Problem playing hotstar videos

Question

I have Ubuntu 16.04 LTS installed on my PC. I have a problem playing Hotstar videos on google chrome. Version of google chrome: 51.0.2704.63 (64-bit). All other videos of youtube are playing normally in google chrome. I even tried playing the Hotstar videos on Firefox but the same problem persists. Can anyone help me with the same ?

Answer 1

Couple of solutions which worked for me - As of Mar 20, 2017

Solution #1. Play directly in Firefox/Google Chrome

1. In your browser, Open https://www.hlsplayer.net/ and select M3U8 player (if not selected already)
2. Now we have to get the url to paste it in the input box.
   1. First, get id from video page. Say your video page is http://www.hotstar.com/sports/cricket/india-vs-australia-day-4/2001805383, id is 2001805383
   2. Open http://getcdn.hotstar.com/AVS/besc?action=GetCDN&asJson=Y&channel=TABLET&id=123&type=VOD . (Replace 123 with your actual video page id. Here it is 2001805383)
   3. In the json response, get the value of src. This is the url. Ex: It will be something like.

I like this way because it allows you to go back in video/streaming.

Note: In case if it throws some error, repeat Step 2 and get url again (every time you do step2, you get a new url)

Source: Inspired by this solution Quora

Solution #2. Play in Vlc

1. Install the dependencies

   sudo apt-get install php7.0 livestreamer
   

2. Clone/Download the project here

3. Open terminal (bash), go to folder where its downloaded and run

   cd hotstarsportslivestreamer-master
   ./hotstarlivestreamer.sh
   

   (Follow the instructions provided by the script. Few tips: You can get hotstar link from browser. Write quality can be either "best" or "worst" according to your bandwidth)

Advantage: You can download the video as well

Solution #3. Play in Firefox

You can follow instructions here - HBONOW on Ubuntu 16.04LTS

Advantage: Once you do the step, videos will play seamlessly and effortlessly without performing any step for next videos.

Disclaimer: I haven't tried this solution personally though

So, upto you to pick one ;)

Answer 2

Method 1:

Step 1: Add HLS m3u8 chrome extension from chrome store and enable it. Link below:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/play-hls-m3u8/ckblfoghkjhaclegefojbgllenffajdc?hl=en

Step 2: Open Hotstar video link

http://www.hotstar.com/movies/escape-plan/1000074645/watch

Note: ID = 1000074645

Step 3: Open link below

http://getcdn.hotstar.com/AVS/besc?action=GetCDN&asJson=Y&channel=TABLET&id=123&type=VOD

Step 4: Replace url id=123 to id=ID as

http://getcdn.hotstar.com/AVS/besc?action=GetCDN&asJson=Y&channel=TABLET&id=1000074645&type=VOD

Output will be:

{"errorDescription":"200","message":"200","resultCode":"OK","resultObj":{"checkCacheResult":"","height":"360","src":"https://staragvod1-vh.akamaihd.net/i/videos/movies/hindi/1000074645/1000074645_,16,180,400,800,1300,2000,_STAR.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8?subtitle_identifier=1000074645&hdnea=st=1495051740~exp=1495052340~acl=/*~hmac=e9a791981ee7b95fa74d673db688d488f1416df5403165e3608987b3a12a19c0","width":"480"},"systemTime":1495052040}

Step 5: Take "src" out of it

src = https://staragvod1-vh.akamaihd.net/i/videos/movies/hindi/1000074645/1000074645_,16,180,400,800,1300,2000,_STAR.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8?subtitle_identifier=1000074645&hdnea=st=1495051740~exp=1495052340~acl=/*~hmac=e9a791981ee7b95fa74d673db688d488f1416df5403165e3608987b3a12a19c0

Step 6: Open it in new tab. It will work fine.

