Most Netflix content has corrupted video since 8.1 upgrade

[nielsniels]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QilCiv6Gar4

The issue shown in the video above has started happening on my Pixel C a day or so after upgrading to Android 8.1. It first started happening in the middle of an episode (of Grimm) and ever since, it is happening from the start of any episode of most Netflix content. Downloading an episode and then playing it doesn't help.
Sometimes the first 1 or 2 seconds of video look fine but then it corrupts again. Audio is normal but after 10 seconds the video will stop and it display the error message "There is a problem playing the video. (5.2)"
I've even tried a factory reset of my tablet but the trouble persists.
The poster of the YouTube video states that version 5.5.1 of Netflix fixed it for him but for me this started happening in version 5.11.2.

 

[Bruce Richardson]

Seeing precisely the same distortion (Pixel C, Android 8.1.0).

 

[nielsniels]

Someone on xda forums found a working workaround to this issue: downgrading to Netflix version 4.16.1
You can download the .apk installer from apkmirror:
https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/netfl...flix-4-16-1-build-15145-android-apk-download/

 

[killerdo]

Identical problem.

 

[Trigati]

Identical problem.

Identical solution.

Someone on xda forums found a working workaround to this issue: downgrading to Netflix version 4.16.1
You can download the .apk installer from apkmirror:
https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/netfl...flix-4-16-1-build-15145-android-apk-download/

 

[nielsniels]

Good news, the latest Netflix update, 5.12.0 seems to have fixed the problem.

 

[Specus]

I've been wondering about this. I've been holding off on the 8.1 upgrade. It looks like the last of the rough spots (for me) has been addressed.

 

[nielsniels]

Well, if you like using the stock launcher, then there is still the annoying issue of home screen items disappearing after a reboot, if they occupied the top row of the home screen.