Topic: Amazon Prime no longer has a picture (Read 32622 times)

obchristo · « **on:** November 22, 2015, 11:41:40 pm »

I setup Amazon Prime in Theater View and it worked great until a couple weeks ago. Now it will play audio but the screen is blank. When I use the same URL on a browser there is no problem.

I deleted the setup and recreated it, but the problem remains.

Any ideas?

JimH · « **Reply #1 on:** November 23, 2015, 07:09:44 am »

Please post details of how you did that.

You could try changing the browser. IE and Chrome often behave differently.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #2 on:** November 23, 2015, 10:39:12 am »

This may or may not have anything to do with it, but I've started noticing Prime Instant Video is starting to use HTML5 instead of Silverlight. Could this have an effect?

JimH · « **Reply #3 on:** November 23, 2015, 10:42:33 am »

Try updating the browser.

obchristo · « **Reply #4 on:** November 23, 2015, 11:04:29 pm »

Running current version of Windows 10, JRiver 21 IE, Chrome and Edge

What I did: Tools/Options/Theater View

Add: Webpage

pasted in Amazon Prime Video page link.

Went to Theater View and page pulled up no problem. Once a show was selected, the show would start, but audio would stream with a black screen. Not even the onscreen commands would show up (Pause, maximize, advance 10, rewind 10)

Same results using links from all 3 browsers. All 3 browsers stream Amazon Prime fine on their own.

Same issues on both my HTPC and my Laptop.

Maitlandfan · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2015, 06:48:33 am »

Hi. Have the same problem recently with Amazon Instant Video, using Media Center 20 with Win 8.1(64bit). It's not only theater mode.
Video can be seen normally with IE11 and Firefox individually, though with Firefox, have been prompted to install silverlight.

Matt · « **Reply #6 on:** November 25, 2015, 08:44:18 am »

Quote from: Maitlandfan on November 25, 2015, 06:48:33 am

Video can be seen normally with IE11

When we show the browser, it should be exactly the same as running the stand alone version of IE. So if the stand alone version works, I'd expect it to work inside MC. I'm riddled.

v_erich · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2015, 09:19:37 am »

Hi,
is it possible to run Amazon Prime Video with madvr and soundprecessing of JRiver?

BR
Erich

mattkhan · « **Reply #8 on:** November 25, 2015, 10:34:20 am »

Quote from: v_erich on November 25, 2015, 09:19:37 am

Hi,
is it possible to run Amazon Prime Video with madvr and soundprecessing of JRiver?

BR
Erich

Madvr no
Sound processing yes subject to lip sync limitations (i.e. you need a low latency dsp chain)

WeeHappyPixie · « **Reply #9 on:** November 25, 2015, 11:05:05 am »

I can confirm I get the same problems running 21.0.23 on Windows 10 x64. Sound but just a blank black window when I try to watch Amazon Prime video.

John.

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #10 on:** November 25, 2015, 12:16:58 pm »

I never tried to view my Amazon Prime Videos through MC. But when I saw this post I thought I'd take a look. I set up the Theater View>webpage link and I get the same blank screen as reported here - but the Amazon video screen is not showing as a "full screen" either (I get a 7/8 window on top of MC with the top of MC still showing) - so it wouldn't be a very nice viewing experience anyway.

mattkhan · « **Reply #11 on:** November 25, 2015, 12:50:32 pm »

works fine here; latest mc21, theatre view launching IE, windows 8.1 though

v_erich · « **Reply #12 on:** November 25, 2015, 01:22:32 pm »

Hi,
I control everything in my home theater with JRiver, no Receiver for sound and processing for video (including color calibration) with madvr.
So I cannot watch in my theater without audio (and video) processing of JRiver.
Thats the reason.

BR
Erich

mattkhan · « **Reply #13 on:** November 25, 2015, 01:31:42 pm »

Quote from: v_erich on November 25, 2015, 01:22:32 pm

I control everything in my home theater with JRiver, no Receiver for sound and processing for video (including color calibration) with madvr.
So I cannot watch in my theater without audio (and video) processing of JRiver.
Thats the reason.

you don't need madvr to get a picture on the screen, no 3dlut means it won't look as nice but you could at least have a 1d lut and perhaps use a different profile on your display for a manual calibration. Not ideal but you don't have much choice really.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #14 on:** November 25, 2015, 06:42:36 pm »

Quote from: CountryBumkin on November 25, 2015, 12:16:58 pm

I never tried to view my Amazon Prime Videos through MC. But when I saw this post I thought I'd take a look. I set up the Theater View>webpage link and I get the same blank screen as reported here - but the Amazon video screen is not showing as a "full screen" either (I get a 7/8 window on top of MC with the top of MC still showing) - so it wouldn't be a very nice viewing experience anyway.