Method 2:

Step 1: Open below

http://demo.jwplayer.com/developer-tools/http-stream-tester/

Step 2: Open Hotstar video link

http://www.hotstar.com/movies/escape-plan/1000074645/watch

Note: ID = 1000074645

Step 3: Open link below

http://getcdn.hotstar.com/AVS/besc?action=GetCDN&asJson=Y&channel=TABLET&id=123&type=VOD

Step 4: Replace url id=123 to id=ID as

http://getcdn.hotstar.com/AVS/besc?action=GetCDN&asJson=Y&channel=TABLET&id=1000074645&type=VOD

Output will be:

{"errorDescription":"200","message":"200","resultCode":"OK","resultObj":{"checkCacheResult":"","height":"360","src":"https://staragvod1-vh.akamaihd.net/i/videos/movies/hindi/1000074645/1000074645_,16,180,400,800,1300,2000,_STAR.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8?subtitle_identifier=1000074645&hdnea=st=1495051740~exp=1495052340~acl=/*~hmac=e9a791981ee7b95fa74d673db688d488f1416df5403165e3608987b3a12a19c0","width":"480"},"systemTime":1495052040}

Step 5: Take "src" out of it

src = https://staragvod1-vh.akamaihd.net/i/videos/movies/hindi/1000074645/1000074645_,16,180,400,800,1300,2000,_STAR.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8?subtitle_identifier=1000074645&hdnea=st=1495051740~exp=1495052340~acl=/*~hmac=e9a791981ee7b95fa74d673db688d488f1416df5403165e3608987b3a12a19c0

Step 6: Put src in File url: adding place and hit Test Stream

Note: Open everthing in different tabs

It will work definately. In case of error repeat it.

Answer 3

The below solution worked for me.

1. Install and open Google Chrome (Chromium will not work as flash is required).

2. Go to Google Chrome webstore and install hotstar linux plugin.

   

3. Restart Google Chrome.

4. Go to www.hotstar.com and play a video. It will not start playing.

5. Click on the hotstar linux icon on the top right corner.

   

   A new tab opens and takes to https://www.hlsplayer.net/.

6. Click on i icon at the start of the url in the url bar. Allow flash for https://www.hlsplayer.net/.

   

   If the video still does not start playing, close the tab and go back to www.hotstar.com. Again click on the top right icon for hotstar linux. It should start playing now.

Answer 4

I have the simplest and easiest solution. Just install "User-Agent Switcher for Google Chrome" from Chrome web store.

After Installing the extension Click on the extension...

Then Select the "Nexus 7 Tablet" option.

Now you are good to go guys. Hotstar will buffer the videos but always check if the extension is turned on and selected as "Nexus 7 Tablet" option.

Answer 5

It's worth trying to install HAL from Martin Wimpress's PPA. This stands for Hardware Abstraction Layer, and is required by some Flash content protected by DRM.

Open a terminal window (Alt+Ctrl+T) and type the following commands:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:flexiondotorg/hal-flash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install libhal1-flash
cd ~/.adobe/Flash_Player
rm -rf NativeCache AssetCache APSPrivateData2

Then restart your web browser and try playing Hotstar content again. This should work in Firefox; I'm not so sure about Chrome (since it comes with its own version of flash).

Answer 6

I was really thoughtful about being not working of hotstar, and then come to know below solution which can run hotstar videos easily on browser -

Step 1- Run http://www.hotstar.com/ on browser and reach your destination video.

Step 2- now then replace hotstar with sudohotstar in URL and press enter, your video will start running.

For example - you want to run below hotstar video
http://www.hotstar.com/sports/cricket/india-vs-australia-day-4/2001805383
put sudo in front of hotstar
http://www.sudohotstar.com/sports/cricket/india-vs-australia-day-4/2001805383

Answer 7

• Open your hotstar page in Google Chrome.
• Press CTRL+SHIFT+I. Go to console tab.
• Double click CDN source. A m3u8 file will be downloaded.
• Open that m3u8 file with totem or vlc (Network setting should be right in vlc; totem use default Gnome Network setting)
  • Added benefits of this method is that you can edit m3u8 file in any text editor for reduced bandwidth if you have buffering issue.

Answer 8

Hotstar does not support video playback on any version of Linux as of now.