Users of the OnePlus 5T recently reported that their phone could not stream high-definition (HD) videos from Netflix, Google Play Movies, or Amazon Prime. Developers said that this is an oversight with the digital rights management (DRM) capabilities of the phone and not a problem in the hardware itself.
Most streaming HD videos from providers such as Netflix and Google Play Movies require a Widevine Level 1 DRM. Thus, it is necessary that a device supports this level of DRM to stream HD videos from the said sites.
However, OnePlus 5T only supports Widevine Level 3 DRM. This DRM enables the phone to play standard definition (SD) streams, but it does not allow for HD streaming from most sites. So it is not that the OnePlus 5T cannot play the videos because of hardware limitations. It just lacks the required software or DRM to stream them legally.
The developers have acknowledged this issue. They said that they would release an update in the future so that the phone can support Widevine Level 1 DRM. However, they did not specify a release date for the said update.
The OnePlus 5T is said to be one of the best budget smartphones on the market today. It has most of the features found in flagship phones of popular brands. All of the high-end features are offered with a $500 price tag, a value relatively lower than most premium phones of the current generation.
The phone sports a 6.0-inch, 1080p display. It has 6 GB of random access memory (RAM), but there is an option to buy a version has 8 GB of RAM. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, running at a clock speed of 2.45 gigahertz. The processor can also support cameras rated up to 32 megapixels.
There is no doubt that the OnePlus 5T hardware can play high-definition videos. The upcoming Widevine Level 1 DRM will make it so that it can stream HD legally.
