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Unable to play movies in Disney or Play on CM11 (at least not HD)

2323 Views 4 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  kilik
OK so I've upgraded both of my TouchPads to CM11 (cm-11-20150612-SNAPSHOT-jcsullins-tenderloin) with gapps-kk-20140105-signed and update-PhilZ_CWM-jcs-dmtenderloin-20140612. This is the build that RolandDeschain79 recommends in his "super easy way" article here: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/179730-rom-guidehow-to-install-android-50x-44x-with-jcsullins-tptoolbox-the-super-easy-way/

I had the previous build, 20150113, and it was solid. This newer build is equally as solid. Very stable, generous battery life, etc.

Unfortunately, I found that I cannot watch my movies in Disney Movies Anywhere. I get the error, "Your device does not support this video. To watch your movies, please connect your Google Play account and use the Google Play app." OK, sounds pretty harmless, right? I downloaded the Google Play Movies & TV app, used Disney Movies Anywhere to connect to my Google account, and then launched Play Movies & TV.

I had previously purchased Home Alone, about a year or so ago, via Google Play. It showed up in Play Movies & TV, and a few seconds later, my entire Disney collection showed up. But then when I went to play one of the movies, I was greeted with the error, "Playback isn't supported on this device," along with a Get Help button.

I tapped Get Help. This opened a help page, but it didn't seem to help much. The only thing that seems to work, under the help "I'm streaming my video with an internet connection" was to download the video, and then watch it.

Interestingly, it looks like I can watch the movies only if I download them in SD format. On one hand, that isn't so bad; the SD versions don't take too much space (Avengers Age of Ultron is about 467MB), but I'd like to be able to stream them. I have a fast Internet connection (120 Mbps Comcast), so speed is not an issue.

It would appear to me that the TouchPad doesn't like HD videos. I got my second TouchPad (the one that bricks on occasion) and loaded Play Movies and TV, and explicitly downloaded Thor the Dark World in HD mode. It's only 346MB. Clearly that is NOT an HD movie; it's SD.

Is Google doing something that's blocking the ability to play HD video on the TouchPad?

Before you say "Google is your friend" (right now it's not), I recall going to Google when I had an error a long time ago with Flixter complaining I was using a rooted device. I installed Hide My Root and ran it, but I still couldn't play anything HD.

I also installed Market Helper and APK Downloader because Microsoft says their Office 365 apps (Excel, PowerPoint and Word) are not compatible. Market Helper "tricks" the Play Store into thinking you have a different tabby, which enables me to use APK Downloader to get the O365 APKs. So I ran Market Helper and tried a couple different tablets. Much to my dismay, HD videos still weren't feeling the love.

Alas, I guess the TP is destined to be an SD video device with all content stored locally. Tire Automotive tire Automotive lighting Font Motor vehicle
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First question, did all of this work using the previous build, 20150113?

Second question, before installing 20150612, did you make a Nandroid backup?

Third question, did you try restoring the backup and all is well again?

If so, don't upgrade to 20150113. Be happy with a solid build that does everything you want it to do, ie., plays Disney Movies Anywhere. Best I remember, 20150612 fixed the battery drain issue being caused by Google Play services and Play Store. You are aware of the fix for that if you are running 20150612? So, if all your problems are resolved by restoring your backup, you won't be missing out on much by staying with 20150612.

NT
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First question, did all of this work using the previous build, 20150113?

Second question, before installing 20150612, did you make a Nandroid backup?

Third question, did you try restoring the backup and all is well again?

If so, don't upgrade to 20150113. Be happy with a solid build that does everything you want it to do, ie., plays Disney Movies Anywhere. Best I remember, 20150612 fixed the battery drain issue being caused by Google Play services and Play Store. You are aware of the fix for that if you are running 20150612? So, if all your problems are resolved by restoring your backup, you won't be missing out on much by staying with 20150612.

NT
It worked in CM10, but not CM11. I found a different user with a similar beef, except his was on a Sony tablet. Same issue though. Once he upgraded to CM11, and therefore the 4.4.4 Gapps, he said he couldn't stream movies any longer. Reverting back to CM10 resolved it for him.

In my case, it was only a couple weeks ago when I realized Disney Movies Anywhere was available for Android. I've used it extensively on my iPad, but for some reason I just happened to look and sure enough, Disney was available for Android. I was already running 20150612 and not having any issues with anything else, so I just figured this would work as well.

Like I said, if I download the SD version of the movie, it'll play in Google's Play Movies and TV app. So it works if I do it that way. I suppose when considering it's a tablet on par with a first or second generation iPad in terms of graphics capabilities, I probably wouldn't gain much with an HD version of the movie vs. SD. Plus I can easily fit 3 SD movies per GB so maybe it's not so bad. If I plan to take a trip and want to take a bunch of movies with me, I can pre-load the ones I want.