What if you set it up under Video/Connected Media in Standard View? I don't have Amazon Prime but with YouTube maximised I get a full screen display and I don't get audio lag, using that method.

Maybe the blank screen would be fixed that way as well, for everybody.

Maitlandfan · « **Reply #15 on:** November 26, 2015, 10:52:03 am »

Quote from: RoderickGI on November 25, 2015, 06:42:36 pm

What if you set it up under Video/Connected Media in Standard View? I don't have Amazon Prime but with YouTube maximised I get a full screen display and I don't get audio lag, using that method.

Maybe the blank screen would be fixed that way as well, for everybody.

As I posted, its the same black screen, only sound, regardless of View mode. When browsing, it's normal, but after starting videos, threre is the cycle turning for buffering which become white (it's yellow in browsers!), then only sound and black screen.

I checked my other laptop with win7 and MC20 working alright. So I begin to suspect my good old display which is not HDCP compliant. Had no time to check with other displays though.

Lou Busch · « **Reply #16 on:** December 20, 2015, 10:07:51 am »

Just updated all my computers to Windows 10. I get the exact same problem with the two systems on which I use MC21 (21.0.23). The little "bar" at the top that CountryBumkin mentioned shows a menu containing "Back" but "scoots" away if I try to select it. I have Edge 25.10586.0.0, IE 11.0.25 and Firefox 43.0.1 and they all claim to be the current versions. Anyone still working on this or is it currently a lost cause?

mx4789 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 26, 2015, 02:53:23 pm »

I too have the exact same experience (21.0.23, win10). My choices of browser are IE or Chromium (within MC21). Amazon will just spin, and I think Hulu gives me an "oops" message or is it Netflix that does that? A website for a local radio station will not play using Chromium option but plays using IE. YouTube/TV works "okay" but video is left justified instead of centered. In the meantime I use the "open with external program" option to launch Chrome pointed at youtube from the menu (and at least that way the video is centered), but it'd really be nice to have it all contained within Theater View. And, trying to get to the "back" button at the top of the view won't work with remote. I have to use the mouse (or remote's mouse pad) to get the cursor up there and click on it.

bigref · « **Reply #18 on:** January 10, 2016, 02:43:02 pm »

I am in the same boat. I, like a previous commenter, would like to watch Amazon Prime Video and also Sling TV. Can someone from J River comment on the issue. It seems to have been a consistent complaint for quite awhile now.

Matt · « **Reply #19 on:** January 11, 2016, 08:57:29 am »

I just tested and Chromium complains that it needs a plugin and playing with IE plays sound but shows a black screen.

So it's not working the best.

I sent the team an email hoping for ideas.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #20 on:** January 11, 2016, 04:25:03 pm »

Hasn't Amazon Instant/Prime Video dropped using Silverlight yet in favor of HTML5? If so, it'd probably (eventually) be in the same boat as Netflix.

Hendrik · « **Reply #21 on:** January 11, 2016, 04:30:30 pm »

It appears they are using HTML5 now, which doesn't seem to function in our embedded browsers.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #22 on:** January 11, 2016, 04:52:01 pm »

Quote from: Hendrik on January 11, 2016, 04:30:30 pm

It appears they are using HTML5 now, which doesn't seem to function in our embedded browsers.

Likely due to EME, like Netflix.

JustinChase · « **Reply #23 on:** January 12, 2016, 01:30:34 pm »

I'm watching this closely, hoping for a resolution to the Amazon issue.

obchristo · « **Reply #24 on:** January 16, 2016, 01:33:36 pm »

Quote from: Hendrik on January 11, 2016, 04:30:30 pm

It appears they are using HTML5 now, which doesn't seem to function in our embedded browsers.

If 2 of the most popular streaming services are no longer functional on JRiver, is there a fix being worked on?

Lou Busch · « **Reply #25 on:** March 04, 2016, 09:04:17 am »

Been a while since the last post here. Any word of a fix for this? HTML5 is going to be driving more video sites and should be expected to work in MC. Anyone found an "official" statement on the problem. ?

JustinChase · « **Reply #26 on:** March 04, 2016, 01:26:22 pm »

Quote from: Lou Busch on March 04, 2016, 09:04:17 am

Been a while since the last post here. Any word of a fix for this? HTML5 is going to be driving more video sites and should be expected to work in MC. Anyone found an "official" statement on the problem. ?

I hope this gets fixed

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #27 on:** March 04, 2016, 02:49:36 pm »

I have my doubts about if EME could be supported, honestly.

