Video not playing on Zee 5? Here's how to fix it in your browser
Web browser playback
Video not playing in your browser?
Video won't start, keeps freezing, or the screen goes black? It's almost always one of three things. Find your problem below and follow the steps for your browser.
Works for:
Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Firefox
Safari
Opera
Start here
What's happening?
⚫
Problem 1
Black screen or DRM error
Every browser has a built-in video lock called Widevine that protects content from being copied. If it's switched off or out of date, Zee 5 can't play the video, and you'll see a black box or an error mentioning “DRM” or “Widevine”. It takes about two minutes to fix.
💡 Quick checks first
✓
Update your browser to the latest version.
✓
Use a normal window, not private or incognito.
✓
Close any other tab or app that's playing video.
✓
Close and reopen your browser after each step below before testing.
Chrome
1
Type chrome://components in the address bar and press Enter.
2
Find Widevine Content Decryption Module and click Check for update. Not listed? Update Chrome from chrome://settings/help.
3
Go to chrome://settings/content/protectedContent and turn on Sites can play protected content.
Microsoft Edge
1
Type edge://components in the address bar and update Widevine Content Decryption Module.
2
Go to edge://settings/content/protectedContent and turn on Allow sites to play protected content.
3
Widevine not listed? Update Edge from edge://settings/help, then repeat step 1.
Firefox
1
Go to about:preferences#general, scroll to DRM Content, and tick Play DRM-controlled content.
2
Go to about:addons → Plugins, find Widevine Content Decryption Module, and turn it on or update it.
3
Restart Firefox and try again.
Safari (Mac)
1
Safari's video lock is part of macOS, so update your Mac: System Settings → General → Software Update.
2
In Safari, go to Settings → Websites → Auto-Play and make sure Zee 5 isn't blocked.
3
As a quick test, turn off Settings → Advanced → Prevent cross-site tracking. Turn it back on if that wasn't the cause.
Opera
1
Type opera://components in the address bar and update Widevine Content Decryption Module.
2
Go to opera://settings/content/protectedContent and turn protected content on.
3
Click the shield icon in the address bar and turn off Opera's ad blocker for Zee 5.
ℹ️ Good to know: On a web browser, Zee 5 streams in 576p (SD) resolution only.
⚠️ Still stuck? Clear cookies for Zee 5 only (not your whole browser) and reload the page.
🧩
Problem 2
Page loads but the player doesn't
Ad blockers and other extensions can mistake the Zee 5 video player for an ad and block it. Switch them off, then turn them back on one at a time to find the one causing the problem.
Chrome
1
Go to chrome://extensions.
2
Switch off every extension and reload Zee 5.
3
Turn them back on one at a time, reloading each time. When the video stops working, you've found the culprit.
Microsoft Edge
1
Go to edge://extensions and switch each one off.
2
If Tracking prevention is set to Strict, change it to Basic for Zee 5.
3
Turn extensions back on one at a time to find the culprit.
Firefox
1
Go to about:addons → Extensions and turn each one off.
2
Click the shield icon in the address bar and turn off Enhanced Tracking Protection for Zee 5.
3
Turn extensions back on one at a time to find the culprit.
Safari (Mac)
1
Go to Settings → Extensions and uncheck every extension.
2
Open Zee 5 in a Private window to confirm extensions are the cause.
3
Turn extensions back on one at a time. For content blockers, use the AA menu in the toolbar and choose Turn off Content Blockers for this website.
Opera
1
Go to opera://extensions and turn off every add-on.
2
Click the shield icon in the address bar and turn off Opera's ad blocker for Zee 5.
3
Turn extensions back on one at a time to find the culprit.
⚠️ Work or college laptop? Some extensions are installed by IT and can't be turned off. If the toggle is greyed out, skip to Problem 3 or contact your IT team.
📶
Problem 3
Buffering or not loading on this network
If Zee 5 works at home but not on office, college or public Wi-Fi, or stops as soon as you turn on a VPN, the network is blocking it, not your browser.
1. Test on another network
✓
Switch to your phone's mobile data (hotspot) and try Zee 5 again.
✓
If it works, the Wi-Fi you were on is blocking Zee 5 or streaming sites.
2. Turn off your VPN
✓
Switch off any VPN app or VPN browser extension completely, then reload.
✓
Need the VPN on? Try a different server location, or exclude Zee 5 using your VPN's split tunneling or app exceptions setting.
⚠️ On office, college or public Wi-Fi? Some networks block streaming on purpose. Only the network's IT admin can change that. The easiest workaround is to switch to mobile data.
🤗 Still can't watch?
Contact us using the options below and include:
✓
The exact error message, or a screen recording under 20 MB
✓
Whether Zee 5 works on mobile data
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