How Widevine works
The video is encrypted during packaging. At playback, the Widevine module on the device sends a license request, the license server confirms the viewer's entitlement and returns the decryption key inside a license that only that module can read.
Widevine security levels: L1, L2 and L3
The level is a property of the device, not of your service. The license server reads it and can cap resolution accordingly, which is why the same title may play in 4K on a television and in lower quality in a desktop browser.
- L1: decryption and video processing happen inside the device's hardware-protected area. Required by most rights holders for HD and 4K.
- L2: decryption is hardware-protected but video processing is not. Rare in practice.
- L3: protection is software only. Typical of desktop browsers and uncertified devices, and usually limited to standard definition for premium content.
Where Widevine is used
Android and Android TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Chrome, Firefox and Edge, and most smart TV platforms. Apple devices use FairPlay instead, so a service that wants to reach both needs multi-DRM.
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