Investigating elevated playback errors on Chrome version 141.0.7390.123 and later

In Google Chrome version 141, Google started rolling out support for native HLS in the browser. However, in this version there is a bug that can result in playback errors of all HLS content (not just Mux content), resulting in errors with error code 3, or sometimes 4. The patch for this bug has been submitted to chromium, and will likely be included in version 143 (and future versions), though that is not guaranteed at this time. The Chrome team is aware of the issue and working on releasing this fix.

In the meantime, for Google Chrome we strongly suggest that you configure your player to prefer MSE-based playback rather than native HLS playback. If you're using Mux Player, be sure to update to v3.8.0 or later. If you're using some other player, you can see our implementation details to prefer MSE (including checks for Chrome and versions) here: https://github.com/muxinc/elements/pull/1221.

We are resolving this incident, but will keep an eye on Chrome releases, as well as monitor for future issues.

Google Chrome 142 is actively rolling out with native HLS enabled by default. However, the patch for the Chrome bug has not yet been included in this release. We will update this page as soon as we have confirmation that the bug has been fixed and is being released in a future version of Chrome.

During testing of Chrome 142, we found that the Mux Player v3.7.0 logic used to detect affected Chrome versions was not sufficient in all cases for Chrome 142.

We have released Mux Player v3.8.0, which includes improved detection for Chrome 142.

If you are using Mux Player, we strongly recommend upgrading to v3.8.0 as soon as possible. This update also allows you to remove any previously added preferPlayback or prefer-playback settings.

Updated Mux Player packages:
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/@mux/mux-player
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/@mux/mux-player-react

Implementation details:
https://github.com/muxinc/elements/pull/1221

The Google Chrome team has identified the root cause of the playback issue and is preparing a fix. The patch is expected to be merged and released in Chrome 142, which is scheduled to land next week.

Additionally, we’ve released Mux Player v3.7.0 and Mux Player React v3.7.0, which automatically apply a graceful fallback to MSE playback for the affected Chrome version.

If you’re using Mux Player, we recommend upgrading to v3.7.0 as soon as possible. This update also allows you to remove any previously added preferPlayback or prefer-playback settings.

You can find the updated Mux Player packages at:
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/@mux/mux-player
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/@mux/mux-player-react

You can find details about the implementation here: https://github.com/muxinc/elements/pull/1221.

If you have any questions about upgrading your Mux Player version or encounter playback issues after updating, please reach out with details and we’re happy to help.

For users not on Mux Player, the following mitigations remain available:
• Configure your player (e.g., HLS.js) to prefer MSE playback as described in the HLS.js documentation: https://github.com/video-dev/hls.js?tab=readme-ov-file#using-hlsjs
• Alternatively, detect affected Chrome versions and selectively fall back to MSE using this reference implementation: https://codesandbox.io/p/sandbox/lntnr2?file=%2Findex.html


We’ll continue to monitor Chrome’s rollout and will update this post once the patch in Chrome 142 becomes generally available.

Our team continues to work with Google to find a resolution for this issue and will provide updates as they become available.

In the meantime, if you are impacted, we recommend updating your player to prefer MSE for playback.

For customers using Mux Player, you can opt into MSE playback for affected devices by setting the preferPlayback or prefer-playback option, depending on your implementation and player version.

If you’re using another player, such as HLS.js, you should configure it similarly, as described here:
https://github.com/video-dev/hls.js?tab=readme-ov-file#using-hlsjs

If you’re unable to update your player to prefer MSE, you can use the following reference JavaScript code to detect Chrome versions with native HLS support and selectively fall back to MSE. You can view that reference implementation here:
https://codesandbox.io/p/sandbox/lntnr2?file=%2Findex.html

We have identified the issue to be specific to versions of Chrome browser at or later than 141.0.7390.123, during which Chrome has started to roll out native support for HLS to select users. For these users, playback may experience elevated error rates when native HLS playback is used. Playback through MSE (Media Source Extensions) is unaffected.

For customers using Mux Player, you can opt Mux Player into using MSE for playback for these devices by setting `preferPlayback` or `prefer-playback` depending on your use of Mux Player and the version you're on. If you're using another player, such as HLS.js, you'll want to use a similar configuration, as explained here: https://github.com/video-dev/hls.js?tab=readme-ov-file#using-hlsjs.

We are escalating the issue to Google to find a resolution to this issue, and will provide updates as we have them.

We are currently investigating elevated playback errors affecting some viewers using the latest version of Google Chrome. Playback on other browsers and devices appears unaffected. We will provide an update as soon as more information is available.