Since NetFlix is shutting down its DVD service I'm
looking for a cheap streaming method. Is a Pi3 up to
the task? It sounds like all I need is a Pi, RasPiOS
and a browser, presumably chromium.

The only reference point I have is watching YouTube
videos on a Pi4. When it works at all, it's fine.
For the last couple of months it hasn't worked at
all, I think because of chromium but can't be sure.
In any case, NetFlix isn't YouTube....

Thanks for reading, and any tips....

bob prohaska

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

bob prohaska wrote:

Since NetFlix is shutting down its DVD service I'm
looking for a cheap streaming method. Is a Pi3 up to
the task? It sounds like all I need is a Pi, RasPiOS
and a browser, presumably chromium.

So you would stream on Raspberry Pi OS? That, of course, is possible,
but I would get a Pi4 since it natively supports H.265 in its graphic
chip. Since the Pi availability crisis is over, the Pi4 is just a couple
of bucks more expensive than the Pi4.

The only reference point I have is watching YouTube
videos on a Pi4. When it works at all, it's fine.

When it's about YouTube, I'd not use a Pi but an Android device, eg. a
FireTV because you can use SmartTube (of course installation not from
the Playstore) to watch YouTube without the ads. That's what I do here
and it works just fine. It also has the advantage that you can run
Netflix etc. just with the remote, when you use Raspberry Pi OS to watch
in the browser you will still need a keyboard to navigate.

-jw-

--

And now for something completely different...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 24/08/2023 01:33, bob prohaska wrote:

Since NetFlix is shutting down its DVD service I'm
looking for a cheap streaming method. Is a Pi3 up to
the task? It sounds like all I need is a Pi, RasPiOS
and a browser, presumably chromium.

The only reference point I have is watching YouTube
videos on a Pi4. When it works at all, it's fine.
For the last couple of months it hasn't worked at
all, I think because of chromium but can't be sure.
In any case, NetFlix isn't YouTube....

Thanks for reading, and any tips....

bob prohaska

I wouldn't bother with the Pi3. The Pi4 might work if you have GPU
acceleration working perfectly. The Orange Pi5, is much more powerful,
it works as well, or better, than a slow intel CPU. Flawless at 1080p.

For Netflix, you would also need to get Chromium to work with Widevine
DRM. I think this is done in an apt package for the rPi, but there is a
caveat. On Linux, Widevine doesn't support the highest level L1 DRM
"trust", this means you can only watch video at a lower
resolution/bitstream speed. I don't have Netflix, but on Amazon Prime
that means the best quality is 1.17GB/hour on a Chromium/Linux/Pi,
compared to best Quality 6.84GB/hour on Chrome/Windows. AIUI, Android
can be configured to use Widevine L1 DRM.

I did just test Amazon Prime quality, but much of this the rest is from
memory, so I advise you confirm for yourself.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 24/08/2023 01:33, bob prohaska wrote:

Since NetFlix is shutting down its DVD service I'm
looking for a cheap streaming method. Is a Pi3 up to
the task? It sounds like all I need is a Pi, RasPiOS
and a browser, presumably chromium.

The only reference point I have is watching YouTube
videos on a Pi4. When it works at all, it's fine.
For the last couple of months it hasn't worked at
all, I think because of chromium but can't be sure.
In any case, NetFlix isn't YouTube....

Thanks for reading, and any tips....

bob prohaska

Get a Roku Express. At £30 it's cheaper than a Pi4 - and works well even
over a 3G wireless hotspot.

--

Chris Elvidge, England
I WILL NOT DRAW NAKED LADIES IN CLASS

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

"bob prohaska" <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote

| Since NetFlix is shutting down its DVD service I'm
| looking for a cheap streaming method. Is a Pi3 up to
| the task? It sounds like all I need is a Pi, RasPiOS
| and a browser, presumably chromium.
|

Didn't you ask about this recently? I've been using
a Pi4 since early COVID. (2020?) For privacy and
convenience, I stream to one TV from Win7 and the
other from a Pi4. I find the idea of Internet connected
TVs creepy. As is the idea of letting these companies
run their "app" on my computer.

At first it required a custom Widevine
patch, which someone was generously providing. There
were also some other glitches that required various
adjustments. The trouble was that ARM browsers were
not supporting Widevine.

