"playback error" when screen mirroring video (Netflix, Prime Video, Youtube, NFL)

[Beginner_Iphone_User]

I'm trying to mirror videos from apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, NFL, and Youtube to a Windows 10 pc (of course I know that I can play Netflix, etc directly on my PC, but I have a specific application for this approach).

I've connected the 5s to the PC via Lightening cable, and I'm running LonelyScreen on the PC.

The videos fail, as follows:

Netflix app: "Error Cannot play title. Please try again later (30103)"

Prime Video: "Playback Error An error occurred. Please try again later..."

Youtube: The video fails to play and gives no error message.

NFL: The video plays on the phone, but the entire LonelyScreen display is blank (black).

If I turn off screen mirroring, the above apps run on the phone with no error.

If I navigate any of the above apps (or other apps) on the 5s, non-video content mirrors to LonelyScreen with no issues.

I have not tried other Windows mirroring apps.

Should this work, or is it a known limitation?

I'm running 11.3.1 on the 5s (I'm happy to try to reproduce this on current IOS when I eventually update, but I'm not going to update IOS at this time as a troubleshooting step).

I welcome any guidance.

Thanks in advance,
BIU

 

[JezzerP]

OK, the way you describe it suggests to me that the problem is not with the 5s, but with the Windows mirroring app....I would look for an alternative. Not something I have done unfortunately so I can't guide you to anything in particular.

 

[Beginner_Iphone_User]

Thanks for the suggestion, JezzerP. I'll try a different mirroring app.

 

[Beginner_Iphone_User]

FWIW, I tried a different PC app, Apowersoft iPhone/iPad Recorder. I could not get this to work with the 5S, either, although the symptoms were different.

With Apowersoft I get no error messages on the 5s. The video initially displays (i.e. the first frame) on 5S and the PC app, but the video does not proceed to play. IOW, it would 'freeze'' at the video's initial image.

I wonder if there is an intentional licensing/permissions issue blocking these videos.

I got a brainstorm (don't worry, my ideas are more like minor, local squalls) and decided to try to mirror a video I had taken with my 5s, rather than a copyrighted/"owned" video online. Now, for the first time I'm able to see the video playing on the PC (Lonelyscreen). This may be not conclusive proof of a permissions limitation, but it 'smells' like one.

I'm going to cut my losses and give up on this 'project', but I thought I would report my latest results in case they are of interest to anyone else who is wrestling with this problem.

Thanks again for your help, JezzerP.