Disney has officially confirmed the launch of its streaming service Disney+ in the US, Europe (Netherlands), and Canada starting from November 12th. A few days back, the company also revealed the titles it’s bringing to its streaming service, as well.
Ahead of the launch next month, a Linux developer, who goes by the name hansdegoede, tried the streaming service in the Netherlands and found a thing! And that is DRM (Digital Rights Management) constraints.
Many video streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others don’t allow some smartphones to stream content at resolutions higher than 480p.
What is Widevine?
The reason behind this lockout is that these services are protected by DRM and other encryption standards to prevent unauthorized redistribution of video files. In the case of Android smartphones, these popular streaming services make use of Google’s Widevine DRM platform.
Widevine L1 and L3
It’s worth mentioning that Widevine is free to use by the content provider and does not require any fee for license generation or device registration. But, the smartphone makers need to clear a certification process that includes legal agreements, software implementation, and other measures.
At present, almost every latest smartphone comes with one or the other Widevine certification – L1 (Capable of streaming content from 720p up to 4K) and L3 (Capable of streaming content in standard definition SD).
How to check for Widevine support on your smartphone?
Well, try to stream content across different platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. If you able to run content in HD, it means that your device has Widevine L1. As an alternative way, you can download the ‘DRM Info’ app from PlayStore, which gives information on various DRM modules, including Google Widevine. In this case, Disney+ will allow users to stream only if the device has L1 certification.
Does your device support Widevine L1? Do let us know in the comment section below.
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more European technology news.