So is it an ideal solution? Maybe not, because streaming is nice. But do I have a workable solution? Yes, so I'll take it. :)
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Here is a thought too. Why is it that folks thing they need to watch a movie in HD on a little tiny screen? Your's is a good point too, SD takes up a whole lot less of drive space, ie,, more movies to watch. :grin: I have a 70 inch UHD in the living room. True, not much UHD content around right now, but it does upscale and it's like watching a show through a huge picture window the picture is so realistic. Why would I go out and buy 32 inch UHD unless I was going to sit a foot away from it when watching.

One small aside about Gapps and the Play Store, some folks have found that if they change the type of device in the build.prop, they can get certain apps that Play Store says are not compatible to work. However, down side to doing that, folks have apps that did work stop when they changed the device type

NT.
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OK so I've upgraded both of my TouchPads to CM11 (cm-11-20150612-SNAPSHOT-jcsullins-tenderloin) with gapps-kk-20140105-signed and update-PhilZ_CWM-jcs-dmtenderloin-20140612. This is the build that RolandDeschain79 recommends in his "super easy way" article here:

I had the previous build, 20150113, and it was solid. This newer build is equally as solid. Very stable, generous battery life, etc.

Unfortunately, I found that I cannot watch my movies in Disney Movies Anywhere. I get the error, "Your device does not support this video. To watch your movies, please connect your Google Play account and use the Google Play app." OK, sounds pretty harmless, right? I downloaded the Google Play Movies & TV app, used Disney Movies Anywhere to connect to my Google account, and then launched Play Movies & TV.

I had previously purchased Home Alone, about a year or so ago, via Google Play. It showed up in Play Movies & TV, and a few seconds later, my entire Disney collection showed up. But then when I went to play one of the movies, I was greeted with the error, "Playback isn't supported on this device," along with a Get Help button.
https://glamgossiper.com
I tapped Get Help. This opened a help page, but it didn't seem to help much. The only thing that seems to work, under the help "I'm streaming my video with an internet connection" was to download the video, and then watch it.

Interestingly, it looks like I can watch the movies only if I download them in SD format. On one hand, that isn't so bad; the SD versions don't take too much space (Avengers Age of Ultron is about 467MB), but I'd like to be able to stream them. I have a fast Internet connection (120 Mbps Comcast), so speed is not an issue.

It would appear to me that the TouchPad doesn't like HD videos. I got my second TouchPad (the one that bricks on occasion) and loaded Play Movies and TV, and explicitly downloaded Thor the Dark World in HD mode. It's only 346MB. Clearly that is NOT an HD movie; it's SD.

Is Google doing something that's blocking the ability to play HD video on the TouchPad?

Before you say "Google is your friend" (right now it's not), I recall going to Google when I had an error a long time ago with Flixter complaining I was using a rooted device. I installed Hide My Root and ran it, but I still couldn't play anything HD.

I also installed Market Helper and APK Downloader because Microsoft says their Office 365 apps (Excel, PowerPoint and Word) are not compatible. Market Helper "tricks" the Play Store into thinking you have a different tabby, which enables me to use APK Downloader to get the O365 APKs. So I ran Market Helper and tried a couple different tablets. Much to my dismay, HD videos still weren't feeling the love.

Alas, I guess the TP is destined to be an SD video device with all content stored locally. View attachment 129649 View attachment 129657 View attachment 129665
It seems that you are experiencing issues with playing HD videos on your TouchPads and are wondering if Google is blocking the ability to play HD video on these devices. Here are a few suggestions and insights:
  1. Compatibility: The TouchPad, running the CM11 ROM, may not have full compatibility with certain HD video streaming apps due to device limitations or outdated software. It's possible that the specific DRM (Digital Rights Management) requirements for HD streaming are not fully supported on this device.
  2. Android version: CM11 is based on Android 4.4 KitKat, which is several versions behind the current Android operating system. As a result, certain apps and services, including HD streaming platforms, may not be fully optimized or supported on older Android versions.
  3. Device-specific limitations: The TouchPad, being a discontinued tablet running a community-developed ROM, may have certain hardware or software limitations that prevent seamless HD video playback. These limitations could be related to the device's processor, graphics capabilities, or lack of official support from app developers.
  4. DRM and security: HD video streaming services often have strict DRM measures in place to protect copyrighted content. Certain devices or ROMs may not meet the necessary security requirements to access and play HD content due to potential vulnerabilities or concerns about piracy.
Unfortunately, there may not be a straightforward solution to enable HD video playback on your specific device and ROM combination. It's worth noting that the TouchPad was not designed or officially supported for Android installations, so compatibility issues are not uncommon.
You could consider exploring alternative video streaming apps that may have more lenient DRM requirements or experimenting with different ROMs or Android versions to see if they offer better compatibility. However, it's important to proceed with caution and ensure you have a backup of your existing setup before making any changes to your device.
Additionally, reaching out to the developer community or dedicated forums for the TouchPad and CM11 ROM may provide more specific insights or workarounds based on their collective experiences with the device.
Remember to always respect copyright laws and terms of service when accessing and using streaming services.
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