Issues with Mac and Netflix, HBO

[Sly]

I've had the strangest video streaming issues and cannot figure it out, and have not been able to find anything online about it. Hoping someone here has bumped into this or has a new possible solution that I have not thought of.

Here's what's happening:
When I go to watch a show or movie on Netflix or HBO, all I get is the audio and the closed captions. No video whatsoever. This does not happen on YouTube or any of the adult sites.

I have tried this on Firefox, Safari and Chrome. All showing the same behavior.

My Mac is brand-new, I got it in June. It's a Mac studio. Fully updated. All software is updated. I have cleared the cache more times than I can count.

Totally stumped.

Have you bumped into this? Any idea I might be able to try?

[Publisher Bucks]

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253782559 ?

[AMDWarrior]

Mac, that's the problem..

[k0nr4d]

Video card drivers? Or try disabling hardware acceleration

[candyflip]

They want you accessing all that through the Apple TV app, so they can track what you're watching on the other services

[Sly]

Originally Posted by candyflip

They want you accessing all that through the Apple TV app, so they can track what you're watching on the other services

Yeah I don't think you are far off. I figured it out, kind of, but can't really explain it.

I access my Mac through a VNC viewer. The Mac is sitting here right next to me, I use the viewer through my PC. When I play a video on the Mac with the viewer open, the video cuts out. The instant I close the viewer, the video comes back no problem.

This summer I got a M1 and I think that's when it started, but it hasn't been 100% consistent. I've watched TV and movies since then and it seems that some shows do actually work. Prior to the M1 I had a 2014 iMac.

A friend of mine is convinced it's due to copyright, that doesn't really make sense to me. We are leaning more towards thinking it's the M1, but I'm unable to explain why some shows or movies work but most do not.

[Colmike9]

Sometimes it's this:

Go to System Preferences > Security n Privacy
Click Screen Recording and then click the lock/put in un/pw
If you see VNC in the list and it's unchecked, check the box and try again
(If it's not in the list, connect to the VNC server from VNC viewer and look again)

[Sly]

Originally Posted by Colmike9

Sometimes it's this:

Go to System Preferences > Security n Privacy
Click Screen Recording and then click the lock/put in un/pw
If you see VNC in the list and it's unchecked, check the box and try again
(If it's not in the list, connect to the VNC server from VNC viewer and look again)

Added the server.

1889 worked, before it did not.

Then I played Narcos, no dice.

[InfoGuy]

Originally Posted by Sly

A friend of mine is convinced it's due to copyright, that doesn't really make sense to me.

High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection

The system is meant to stop HDCP-encrypted content from being played on unauthorized devices or devices which have been modified to copy HDCP content.

HDCP uses three systems:

1) Authentication prevents non-licensed devices from receiving content.
2) Encryption of the data sent over DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, GVIF, or UDI interfaces prevents eavesdropping of information and man-in-the-middle attacks.
3) Key revocation prevents devices that have been compromised and cloned from receiving data.