Some time ago there were updates and now Chromium
works fine. I'm not sure about Firefox. (I'd prefer Firefox
but just haven't bothered to test it. I do use FF on Win7.
Widevine has never been a problem on x86/x64 systems.)

I stream Netflix and Hoopla. I was briefly streaming
Starz. I got some mild lags, that I suspect were on their
end. But I dropped Starz because of sneaky spyware.
Their website worked fine at first, with only script from
their servers enabled, but then it started doing weird things
like hanging at the login. But it worked fine if I turned of
NoScript. They had a pile of 3rd parties spying via script
and changed their system so that it wouldn't work without
me allowing all those tagalong spies.
(Not directly related to your issue, but an interesting
example of how such problems can be complicated.)

I've watched youtube movies a couple of times but it
wasn't worth the trouble. Google just injects ads, willy
nilly and frequently. It's impossible to watch. In general I
don't watch any videos unless I can download them. But
that works on Pi. I just put them on a USB stick and copy
them over to the Pi desktop for streaming.

You definitely want a Pi4. More powerful. More memory.
More Widevine. Plenty of ports (USB and HDMI.) I think the
complete kit is only about $100. Less if you want to skip
conveniences like the case and fan.

I also got a bluetooth mouse and keyboard to use from
the sofa. If it weren't for my aging eyes the setup would be
perfect. :) And of course you'll need an HDMI cable to get
to the TV. Those can sometimes be tricky, too. My Win7 setup
worked fine for maybe 3 years but at some point Win7
wasn't seeing the second screen. A new cable fixed it.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 24/08/2023 08:32, Joerg Walther wrote:

The Pi4 is just a couple of bucks more expensive than the Pi4.

The mind boggles...
--
For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the
very definition of slavery.

Jonathan Swift

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 24/08/2023 08:32, Joerg Walther wrote:

The Pi4 is just a couple
of bucks more expensive than the Pi4.

--
For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the
very definition of slavery.

Jonathan Swift

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Hello bob!

Thursday August 24 2023 00:33, you wrote to All:

Since NetFlix is shutting down its DVD service I'm
looking for a cheap streaming method. Is a Pi3 up to
the task? It sounds like all I need is a Pi, RasPiOS
and a browser, presumably chromium.

The only reference point I have is watching YouTube
videos on a Pi4. When it works at all, it's fine.
For the last couple of months it hasn't worked at
all, I think because of chromium but can't be sure.
In any case, NetFlix isn't YouTube....

Thanks for reading, and any tips....

Have you tried using Firefox ?


Vincent

--- Mageia Linux v8 X64/Mbse v1.0.8.4/GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Air Applewood, The Linux Gateway to the UK & Eire (2:250/1)

Pancho <Pancho.Jones@proton.me> wrote:

On 24/08/2023 01:33, bob prohaska wrote:

Since NetFlix is shutting down its DVD service I'm
looking for a cheap streaming method. Is a Pi3 up to
the task? It sounds like all I need is a Pi, RasPiOS
and a browser, presumably chromium.

The only reference point I have is watching YouTube
videos on a Pi4. When it works at all, it's fine.
For the last couple of months it hasn't worked at
all, I think because of chromium but can't be sure.
In any case, NetFlix isn't YouTube....

I wouldn't bother with the Pi3. The Pi4 might work if you have GPU acceleration working perfectly. The Orange Pi5, is much more powerful,
it works as well, or better, than a slow intel CPU. Flawless at 1080p.

For Netflix, you would also need to get Chromium to work with Widevine
DRM. I think this is done in an apt package for the rPi, but there is a caveat. On Linux, Widevine doesn't support the highest level L1 DRM
"trust", this means you can only watch video at a lower
resolution/bitstream speed. I don't have Netflix, but on Amazon Prime
that means the best quality is 1.17GB/hour on a Chromium/Linux/Pi,
compared to best Quality 6.84GB/hour on Chrome/Windows.

Wow, over twice my monthy internet data used up in an hour! But if
he's been happy with DVD, then the SD quality of the 1.17GB/hour is
probably comparable to DVD (with better modern compression) anyway.
Or then again, maybe he says DVD but means Bluray.

