movie when I do not have Firefox set to run in 32-bit mode, I always be a message thanking me for installing but then a warning that I should restart in 32-bit mode. When I choose to restart in 32-bit mode, the movie will stream, But I get the same message every time, UNLESS I set Firefox to run in 32-bit mode only. Safari does not seem to have this limitation, it does not have to run in 32-bit mode to stream Netflix. I do not think it is a Silverlight 5 (or 4) limitation. It seems to be a Firefox problem.
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This appears to be a limitation with the Silverlight plugin which is developed by Microsoft. It only is able to run in 32-bit mod. If this is a source of annoyance all the time (because you often use Netflix or other Silverlight services), then is suggest making Firefox always start in 32-bit mode:
- Go to Finder
- Right click on FireFox in applications folder
- Select Get Info
- Select "Open in 32 Bit mode"
You solution is simply the suboptimal option I described in my question. Evidently, you missed the point of my post
Safari CAN run in 64-bit mode and STILL use 32-bit Silverlight to play Neflix streaming. So why does Silverlight constrain Firefox to 32-bit but not constrain Safari in the same way? Obviously, this means I always have to run Firefox in 32-bit mode (or switch manually just to stream Neflix), and accept the performance tradeoffs that entails. I'm afraid this limitation changes my browser preferences on Mac from Firefox to Safari.
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