Can't watch Amazon videos - widevine issue

3

Hello there,

I’m having the same issue with Amazon, albeit on a non-Linux system - a Widevine problem prevents the video playing and gives the message:

“Your web browser is missing a digital rights component. Go to chrome://components and under WidevineCdm, click Check for update.”

Doing so makes no difference.

Here essentially are the Windows equivalents of the steps you suggested for sj2019… along with my results.

  • Windows Pro Version 10.0.19043 Build 19043

  • Brave Version 1.26.77 Chromium: 91.0.4472.164 (Official Build) (64-bit)

  • Widevine Content Decryption Module - Version: 4.10.2209.0

Attempt to remove/reinstall Widevine:

  1. Toggled off the Widevine setting (“Use Widevine digital rights management (DRM) component to view protected streaming video and other content in the browser” setting was switched off)

  2. Visited an Amazon video, and Brave tells me “amazon.com wants to… Install and run Widevine.” I accept, after checking “Don’t ask again”. Page is refreshed (and Brave has re-enabled the Widevine setting).

  3. Went to “brave://components,” it shows Widevine DCM as version above… Check for update shows no update is available.

  4. Video again refuses to play, with Widevine error message.

  5. Turned off Brave Shields for the site, restarted, revisited Amazon - Video still refuses to play.

  6. Videos play properly in other browsers (Chrome w/ Widevine v. 4.10.2209.0), Firefox w/Widevine v. 4.10.2209.1). Video refuses to play in Brave with firewall either enabled or (temporarily) disabled - same message occurs.

Given the steps I’ve taken to try to make this work, it appears that Brave does indeed have a bug (or setting or restriction) that prevents Amazon from playing DRM’d videos - I hope someone with some experience coding for Brave can use this information to maybe solve the problem. Maybe this is somehow related to Brave’s long-time inability to support Google Voice search (see (a) below, Widevine is also a Google thing) from the desktop browser? I REALLY, REALLY would like to keep Brave as my exclusive browser - if it works properly - unfortunately, Brave’s inability to view these videos or do voice searches are real disappointments.

(a) Google voice search showing no internet connection