Audio but no video on Amazon, Netflix, Disney+, HBOmax

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Audio but no video on Amazon, Netflix, Disney+, HBOmax

I don't normally use my Macbook Pro (2019, Monterey 12.6) to watch streaming shows, but this evening I decided to give it a try. (All these subscriptions work fine on my Samsung TV.) With every service listed, I can access the web portal, can see all the offerings. When I click on any show or movie, the ads/previews show up, sound and image. Only when it switches to the actual content does the screen go black. Audio stays fine.

Every "help page" I can find via Google says check the provider (none are having downtime issues), clear caches (done), make sure the browser is up to date (Firefox 106.0.2, it is), reboot the computer (done, and again in safe mode, which was useless it was so slow), reboot the modem-router (done). I do not find this issue on the iMac in my office (2020, 27-inch, same OS).

Also, free video sites like YouTube work without issue. So this is a stumper. Is it some pay-permission-security thing unique to this Macbook? There are no security setting differences between this Macbook and the iMac that I can find. Help?

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Oct 27, 2022 6:14 PM

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Answer 1

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Matthew.S81

Community Specialist

Oct 30, 2022 11:32 AM in response to Richard Pini

Greetings Richard Pini,

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

You mentioned Firefox as your web browser, have you tried using Safari or another web browser to see if the streaming services work?

If you are having difficulty using Safari to stream content, follow the guidance found here:

If Safari on Mac doesn't open a webpage or isn’t working as expected - Apple Support

If this is only happening on Firefox and would like to continue using that web browser, you can see if play DRM-controlled content is enabled: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-drm

"Digital Rights Management (DRM) is technology that enables online video and audio services to enforce that the content they provide is used in accordance with their requirements. This technology may restrict some of the things you can do in the browser.

Troubleshooting

If DRM content does not play in Firefox, first make sure that DRM content is enabled:

In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and select Preferences.
In the General panel, go to the Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content section.
Make sure the box next to Play DRM-controlled content is check marked.

Also make sure that the Google Widevine plugin is activated:

Click the menu button, click Add-ons and Themes and select Plugins.
In the Add-ons Manager Plugins panel, click the ellipsis (3-dot) icon next to Widevine Content Decryption Module provided by Google Inc.
Ensure that Always Activate is selected in the drop-down menu.

If you have confirmed these settings and DRM content does not play, try these solutions:

Toggle DRM content off then on again

Follow the steps above to remove the check mark next to Play DRM-controlled content in the Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content section of Firefox settings, then add back the check mark. This will make Firefox reload DRM components.

Disable Avast AntiTrack

Avast AntiTrack is known to cause issues with DRM content in Firefox. Follow this article from Avast for instructions on how to disable AntiTrack.

Reset the user agent

Resetting the user agent may also solve the issue. See How to reset the default user agent on Firefox."

If you need further help with Firefox, contact the app developer: How to contact an app developer - Apple Support

Take care.

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Audio but no video on Amazon, Netflix, Disney+, HBOmax

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