Lou Busch · « **Reply #28 on:** March 15, 2016, 10:10:10 am »

But Chrome has the necessary EME support. In fact my current kludge is to use multiple desktops on my server. MC runs in one, Chrome full screen with Prime loaded in the next, various other server interfaces (SqueezeServe et al) in another. I tab from one desktop to the next via my remote (UnifiedRemote).
When I selected Chrome as the browser of choice in MC and tried to run content I got a message telling me I need a newer version of Chrome. So MC can't embed this "updated" version?? ? Well, the kludge works but not as well as a dedicated player. I tried FireTV but could not get the remote to play nice with my UnifiedRemote server. I sent it back.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #29 on:** March 15, 2016, 10:16:15 am »

MC uses Chromium, not Chrome. There is a difference. Chromium is the open-source browser Chrome is based off, except Chrome comes with extra stuff bundled including the proprietary Widevine CDM which is used for EME (DRM) HTML5 playback.

Read more about what Chrome includes that Chromium doesn't here: http://www.howtogeek.com/202825/what%E2%80%99s-the-difference-between-chromium-and-chrome/

Lou Busch · « **Reply #30 on:** March 15, 2016, 10:30:45 am »

Thanks for the clarification. I did notice it said Chromium and assumed...well you know what happens when one assumes too much. Read the referenced article and see the problem. It's the P word (proprietary). Well kludge it is.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #31 on:** March 15, 2016, 10:36:32 am »

The ultimate issue here is the legalities involved trying to support HTML5/EME in MC. Could they rip the Widevine CDM from Chrome and include it in MC to be used by Chromium? I highly doubt it, honestly.

And without a (public) API to access, EME HTML5 playback required for Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. goes into limbo.

mwillems · « **Reply #32 on:** March 15, 2016, 10:44:30 am »

Quote from: Awesome Donkey on March 15, 2016, 10:36:32 am

The ultimate issue here is the legalities involved trying to support HTML5/EME in MC. Could they rip the Widevine CDM from Chrome and include it in MC to be used by Chromium? I highly doubt it, honestly.

It's a shame too, as bracketing out the legalities there's not really a technical barrier to grabbing and porting widevine for Chromium as several linux distros do exactly that right now, see e.g. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/chromium#Widevine_Content_Decryption_Module_plugin

That particular plugin works nicely with chromium.

It's just not clear whether a commercial entity like JRiver (as opposed to some distro's semi-official repo) could get away with doing that from a licensing perspective.

Hendrik · « **Reply #33 on:** March 15, 2016, 03:54:19 pm »

I'm currently trying to determine if we can support this in our Chromium.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #34 on:** March 15, 2016, 04:47:03 pm »

Quote from: Hendrik on March 15, 2016, 03:54:19 pm

I'm currently trying to determine if we can support this in our Chromium.

*Maybe* on Linux. Good luck, you're gonna need it.

Hendrik · « **Reply #35 on:** March 15, 2016, 04:50:43 pm »

Quote from: Awesome Donkey on March 15, 2016, 04:47:03 pm

*Maybe* on Linux. Good luck, you're gonna need it.

You would be surprised, Windows chromium has some other facilities that are not available on Linux. =p

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #36 on:** March 15, 2016, 04:53:09 pm »

Interesting, apparently you can build Chromium to be able to use the Widevine CDM: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=429452

I wonder if you could then take the CDM plugin (widevinecdmadapter.dll on Windows) from a Chrome install and just drag and drop it to a folder where MC's Chromium could load and use it. This could also get Pepper Flash working too, I'm thinking. Of course, the end-user would probably have to do this as bundling the CDM plugin in MC *might* run into legal roadblocks.

EDIT: Here we go... https://bitbucket.org/chromiumembedded/cef/issues/1631/add-support-for-widevine-cdm

Quote

Automated download of the binary from Google is allowed but bundling of the Widevine CDM with third-party applications requires a license.

Just as I thought, but it seems you can just download it from Google, which is actually better. Huh, there's actually some hope.

Hendrik · « **Reply #37 on:** March 15, 2016, 05:07:01 pm »

I tried enabling pepper flash some time ago, and thats ... complicated. Pepper Flash likes to complain when the process doesn't follow a certain specific layout, which ours does not, so it opens a command prompt window and yells at you, which is somewhat idiotic of the flash developers.
Unfortunately making pepper flash happy would not be easy.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #38 on:** March 15, 2016, 05:08:37 pm »

Quote from: Hendrik on March 15, 2016, 05:07:01 pm

I tried enabling pepper flash some time ago, and thats ... complicated. Pepper Flash likes to complain when the process doesn't follow a certain specific layout, which ours does not, so it opens a command prompt window and yells at you, which is somewhat idiotic of the flash developers.
Unfortunately making pepper flash happy would not be easy.

Oh well, good riddance to Flash I say.

On the other hand, looks like you can get Widevine working on Windows/OS X/Linux via the Chromium Embedded Framework, which is great.

JimH · « **Reply #39 on:** March 22, 2016, 09:33:40 am »

Split Amazon Prime and Netflix in MC Now

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: Amazon Prime no longer has a picture (Read 32622 times)