Forum Discussion

sabk2001's avatar
sabk2001
Network Novice
4 years ago

OnePlus 8 5g T-Mobile downgraded widevine to L3

I could’ve sworn just last week I was watching Netflix in Full HD and now out of the blue my OP8 is limiting playback to SD. First I thought it was a Netflix issue so I cleared data, cache, reinstalled and tried rebooting my phone to no avail. Then I started looking into the DRM info and it’s been downgraded L1 to L3! I have not installed anything new or received any OTA’s since last week. I also tried a fix someone mentioned on OnePlus forums with enabling biometrics on Play Store (not sure what that has to do with anything) but that did not work either. Anyone else experience this??

 

 

  • gray_dog's avatar
    gray_dog
    Roaming Rookie

    I bit the bullet and followed the thread on XDA for converting my phone to the global software.  I am now using Oxygen OS 11 Open Beta 11 for OnePlus 8.  My observations:

    • The phone is WAY faster and more responsive now.  Maybe this is result of factory reset, maybe not.  But it is way more responsive
    • Widevine is back to L1!  Amazing how the beta-quality T-Mobile updates break this, and then using an actual beta software it is working.  Incredible
    • Now have access to Always On Display (where ambient display is Always On).  The unlocked version got this 7 months ago!  T-Mobile software release from less than a week ago STILL doesn’t have this - again, absolutely amazed at how BAD the T-Mobile software for this phone is
    • Many longstanding bugs I’ve had since the Android 11 update do not seem to be happening on the global software.  If I open and closed the camera too many times too fast while using android auto and the phone was locked, the phone would become unresponsive for a minute or two.  Same if I tried to lock it immediately after turning off Work Profile.  Does NOT happen on the global software.  Seems like the T-Mobile software is just way buggier, and reporting bugs is useless as OnePlus just blames T-Mobile and T-Mobile just blames OnePlus.  Very convenient way to make sure nothing ever gets fixed

    Anyone still using this phone with the T-Mobile software and who is familiar with ADB, fastboot, etc - I highly recommend following the process on XDA to convert this phone to global software.  It has made my phone so much better.  It is very clear to me now that whatever testing (if any) done by T-Mobile or OnePlus for the special T-Mobile software updates is very inadequate.  Neither T-Mobile nor OnePlus takes seriously any bug reports, as they can conveniently blame the other party for the bug instead of doing any work to research and resolve it.  Remember that it took almost an entire month to have the 5G service fixed last year when they released an update that caused phone calls and text messages to stop working after some hours/days.  This is the core function of a phone and in any other device would have been fixed in under a week at the slowest.  This bug never happened on the global version of the phone.

  • sabk2001's avatar
    sabk2001
    Network Novice

    Guys I think I figured out what caused my Widevine to randomly be downgrade from L1 to L3. I recently installed a new screen protector so I deleted my fingerprint and registered a new one and now I can't watch Netflix in HD! I read this over on the XDA forums for 8 Pro, one user said it's possible removing first fingerprint causes a persistent partition to become unreadable creating this problem. Can we please have a mod acknowledge this? Willing to share any log files that may help troubleshoot. It's so disappointing to have a nice full HDR screen on my OP8 and I can't even watch Netflix or Prime video in HD! Thanks.

  • gray_dog's avatar
    gray_dog
    Roaming Rookie

    I also have this issue. Even after the OTA I got today. Never unlocked or rooted or anything. The time this problem started seemed to coincide with the system update screen getting a new UI randomly a few weeks ago (the new system update screen gives no change information and doesn't support dark mode)

     

    Between this and the fact it has been 7 months since the unlocked version of this phone got Always On Display and the TMobile one STILL doesn't have it, I am more sure than ever that I will never buy a phone from TMobile ever again.

  • gray dog wrote:

    I bit the bullet and followed the thread on XDA for converting my phone to the global software.  I am now using Oxygen OS 11 Open Beta 11 for OnePlus 8.  My observations:

    • The phone is WAY faster and more responsive now.  Maybe this is result of factory reset, maybe not.  But it is way more responsive
    • Widevine is back to L1!  Amazing how the beta-quality T-Mobile updates break this, and then using an actual beta software it is working.  Incredible
    • Now have access to Always On Display (where ambient display is Always On).  The unlocked version got this 7 months ago!  T-Mobile software release from less than a week ago STILL doesn’t have this - again, absolutely amazed at how BAD the T-Mobile software for this phone is
    • Many longstanding bugs I’ve had since the Android 11 update do not seem to be happening on the global software.  If I open and closed the camera too many times too fast while using android auto and the phone was locked, the phone would become unresponsive for a minute or two.  Same if I tried to lock it immediately after turning off Work Profile.  Does NOT happen on the global software.  Seems like the T-Mobile software is just way buggier, and reporting bugs is useless as OnePlus just blames T-Mobile and T-Mobile just blames OnePlus.  Very convenient way to make sure nothing ever gets fixed

    Anyone still using this phone with the T-Mobile software and who is familiar with ADB, fastboot, etc - I highly recommend following the process on XDA to convert this phone to global software.  It has made my phone so much better.  It is very clear to me now that whatever testing (if any) done by T-Mobile or OnePlus for the special T-Mobile software updates is very inadequate.  Neither T-Mobile nor OnePlus takes seriously any bug reports, as they can conveniently blame the other party for the bug instead of doing any work to research and resolve it.  Remember that it took almost an entire month to have the 5G service fixed last year when they released an update that caused phone calls and text messages to stop working after some hours/days.  This is the core function of a phone and in any other device would have been fixed in under a week at the slowest.  This bug never happened on the global version of the phone.

    Gray dog

    Did you have any weird bluetooth issues after the Android 11 update? I’m having a lot of bluetooth call issues, people can’t hear me I can’t hear them. And Android auto is also a mess since Android 11. I think I need to put the global firmware on. I never had any of these issues with my Oneplus branded 7T

  • gray_dog's avatar
    gray_dog
    Roaming Rookie
    steve9271 wrote:

    Gray dog

    Did you have any weird bluetooth issues after the Android 11 update? I’m having a lot of bluetooth call issues, people can’t hear me I can’t hear them. And Android auto is also a mess since Android 11. I think I need to put the global firmware on. I never had any of these issues with my Oneplus branded 7T

    Bluetooth was working about the same for me in Android 11 as it did in Android 10.  Android Auto was working (mostly) fine for me on the T-Mobile software.  I did have the occasional problem where bluetooth refused to connect to anything and I had to reboot the phone.  I haven’t had that yet since going to the global firmware, but that was a rare issue for me to begin with.

     

    One AA problem I still have is that If I start a call and then connect to Android Auto while the call is going, that typically breaks bluetooth audio once the call is ended (can’t listen to spotify or hear navigation).  That’s been the case since Android 10 for me across multiple devices though so I’m pretty sure that’s just an Android Auto issue.

  • Afjal's avatar
    Afjal
    Network Novice

    Please send me

    Oxygen os 12 update link 

    OnePlus 8 5g T-Mobile