How can I watch Netflix on Chrome for Android?
January 20, 2018 6:26 AM Subscribe
I already know the answer will be "you can't do this without the app." I don't want that answer. I don't have an app on windows+chrome and it works fine. I want to know exactly what I need to do to chrome to make it play on android, or, exactly what is missing from chrome+android that precludes it from working. (For e.g. Chrome for Android doesn't support required FeatureX.)
Netflix streaming plays back fine on my win7 machine, Chrome 63.0.3239.132, but not on Android 8.0.0, Chrome 63.0.3239.111 (yes, set for "Desktop site"). It says something went wrong, error code: M7121-1331-P7.
Netflix help on this error pretends like this isn't a thing and the instructions don't help. (For example, extensions are currently not supported on Chrome for Android so why would I need to disable them?)
An acceptable answer could also include switching to another Android browser that works with Netflix streaming.
Netflix streaming plays back fine on my win7 machine, Chrome 63.0.3239.132, but not on Android 8.0.0, Chrome 63.0.3239.111 (yes, set for "Desktop site"). It says something went wrong, error code: M7121-1331-P7.
Netflix help on this error pretends like this isn't a thing and the instructions don't help. (For example, extensions are currently not supported on Chrome for Android so why would I need to disable them?)
An acceptable answer could also include switching to another Android browser that works with Netflix streaming.
I know for a fact that Chrome on Android wants video loads to be associated with a user action and otherwise won't play the media (to prevent accidental data drain etc.). If Netflix tries to silently load the video in the background, or tries to autoplay, it will fail. It also seems picky about html5 video in general.
Have you tried Firefox for Android?
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:21 AM on January 20, 2018
Have you tried Firefox for Android?
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:21 AM on January 20, 2018
re: Firefox for Android -- here's an official way to make it work from Mozilla support.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:30 AM on January 20, 2018
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:30 AM on January 20, 2018
Response by poster: Firefox gives error F7701-1003, and the help instructions assume non-Android. Same with this link https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1178557. I'm guessing I need to enable CDM support/plugin for Android? I don't know how that works though.
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 10:05 AM on January 20, 2018
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 10:05 AM on January 20, 2018
How about the "request desktop version page" option, or whatever it's called?
posted by farlukar at 2:58 PM on January 20, 2018
posted by farlukar at 2:58 PM on January 20, 2018
Best answer: Well... wishing for another answer than "you need the app" won't make one magically materialize. Sorry :(
Netflix demands DRM to prevent you from accidentally doing something useful with video, like storing it on disk. To make DRM in browser work, they use Encrypted Media Extensions (EME). The way EME works, they need to provide a binary DRM blob that makes sure you're safely locked out of trying to access the video on your device. That DRM blob is platform specific and needs to be built for each OS/platform.
On Android (and I think iOS as well) you have two issues:
1.) For a long while Chrome on Android didn't support EME as well.
2.) Netflix needs to build and compile the DRM blob for Android.
Since Netflix doesn't provide the DRM blob for Android, it won't run in browser (and you get a playback error). Instead they want you to use the app (which will use the Android built-in Widevine DRM directly via video player). There's nothing you can do - Netflix controls when the video can be decrypted and they've decided not to provide browser support on Android. There's nothing you can do :/
Windows actually has a similar issue - for a long while the DRM implementation in Chrome/Firefox wasn't good enough for Netflix, so they only streamed 720p video to those browsers. To get better quality (1080p or 4K), you had to (perhaps still have to?) use either Microsoft Edge or the Windows app.
posted by mavrik at 12:29 AM on January 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Netflix demands DRM to prevent you from accidentally doing something useful with video, like storing it on disk. To make DRM in browser work, they use Encrypted Media Extensions (EME). The way EME works, they need to provide a binary DRM blob that makes sure you're safely locked out of trying to access the video on your device. That DRM blob is platform specific and needs to be built for each OS/platform.
On Android (and I think iOS as well) you have two issues:
1.) For a long while Chrome on Android didn't support EME as well.
2.) Netflix needs to build and compile the DRM blob for Android.
Since Netflix doesn't provide the DRM blob for Android, it won't run in browser (and you get a playback error). Instead they want you to use the app (which will use the Android built-in Widevine DRM directly via video player). There's nothing you can do - Netflix controls when the video can be decrypted and they've decided not to provide browser support on Android. There's nothing you can do :/
Windows actually has a similar issue - for a long while the DRM implementation in Chrome/Firefox wasn't good enough for Netflix, so they only streamed 720p video to those browsers. To get better quality (1080p or 4K), you had to (perhaps still have to?) use either Microsoft Edge or the Windows app.
posted by mavrik at 12:29 AM on January 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by craniac at 6:28 AM on January 20, 2018