It seems that recently, and no matter what apk version you have installed, Netflix performs an internal check to confirm the authenticity of Google’s Android OS certification. In case there is an issue, Netflix reports an error message (Error NW-6-404) and stops working.
This has mostly affected models from Chinese manufacturers. Mecool (Videostrong), a major Chinese brand, has already issued fixes (in form of a sideloaded apk tool) for its most popular TV Boxes:
- M8S Pro L (Android TV version. You can read our review here)
- M8S Pro W (Android TV version. You can read our review here)
- M8S Pro+
The brand new Mecool KM8 (promoted as Google certified) is also affected but there is still no fix released.
The A95X Pro (You can read our review here) also fixed this issue by OTA update.
If you own a TV Box with no fix, you can sideload a tablet version of Netflix’s application that will at least allow you to playback in SD. You will need a mouse and a keyboard in order to do so.
“Branded” TV Boxes like Xiaomi Mi Box 4K (reviewed here), NVidia Shield (reviewed here), Google Chromecast, Apple TV 4K(reviewed here) and Amazon’s Fire series (reviewed here), were not affected (as expected)
From now on choose your new TV Box with more caution, especially if HD Netflix playback is among your top priorities. You can always check the list of compatible devices from Netflix’s official website in order to be on the safe side.