Software update fixes OnePlus 8 Pro's HD Netflix, Amazon Prime Video issue

Update: July 15, 2020 at 6:18 PM ET: OnePlus confirmed to Android Authority that the OnePlus 8 Pro-Widevine issue was resolved with an update that rolled out July 11. The update, which brought Oxygen OS version 10.5.11.IN11AA, fixed the issue for OnePlus 8 Pro devices when playing Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

After you install the update, you should be good to go. However, if Netflix or Amazon Prime Video still isn’t playing in HD, you can follow the steps below to fix it:

• Install this Widevine DRM detection app on the Google Play Store.
• Check to make sure the Widevine DRM key level is “L1.”
  • If it is, you’re all set!
  • If it’s still set to “L3,” uninstall and reinstall the Netflix app.

Original article, June 1, 2020 (06:00 PM ET): After a recent update, some OnePlus 8 Pro users are reporting seeing Netflix videos in SD when they clearly shouldn’t.

We received a report from a reader named Nicolas who experienced an issue watching Netflix with the OnePlus 8 Pro. Many users are also reporting it on the OnePlus community forum. Apparently, this issue started happening with version 15.5.5, but users have reported that it persisted in version 15.5.6. Users on the forum first reported the problem as far back as May 2, so it has been floating around for a while.

The OnePlus 8 Pro is having an issue with displaying HD video on services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. There’s a Widevine DRM issue, where it’s downgrading from L1 to L3. When the device enters this security level, it’s unable to stream HD and HDR content from various services, which is unfortunate for users looking to take advantage of the gorgeous display on the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Widevine is a Google-owned service that’s designed to provide various encryption schemes and hardware security to distribute video content to consumer devices. It’s helpful for a service like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, as they can prevent unauthorized users from accessing content.

However, with this issue, users who should have access to HD content aren’t getting it because Widevine thinks they are not authorized.

We have reached out to OnePlus for comment on the issue and will update this article once we hear back.