OnePlus 5/5T will get HD compatibility for Netflix, but not over the air

OnePlus has has finally promised to update the OnePlus 5 and the 5T to play HD content from Netflix and Amazon Prime. The announcement came after OnePlus users reported incompatibility of high definition videos on Netflix and Amazon Prime in December. However, there's a catch here.

While OnePlus is finally ready to update the affected phones with Widevine Level 1, there’s a small condition attached. The Widevine DRM update cannot be sideloaded or sent through an OTA update. That means users will have to physically send their phones to OnePlus in order to get the update. 

One of the community members at OnePlus posted on OnePlus’ forum that - "Due to the security processes involved with updating the devices, we can only deliver the update via a physical connection from an authenticated PC. If you are interested in this update, please contact our CS team for more information."

The phones did not support HD playback on Netflix because they were missing support for Google’s Widevine DRM: Widevine Level 1. Currently, the phones only have Widevine Level 3.

The issue is not specifically found on the OnePlus 5 series, but on the OnePlus 3 and 3T. Neither is OnePlus the only manufacturer to make this mistake.

What’s the solution for OnePlus users in India?

As per the blog post, customers who want this update on their OnePlus phones will need to send the device, and the phones will be sent back within five working days. 

The company is covering the courier costs is the customer is in their service regions, but those outside the region will need to bear the courier expenses themselves. OnePlus' service regions are — North America, Europe, India, and China.

So, the company has covered its biggest market, that is India. If you do want to get the fix, all you need to do is call OnePlus' customer service and follow the instructions provided. 

Sudhanshu Singh

Sudhanshu Singh have been working in tech journalism as a reporter, writer, editor, and reviewer for over 5 years. He has reviewed hundreds of products ranging across categories and have also written opinions, guides, feature articles, news, and analysis. Ditching the norm of armchair journalism in tech media, Sudhanshu dug deep into how emerging products and services affect actual users, and what marks they leave on our cultural landscape.
His areas of expertise along with writing and editing include content strategy, daily operations, product and team management.