Youtube-dl with "-f 18" suits me fine and that's even lower quality
again. I'd recommend that (or something with a GUI like
gtk-pipe-viewer) instead of battling the web browser for YouTube on
the Pi.

--
__ __
#_ < |\| |< _#

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

Wow, over twice my monthy internet data used up in an hour! But if
he's been happy with DVD, then the SD quality of the 1.17GB/hour is
probably comparable to DVD (with better modern compression) anyway.
Or then again, maybe he says DVD but means Bluray.

No, I mean DVD. I'm too cheap to pay for Blu-Ray 8-) Mostly I watch
older films, so modern high-def quality isn't very important. The
monitor in use will be 720P.

Youtube-dl with "-f 18" suits me fine and that's even lower quality
again. I'd recommend that (or something with a GUI like
gtk-pipe-viewer) instead of battling the web browser for YouTube on
the Pi.

This sounds interesting, but I don't yet understand what youtube -dl is,
nor how it applies to Netflix. Netflix refers to using browsers, but if
there's a simpler tool for the job it might be more attractive. I've not
been impressed with firefox or chromium, but wasn't aware of any
alternatives.

Thanks for writing!

bob prohaska

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 25/08/2023 00:14, Computer Nerd Kev wrote:

For Netflix, you would also need to get Chromium to work with Widevine
DRM. I think this is done in an apt package for the rPi, but there is a
caveat. On Linux, Widevine doesn't support the highest level L1 DRM
"trust", this means you can only watch video at a lower
resolution/bitstream speed. I don't have Netflix, but on Amazon Prime
that means the best quality is 1.17GB/hour on a Chromium/Linux/Pi,
compared to best Quality 6.84GB/hour on Chrome/Windows.

Wow, over twice my monthy internet data used up in an hour! But if
he's been happy with DVD, then the SD quality of the 1.17GB/hour is
probably comparable to DVD (with better modern compression) anyway.
Or then again, maybe he says DVD but means Bluray.

Yeah, I don't know why Amazon Prime uses such a high bitstream level. In
Amazon Prime, 1.17GB/hour is noticeably lower quality, watchable, just
notably inferior. I haven't investigated why. At that bitstream, speed I
can get great quality with HVEC/AV1 codecs from torrents, but with
Amazon Prime I don't. I haven't even tested that the bitstream level
from Amazon Prime actually is what they quote it to be.

I can't comment on DVD/Bluray, I've only watched one BluRay in my life,
over 15 years ago, and no DVDs since then either.

Youtube-dl with "-f 18" suits me fine and that's even lower quality
again. I'd recommend that (or something with a GUI like
gtk-pipe-viewer) instead of battling the web browser for YouTube on
the Pi.

Or just buy an Orange Pi 5, not that much more expensive than a rpi4,
but is powerful enough to handle modern browsers/web services, without
the messing around.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 25/08/2023 02:17, bob prohaska wrote:

Youtube-dl with "-f 18" suits me fine and that's even lower quality
again. I'd recommend that (or something with a GUI like
gtk-pipe-viewer) instead of battling the web browser for YouTube on
the Pi.

This sounds interesting, but I don't yet understand what youtube -dl is,
nor how it applies to Netflix. Netflix refers to using browsers, but if there's a simpler tool for the job it might be more attractive. I've not
been impressed with firefox or chromium, but wasn't aware of any alternatives.

I think the point of DRM, Widevine, used by Netflix, is to prevent
downloading. I doubt Netflix works with youtube-dl.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:

Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

Wow, over twice my monthy internet data used up in an hour! But if
he's been happy with DVD, then the SD quality of the 1.17GB/hour is
probably comparable to DVD (with better modern compression) anyway.
Or then again, maybe he says DVD but means Bluray.

No, I mean DVD. I'm too cheap to pay for Blu-Ray 8-) Mostly I watch
older films, so modern high-def quality isn't very important. The
monitor in use will be 720P.

Youtube-dl with "-f 18" suits me fine and that's even lower quality
again. I'd recommend that (or something with a GUI like
gtk-pipe-viewer) instead of battling the web browser for YouTube on
the Pi.

