Dear PallyCon customer,
We would like to inform you of upcoming updates to the Widevine server and the need to change web player settings accordingly.
- Update schedule: Mid December 2022 (planned)
- Update item: Change Widevine license server implementation from the existing ‘License Proxy API integration’ to the ‘License Proxy SDK’ method
- Improvements through update: Widevine Security Level 1 (Widevine L1) support available in Chrome browsers in some Windows environments
Due to this update, the Widevine server certificate, which was previously used as a fixed value for the DRM integration setting of some HTML5 players, cannot be used anymore. So all customers using this setting must modify the web player's DRM integration code before the update schedule.
For details on server updates and web player settings changes, please refer to the Q/A below.
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How is the Widevine server to be updated different from the existing server?
: In both the existing 'Proxy API integration' and the new 'Proxy SDK' method, the actual Widevine license issuance is done on the cloud license server operated by Google. So various policies that can be set for DRM license tokens by customers are the same as before.
The major difference is about supporting Widevine L1 on Windows Chrome, which could support only Widevine L3 with the current Widevine server.
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Will Widevine L1 be supported on all Windows Chrome after the Widevine server update? If not, what are the supported environments?
: Even after the server update, only Widevine L3 is still supported in some Windows environments. The Windows environment that can support Widevine L1 has not yet been confirmed as official information. We may announce the information separately in the future.
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After the Widevine license server update, will it solve problems such as the recent massive failure of the Widevine license issuance?
: The Google Cloud's Widevine service failure last September was a common problem for all Widevine license services built in the proxy method. Unfortunately, the scheduled update cannot solve the problem yet. The transition to the ‘License Server SDK’ method that can issue licenses on its own without using Google Cloud is also in progress for this purpose.
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Do all content services using HTML5 web players need to make the code modifications?
: Even if you are using a web player, the code does not necessarily need to be modified if you are not configuring the player with the Widevine server certificate as a fixed value.
In the existing PallyCon HTML5 player integration example, a fixed certificate value in the form of Base64 was used only for the ‘Shaka player’ integration code. Therefore, customers who have built services with Shaka players must check and modify the code.
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The Widevine server certificate is set as a fixed value in our web player. How do I fix it?
: You need to remove the part where you entered the Widevine server certificate in the player setting code. After the fixed value is removed, a new certificate is automatically downloaded and used from the server at the time of the license request. Please refer to the updated HTML5 player integration example for details.
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What happens if I continue to use a fixed certificate value after the server update?
: After the Widevine server of PallyCon Multi DRM is switched to the Proxy SDK method, all Widevine license issuance for the web player will fail because the fixed certificate does not match with the certificate of the new server. In order to prevent the service failure, you need to modify the certificate settings of the web player before the scheduled server update.
If you have any other inquiries about the Widevine server update and the web player settings change, please contact us via Helpdesk.
Thank you.
PallyCon Team