If you experience a black screen, continuous loading, or buffering while watching videos on Viki, your device or display setup may not meet the required Digital Rights Management (DRM) or High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) requirements.
This article explains what DRM and HDCP are and provides troubleshooting steps to help you resolve potential playback issues.
About DRM and HDCP
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology used to protect licensed digital content from unauthorized access or copying.
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a security technology designed to protect digital video and audio content from unauthorized copying.
Viki uses DRM and HDCP to protect certain licensed content.
If you're watching Viki through an HDMI connection or external display, your equipment must support HDCP version 1.4 or later.
This includes compatible TVs, monitors, and any adapters or other equipment used in the connection.
Note
Having an HDMI connection does not automatically mean that your equipment supports HDCP and HDCP-related playback issues can occur even when you're watching directly on your device without an external monitor or HDMI connection.
If your device or display connection does not meet the required content protection standards, you may experience:
- A black or blank screen during video playback.
- A video that continuously loads or buffers without playing.
- A playback error message or error code.
- Some shows or episodes are not playing while others work normally.
These symptoms may also occur for reasons unrelated to HDCP. Follow the troubleshooting steps below to help identify the cause.
Troubleshooting by device
If you're watching Viki on an external monitor or TV connected through HDMI, please try the following:
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Check HDCP compatibility
Ensure that your TV, monitor, and any adapters, docking stations, or other connected equipment support HDCP version 1.4 or later.
You can check the manufacturer's specifications or contact their support team.
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Restart and reconnect your equipment
Turn off your connected devices, disconnect and securely reconnect the HDMI cable and any adapters, then restart your equipment.
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Try another HDMI cable or port
If available, use another HDMI cable or connect to a different HDMI port on your TV or monitor.
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Connect directly to your display
If you're using an HDMI splitter, switch, docking station, or receiver, try connecting your device directly to your TV or monitor.
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Disconnect the external display
If you're using a laptop, disconnect your external monitor and try watching Viki directly on the laptop screen.
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Try another supported device
If your equipment does not meet the required HDCP standards, try watching Viki on another compatible device.
You can refer to our Supported Devices article for more information.
If you're watching Viki directly on your computer without an external monitor and are experiencing playback issues, please try the following:
- Refresh the Viki webpage.
- Log out of your Viki account.
- Clear your browser's cache and cookies.
- Ensure your browser and operating system are up to date.
- Close and reopen your browser.
- Log back into Viki and try playing the video again.
- Try another supported browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.
For Firefox users:
- Open Firefox Settings.
- Under General, find Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content.
- Ensure Play DRM-controlled content is enabled.
- Restart Firefox and try playing the video again.
For additional information, please refer to our Supported Browsers and Basic Troubleshooting articles.
If you're experiencing playback issues while watching directly on your mobile device or TV, please try:
- Close and reopen the Viki app.
- Restart your device.
- Ensure your device's operating system is up to date.
- Update the Viki app to the latest available version.
- Try playing the affected episode again.
- If the issue persists, try watching on another supported device.
Some devices may have limitations when playing DRM-protected content. If your device does not support the required content protection standards, updating the software may not resolve the issue.
Checking HDCP compatibility
You can check your equipment's HDCP compatibility through the manufacturer's specifications or support team.
Chrome users can also perform an additional HDCP status check:
- Open Google Chrome and visit the HDCP Detection Test.
- Keep your HDMI cable and external monitor connected, if applicable.
- Select 1.4 from the HDCP version dropdown.
- Click Get HDCP status.
- Review the result displayed on the page.
If the result is "HDCP is available for 1.0 or 1.4":
The browser reports that HDCP 1.4 is available for the tested configuration.
If the result is "output-restricted":
Your browser reports an output protection restriction. This may indicate a compatibility issue involving your display or connected equipment.
Important
This browser test is intended as a troubleshooting reference and does not definitively establish whether your equipment is HDCP certified. Results may vary depending on your browser, operating system, and device configuration.
Getting more help
If you're still unable to watch Viki after completing the troubleshooting steps above, please contact Viki Support with the following information:
- The affected show title and episode number.
- Your device model and operating system version.
- Your browser and browser version, if watching on Web.
- Whether you're using an HDMI cable, external monitor, adapter, or docking station.
- The TV or monitor model, if applicable.
- Any error message or error code displayed.
- A screenshot or screen recording of the issue, if available.
- The troubleshooting steps you've already tried.
These details will help our Support team investigate your playback issue.