This sounds interesting, but I don't yet understand what youtube -dl is,
nor how it applies to Netflix. Netflix refers to using browsers, but if there's a simpler tool for the job it might be more attractive. I've not
been impressed with firefox or chromium, but wasn't aware of any alternatives.

That was in reference to you talking about troubles with YouTube,
and to explain my understanding that DVD video quality shouldn't
need more than 1.17GB/hour with the modern codecs used by streaming
services (DVD does have similarly high bitrates, but it uses the
MPEG2 video codec and no sane streaming service would use a codec
that inefficient today).

I doubt there's any similar thing for Netflix. There certainly
won't be anything official which would allow downloading to a file
like youtube-dl.

--
__ __
#_ < |\| |< _#

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

"Pancho" <Pancho.Jones@proton.me> wrote

| Or just buy an Orange Pi 5, not that much more expensive than a rpi4,
| but is powerful enough to handle modern browsers/web services, without
| the messing around.

The RPi4 is plenty capable for streaming Netflix
via Chromium or playing YT videos. But HD TV may
be a different matter. I think we get 1080p from Netflix.
Both TVs are 720p. To my eye that's amazingly clear.
Then again, I was happy with the old CRT TV. :)

I could see porn fans wanting HD. Maybe also for
nature documentaries... Or for anyone dumb enough
to watch James Cameron's fantasy movies. Aside
from that, I don't see the point.

I get a lot of movies on DVD and BluRay from the local
library -- a lot more than I can get on Netflix, with their
limited selection aimed mostly at teenagers. I find that both
DVD and BluRay work just fine. I can't tell the difference.

At some point this becomes like the teenager spending
$3,000 for a stereo system to listen to Black Sabbath.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

No, I mean DVD. I'm too cheap to pay for Blu-Ray 8-) Mostly I watch
older films, so modern high-def quality isn't very important. The
monitor in use will be 720P.

Bluray has way more DRM and it's pretty hard to run on a Linux machine. I'd just reccomend using DVD, I don't think the quality difference is worth it.

---------------
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

... What is mind? No matter! What is matter? Never mind! - Homer S.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Youtube-dl with "-f 18" suits me fine and that's even lower quality again. I'd recommend that (or something with a GUI like
gtk-pipe-viewer) instead of battling the web browser for YouTube on
the Pi.

The version of youtube-dl that debian (and raspbian) has is broken.

---------------
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

... Electricity is just organized lightning.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Or just buy an Orange Pi 5, not that much more expensive than a rpi4,
but is powerful enough to handle modern browsers/web services, without
the messing around.

Is it sold by the same people?

---------------
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

... MultiMail, the new multi-platform, multi-format offline reader!
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

candycane <candycane@f172.n1.z21.fsxnet> wrote:

Youtube-dl with "-f 18" suits me fine and that's even lower quality again. I'd recommend that (or something with a GUI like
gtk-pipe-viewer) instead of battling the web browser for YouTube on
the Pi.

The version of youtube-dl that debian (and raspbian) has is broken.

That's probably right. But it's a Python script so if you've got
Python installed you should be able to run the latest version
that can be downloaded here after "chmod a+rx youtube-dl": https://github.com/ytdl-patched/youtube-dl/releases/latest/download/youtube-dl

--
__ __
#_ < |\| |< _#

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

that can be downloaded here after "chmod a+rx youtube-dl": https://github.com/ytdl-patched/youtube-dl/releases/latest/download/youtub

If I'm installing an external program, I would say yt-dlp is better.

-----------------------------------
user is generated from /dev/urandom

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 25/08/2023 07:57, candycane wrote:

Pa> Or just buy an Orange Pi 5, not that much more expensive than a rpi4,
Pa> but is powerful enough to handle modern browsers/web services, without
Pa> the messing around.

Is it sold by the same people?

No


--
WOKE is an acronym... Without Originality, Knowledge or Education.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 26/08/2023 10:09, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 25/08/2023 07:57, candycane wrote:

  Pa> Or just buy an Orange Pi 5, not that much more expensive than a
rpi4,
  Pa> but is powerful enough to handle modern browsers/web services,
without
  Pa> the messing around.

Is it sold by the same people?

