The Pocophone F1 can’t play Netflix in HD because it does not have Widevine L1 DRM support.
Pocophone F1 and Widevine L1 DRM
It looks like this year’s flagship killer killer is not as perfect as some might think. Despite all its power, the handset won’t be able to run HD and up videos from streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Video, and probably iFlix as well.
As it turns out, the phone does not have Widevine L1, a DRM licensing system that safeguards a video stream from being pirated off of a device. There are different levels, but the L1 is the one required for 720p and up resolution.
What’s baffling here is that apparently, the Widevine belongs to Google and it is free. So why was it omitted?
All is not lost though, as the phone is certified with L3 DRM, meaning it can stream videos in 540p resolution.
Can it be fixed?
Yes, but apparently its not going to be easy. According to the source, if Xiaomi decides to add support for Widevine L1 DRM, buyers would need to send their phone to the company’s service centers. Its not something that can be fixed through an OTA update.
Relate: Xiaomi Pocophone F1 coming to the Philippines; Price starts at PHP17,990
Anyway, Xiaomi probably has a good reason for not including Widevine L1 despite it being owned by Google and having a free license. Its something to consider for those who have their sights set on buying the phone.
The Pocophone F1 is coming to the Philippines with a starting price of PHP17,990. The handset features a 6.8-inch FHD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, up to 8GB RAM, up to 256GB of storage, dual rear cameras, and a 4,000 mAh battery.
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