Solving playback issues

[FoghornLeghorn]

This error prevents me from watching content on my PC.  Why?  I'm a paying customer.

Playback Error

DRM: licenser error! --com.widevine.alpha update, XHR comnplete. status is ""(422), readyState is 4. Response is ("status":422,"message":"3f437023e0de1d5c79b669f6c40e0528 : Unable to process Widevine license request")

Retry

[renojim]

What app are you using/watching?

Start by trying a "System restart" under Settings->System or Settings->System->Power depending on your Roku device.

Edit:  Sorry, totally missed that you're watching on a PC.

[AvsGunnar]

@FoghornLeghorn 

If you are trying to watch the online Roku Channel, https://therokuchannel.roku.com/, verify that you are not using a VPN or proxy server.  That particular/similar message language will trigger when a VPN is detected/suspected.

[FoghornLeghorn]

I tried watching from the Roku Channel on their website using Google Chrome, version 109.0.5414.168. 

I tried watching a movie titled, "The Grey" and received the error.  Then I tried random other movies and live streaming TV and received the same error.  Could not watch anything.  I use no VPN.  If there is anything upstream of my Spectrum internet service that may interfere, I know nothing about it.

Amazon Prime no longer supports my outdated version of Chrome on Windows 8.1.  I told them that they are not improving they are not making any friends with that move.

[FoghornLeghorn]

Sorry, I forgot to mention, I can watch content on my TV with Roku dongle just fine.

[AvsGunnar]

@FoghornLeghorn 

If Chrome cannot be updated on your computer, try using a different browser like Brave or Firefox.  Make sure to go into the Settings for the browser after installed and enable DRM. (most browsers have DRM disabled by default).

https://brave.com/

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

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I don't use Windows, but I do have browser projects that rely on older Chromium builds and they are not compatible with the online Roku Channel. (may be a similar situation that you are running into).  I generally just use Brave when I am viewing Roku Channel online. 

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Edited to add... another forum where this issue w/chrome v.109 and win8/10 seem to be affected 11/2024.  Couple of technical workarounds posted there, but general consensus was to just switch to another web browser.

https://msfn.org/board/topic/186529-widevinedrm-stopped-working-on-chromium-109-win-7-81/

[JWS9518]

Most likely your outdated browser and Windows OS is causing the issue.  Maybe you can download a different browser that may work.