No

<https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004942239582.html>

Prices go up and down. This version seems the best value at the moment,
(70 GBP + 8 GBP postage) but does not have onboard Wifi or Bluetooth. I
use USB BlueTooth, which is OK.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

candycane <candycane@f172.n1.z21.fsxnet> wrote:

Bluray has way more DRM and it's pretty hard to run on a Linux machine. I'd just reccomend using DVD, I don't think the quality difference is worth it.

MakeMKV makes quick work of getting rid of DRM on both Blu-ray and DVD.
It's free-as-in-beer and works on Linux (though not on the Raspberry Pi).
I don't rip much anymore, but it never failed me back when I did.

--
_/_
/ v \ Scott Alfter (remove the obvious to send mail)
(IIGS( https://alfter.us/ Top-posting!
\_^_/ >What's the most annoying thing on Usenet?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

MakeMKV makes quick work of getting rid of DRM on both Blu-ray and DVD. It's free-as-in-beer and works on Linux (though not on the Raspberry Pi). I don't rip much anymore, but it never failed me back when I did.

Boy, I wish I knew about that before.

-----------------------------------
user is generated from /dev/urandom

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

I doubt there's any similar thing for Netflix. There certainly
won't be anything official which would allow downloading to a file
like youtube-dl.

I just added streaming to my Netflix account. According to the
features page downloading is possible, but it's unclear how
to do it. Alas, that's a question for later 8-(

Previews seem to display correctly on the Pi4 using firefox-esr,
but attempting to play anything results in error code f7701-1003.
Are any special settings required? The browser settings are default
right now.

First suggestion is to update firefox, but upon checking for updates I get:

bob@raspberrypi:~/Downloads $ sudo apt update
Reading package lists... Done
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock. It is held by process 1115 (packagekitd)
N: Be aware that removing the lock file is not a solution and may break your system.
E: Unable to lock directory /var/lib/apt/lists/

That isn't the immediate problem, but it certainly doesn't look
good. Anybody got a clue what it means? I've never seen it before.

Thanks to all for reading and replying!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:

First suggestion is to update firefox, but upon checking for updates I get:

bob@raspberrypi:~/Downloads $ sudo apt update
Reading package lists... Done
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock. It is held by process 1115 (packagekitd)
N: Be aware that removing the lock file is not a solution and may break your system.
E: Unable to lock directory /var/lib/apt/lists/

That isn't the immediate problem, but it certainly doesn't look
good. Anybody got a clue what it means? I've never seen it before.

A graphical package manager is running and needs to be closed first
(or use it to check for updates). If it crashed, then maybe the lock
needs to be deleted manually (against Apt's advice), but only if
process 1115 (packagekitd) doesn't exist (and Apt isn't smart
enough to realise).

--
__ __
#_ < |\| |< _#

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

needs to be deleted manually (against Apt's advice), but only if
process 1115 (packagekitd) doesn't exist (and Apt isn't smart
enough to realise).

According to ps -aux, packagekitd is still running:
root 1115 0.0 1.4 490956 116576 ? Ssl May07 13:49 /usr/libexec/packagekitd

The date is a puzzle, I've rebooted a few times since May.

There's no man page for packagekitd, how does one get a handle on it?

Thanks for writing!

bob prohaska

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:

Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

needs to be deleted manually (against Apt's advice), but only if
process 1115 (packagekitd) doesn't exist (and Apt isn't smart
enough to realise).

According to ps -aux, packagekitd is still running:
root 1115 0.0 1.4 490956 116576 ? Ssl May07 13:49 /usr/libexec/packagekitd

The date is a puzzle, I've rebooted a few times since May.

There's no man page for packagekitd, how does one get a handle on it?

My bad, a trivial web search found
systemctl stop packagekit

apt now works, no updates for firefox or chromium.

A brief call with Neflix tech support implies they won't
be much help, at least until a more up-to-date version of
chrome or firefox becomes available.

