Xiaomi Poco F1 unable to stream HD content from Netflix, Amazon Prime

Reported by AndroidPure, the first phone from Xiaomi sub-brand Pocophone lacks Widevine support, which is needed on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

 

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Xiaomi’s Poco F1, that went on sale for the first time in India on August 29, does not support HD video content.

Xiaomi’s Poco F1, that went on sale for the first time in India on August 29, does not support HD video content. Reported by AndroidPure, the first phone from Xiaomi sub-brand Pocophone lacks Widevine support, which is needed on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. The same feature is also found lacking on Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, that was launched in May this year.
As per the AndroidPure report, Poco F1 comes with Widevine DRM L3, rather than the popularly-available Widevine L1. Widevine is a digital rights management (DRM) feature, that is able to decrypt encrypted media. This means that, if a user attempts to watch content via Netflix or Amazon Prime, HD content will only be played out on a device that supports Widevine. Even in this, the level of certification decides the nature of video content that a smartphone can support. Any streaming service requires Widevine L1 support, in order to show HD content.
The problem is not a software issue, so Poco F1 users will not find a solution through a security patch or a software upgrade. A similar problem had also been witnessed with the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T, where the Chinese company was forced to recall devices, so that they could be patched by their service centres. Given that this phone comes with pre-installed Netflix, users will not be able to access content beyond a resolution of 540p. Also, other services that offer HD (720p) content, like Amazon Prime Video, BBC, and Hulu among others, will be affected by this certification.