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Virgin Media TV Anywhere on linux?

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  • 18-03-2020 11:05am
    #1
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,791 ✭✭✭


    I have been trying to get the Virgin Media TV Anywhere (not the regular Virgin Player with just their own stations) website, working on Ubuntu. I have tried with Chrome, Chromium, and Firefox, using user agent extensions in each to select Chrome on Windows, Firefox on Windows, and Edge but I cannot get any stream to start.

    Another approach that might work, is if I could fine some way to extract the Virgin Media TV Anywhere app from the Windows Store, then try running it with vanilla Wine or Steam's Proton.

    Falling back to a Win 10 dev image running said app in VMware is another option.

    Have any of you been able to get this going?


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    #2
    Wabbit Ears
    Registered Users Posts: 3,043 ✭✭✭Wabbit Ears


    its not supported on linux so you'll have to run it on a VM or phone emulator or similar.


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    #3
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Wabbit Ears wrote: »
    its not supported on linux so you'll have to run it on a VM or phone emulator or similar.

    supported?
    what support is required?
    just not enabled maybe?
    the browsers work on the different OSs


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    #4
    JDxtra
    Registered Users Posts: 5,871 ✭✭✭JDxtra


    Any errors? What do the browser DEV tools say? I can't imagine they've specifically blocked it based on the OS.


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    #5
    Wabbit Ears
    Registered Users Posts: 3,043 ✭✭✭Wabbit Ears


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    supported?
    what support is required?
    just not enabled maybe?
    the browsers work on the different OSs

    The app isnt supported on linux.. as in it wont work on linux.

    Its the DRM you see, the different OS's and browsers and phones use different DRM which is the encryption used in the video streams (have a google about for DASH, Widevine, Playready, Silverlight, fairplay etc). To use linux conpatible DRM you need to have a linux compatible packager and the associated licencing, considering how small that market is it makes no sense to support linux.


    Have a read of this which discusses this very topic: https://www.zdnet.com/article/can-linux-on-the-desktop-and-drm-ever-coexist/


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    #6
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Wabbit Ears wrote: »
    The app isnt supported on linux.. as in it wont work on linux.

    Its the DRM you see, the different OS's and browsers and phones use different DRM which is the encryption used in the video streams (have a google about for DASH, Widevine, Playready, Silverlight, fairplay etc). To use linux conpatible DRM you need to have a linux compatible packager and the associated licencing, considering how small that market is it makes no sense to support linux.


    Have a read of this which discusses this very topic: https://www.zdnet.com/article/can-linux-on-the-desktop-and-drm-ever-coexist/

    Thanks for the link, I will have a read later hopefully.

    Silverlight is near enough gone the way of the dodo .... even MS are not supporting it anymore, as I understand it.

    Widevine seems to be the DRM of choice with modern streaming ...... Netflix, Disney etc.

    So, what is Virgin using?

    I thought Widevine ......

    EDIT: I had a quick look at that link, and read a short part, and then I noticed it is OLD ...... 2011.
    Things have changed considerably since then.
    For instance I can access Netflix and/or Disney+ on Linux without any hassle.
    So why not Virgin?


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    #7
    Wabbit Ears
    Registered Users Posts: 3,043 ✭✭✭Wabbit Ears


    Its an old link yea, but the info still holds reasonably true.

    anyway.. enough explaining to overly angry internet bunnies, it doesn't work because they dont support it.


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    #8
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Wabbit Ears wrote: »
    Its an old link yea, but the info still holds reasonably true.

    anyway.. enough explaining to overly angry internet bunnies, it doesn't work because they dont support it.

    I guess you don't know what DRM scheme Virgin Media are using so.

    You could have just said so.


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    #9
    Wabbit Ears
    Registered Users Posts: 3,043 ✭✭✭Wabbit Ears


    LOL, I certainly hope I know what scheme Im using.....


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    #10
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Wabbit Ears wrote: »
    LOL, I certainly hope I know what scheme Im using.....

    Very helpful.
    Thank you so much.


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    #11
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,166 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    I guess you don't know what DRM scheme Virgin Media are using so.

    You could have just said so.

    Brightcove, their CDN, use multiple systems.


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    #12
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    ED E wrote: »
    Brightcove, their CDN, use multiple systems.

    From what I read Brightcove use
    Widevine, PlayReady, and FairPlay
    and maybe some others I am unaware of.

    Fairplay:- Apple DRM for iTunes

    Playready:- Microsoft - supports Linux

    Widevine:- Google - available in Linux

    So I am left wondering why VM chose to not allow viewing on Linux platforms.

    Of course I still do not know which of the DRM options are actually used by VM, as a previous poster decided not to post that information although claiming to have it.


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    #13
    JDxtra
    Registered Users Posts: 5,871 ✭✭✭JDxtra


    Market is so negligible, maybe its easier for them to just say its not supported?


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    #14
    runswithascript
    Registered Users Posts: 2,791 ✭✭✭runswithascript


    Wabbit Ears wrote: »
    its not supported on linux so you'll have to run it on a VM or phone emulator or similar.

    So although the app cannot be extracted from the Windows Store, it is possible there may be a way to get the website service working in linux, as so much not supported officially in linux can be made to work - some how, even if it means wine.
    JDxtra wrote: »
    Any errors? What do the browser DEV tools say? I can't imagine they've specifically blocked it based on the OS.

    Chrome dev tools console output inspecting the stream:

    https://pastebin.com/EZiECpnq

    Anything else I can provide, please let me know.
    Wabbit Ears wrote: »
    Its the DRM you see, the different OS's and browsers and phones use different DRM which is the encryption used in the video streams (have a google about for DASH, Widevine, Playready, Silverlight, fairplay etc). To use linux conpatible DRM you need to have a linux compatible packager and the associated licencing, considering how small that market is it makes no sense to support linux.

    Do you know which DRM Virgin are using here, or if there is some way to check? If I knew that I could start searching for a workaround.
    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    Widevine seems to be the DRM of choice with modern streaming ...... Netflix, Disney etc.

    So, what is Virgin using?

    This is the question!
    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    Fairplay:- Apple DRM for iTunes

    You think this is something they may be using, or is it something the website may use if it detects an Apple device?
    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    Playready:- Microsoft - supports Linux

    I tried finding mention of Playready working on a linux browser but could not, though I found plenty of mention a linux Playready server. Can you please link, or name the browser and I will give it a shot?

    I also came across articles about the Edge Chromium browser and how it is multi DRM supporting Widevine and Playread and MS have promised it is coming to linux, hopefully with the same multi DRM support which might help here...


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