Thanks for reading

bob prohaska

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

"bob prohaska" <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote

| A brief call with Neflix tech support implies they won't
| be much help, at least until a more up-to-date version of
| chrome or firefox becomes available.
|

It works fine. See here:

https://www.linuxuprising.com/2021/03/raspberry-pi-os-gets-official-widevine.html

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> wrote:

"bob prohaska" <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote

| A brief call with Neflix tech support implies they won't
| be much help, at least until a more up-to-date version of
| chrome or firefox becomes available.
|

It works fine. See here:

https://www.linuxuprising.com/2021/03/raspberry-pi-os-gets-official-widevine.html

Looks like libwidevinecdm0 installed without problems.
Is there some way to check that it's actually working?
Docs or instructions would be nice, I don't see a man
page and there's no info command.
Unfortunately I'm still seeing Error Code F7701-1003

I've gone through the Netflix help page at https://help.netflix.com/en/node/32661
but that instructs me to
Make sure DRM content is turned on

In the upper right corner of the browser, click Menu menu button.

Click Settings.

Scroll down to Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content.

Make sure Play DRM-controlled content is checked. If it isn't,
click the box to turn it on.

Restart Firefox, then try Netflix again.

Unfortunately, the latest available firefox-esr does not have that setting. It's 102.14.0esr (64-bit). Anything over 88 is supported, but no mention
of -esr according to https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742?g=8b00f983-afc1-4875-9e5a-86a37940a7ba&lkid=URL_SUPPORT_ARTICLE&lnktrk=EVO

Any suggestions of what to try next?

Thanks for writing!

bob prohaska

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

"bob prohaska" <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote

| Unfortunately, the latest available firefox-esr does not have that
setting.
| It's 102.14.0esr (64-bit). Anything over 88 is supported, but no mention
| of -esr according to
| https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742?g=8b00f983-afc1-4875-9e5a-86a37940a7ba&lkid=URL_SUPPORT_ARTICLE&lnktrk=EVO
|
| Any suggestions of what to try next?
|

Supposedly v. 116 is going to add hardware acceleration,
which might be nice. I'm afraid I don't remember a lot of
details. I don't think I've tried FF on RPi. I do use FF on
Win7, but on RPi Chromium was recommended. So first I'd
try Chromium "media edition". (The default? I'm not sure.)
I seem to remember trying some obscure config back in 2020,
but none of that should be needed now. Just:

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo apt install libwidevinecdm0

I got that here: https://blog.vpetkov.net/2020/03/30/raspberry-pi-netflix-one-line-easy-install-along-with-hulu-amazon-prime-disney-plus-hbo-spotify-pandora-and-many-others/#comments

V. Petkov was the man making a Widevine installer back in 2020,
which I used for awhile. If uyou have trouble I'd check with
RPi experts, not Netflix.

Sorry I can't tell you anything more. It's been awhile since
I needed to fiddle with this. It's worked fine for years now,
but as I said, I think it's only been with Chromium on RPi4.
I don't remember whether I had to enable DRM. I doubt it.
Chromium doesn't expose mucch in terms of settings, unless you
dig into secret config pages.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:

Looks like libwidevinecdm0 installed without problems.
Is there some way to check that it's actually working?
Docs or instructions would be nice, I don't see a man
page and there's no info command.
Unfortunately I'm still seeing Error Code F7701-1003

I've gone through the Netflix help page at https://help.netflix.com/en/node/32661
but that instructs me to
Make sure DRM content is turned on

In the upper right corner of the browser, click Menu menu button.

Click Settings.

Scroll down to Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content.

Make sure Play DRM-controlled content is checked. If it isn't,
click the box to turn it on.

Restart Firefox, then try Netflix again.

Unfortunately, the latest available firefox-esr does not have that setting. It's 102.14.0esr (64-bit).

Odd, it's there in 102.14.0esr on x86_84 (I don't run FF on Pis
myself), even without any DRM libs installed. Maybe try entering
"DRM" in the search box at the top right? The way the settings page
is laid out so sparsely makes it easy to accidentally skip past
things.

There's also a current thread named "Background on Firefox setting
Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content with Google Widevine" in alt.comp.software.firefox which might mention some information
that's of interest to you.

Anything over 88 is supported, but no mention of -esr according to https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742?g=8b00f983-afc1-4875-9e5a-86a37940a7ba&lkid=URL_SUPPORT_ARTICLE&lnktrk=EVO

Firefox's ESR releases support what the major releases that they're
based on support, so 102 ESR should be fine.

--
__ __
#_ < |\| |< _#

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:

Looks like libwidevinecdm0 installed without problems.
Is there some way to check that it's actually working?
Docs or instructions would be nice, I don't see a man
page and there's no info command.
Unfortunately I'm still seeing Error Code F7701-1003

I've gone through the Netflix help page at
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/32661
but that instructs me to
Make sure DRM content is turned on

In the upper right corner of the browser, click Menu menu button.

Click Settings.

Scroll down to Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content.

Make sure Play DRM-controlled content is checked. If it isn't,
click the box to turn it on.

Restart Firefox, then try Netflix again.

Unfortunately, the latest available firefox-esr does not have that setting. >> It's 102.14.0esr (64-bit).

Odd, it's there in 102.14.0esr on x86_84 (I don't run FF on Pis
myself), even without any DRM libs installed. Maybe try entering
"DRM" in the search box at the top right? The way the settings page
is laid out so sparsely makes it easy to accidentally skip past
things.

There's also a current thread named "Background on Firefox setting
Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content with Google Widevine" in alt.comp.software.firefox which might mention some information
that's of interest to you.

Anything over 88 is supported, but no mention of -esr according to
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742?g=8b00f983-afc1-4875-9e5a-86a37940a7ba&lkid=URL_SUPPORT_ARTICLE&lnktrk=EVO

Firefox's ESR releases support what the major releases that they're
based on support, so 102 ESR should be fine.

I found this page: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-drm#w_playing-drm-controlled-content-in-firefox
which expects the Settings control panel to contain a DRM entry.
The panel on firefox-esr as supplied for RasPiOS does not contain
any such entry. Maybe it's a mis-feature associated with aarch64.

Thanks to all who replied, I'll keep looking.

bob prohaska

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 29/08/2023 22:22, bob prohaska wrote:

Is there some way to check that it's actually working?
Docs or instructions would be nice, I don't see a man
page and there's no info command.

LOL!. See my comments on programmers and documentation in the other
thread...

--
In todays liberal progressive conflict-free education system, everyone
gets full Marx.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 29/08/2023 22:22, bob prohaska wrote:

Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> wrote:

"bob prohaska" <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote

| A brief call with Neflix tech support implies they won't
| be much help, at least until a more up-to-date version of
| chrome or firefox becomes available.
|

It works fine. See here:

https://www.linuxuprising.com/2021/03/raspberry-pi-os-gets-official-widevine.html

Looks like libwidevinecdm0 installed without problems.
Is there some way to check that it's actually working?
Docs or instructions would be nice, I don't see a man
page and there's no info command.
Unfortunately I'm still seeing Error Code F7701-1003

I've gone through the Netflix help page at https://help.netflix.com/en/node/32661
but that instructs me to
Make sure DRM content is turned on

In the upper right corner of the browser, click Menu menu button.

Click Settings.

Scroll down to Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content.

Make sure Play DRM-controlled content is checked. If it isn't,
click the box to turn it on.

Restart Firefox, then try Netflix again.

Unfortunately, the latest available firefox-esr does not have that setting. It's 102.14.0esr (64-bit). Anything over 88 is supported, but no mention
of -esr according to https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742?g=8b00f983-afc1-4875-9e5a-86a37940a7ba&lkid=URL_SUPPORT_ARTICLE&lnktrk=EVO

Any suggestions of what to try next?

Thanks for writing!

bob prohaska

I did go through a lot of this with Chromium under linux/AArch64, even
to the point of grepping the source code. And messing about with linking libwidevinecdm.so using LD_PRELOAD of a specific library.

So I might be able to help if you go the Chromium route, but
unfortunately I know nothing about the Firefox handling of widevine.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Pancho <Pancho.Jones@proton.me> wrote:

I did go through a lot of this with Chromium under linux/AArch64, even
to the point of grepping the source code. And messing about with linking libwidevinecdm.so using LD_PRELOAD of a specific library.

So I might be able to help if you go the Chromium route, but
unfortunately I know nothing about the Firefox handling of widevine.

It looks as if my problem was enabling hardware acceleration.
Turning it off makes both Netflix and YouTube work just fine
under chromium-browser.

Kinda odd, I thought the whole point of the RasPiOS version of
chromium-browser was that it _used_ hardware acceleration.

Thanks for writing!

bob prohaska

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)