When iOS 16 arrived, everything seemed like it was going to be amazing and great, but we didn’t expect such a hard hit in terms of playback depending on the type of content. On the one hand we have the rights of users and on the other we have the rights of companies. These have what is known as DRM (in English), which is nothing more than playback restrictions for content. iOS 16 fully respects this content and does not allow reproductions not even via HDMI.
The digital rights management (DRM for its acronym in English, Digital Rights Management) is a technology that allows online video and audio services to ensure that the content they provide is used in accordance with their requirements. This technology may restrict some of the things you can do in the browser. This definition found on the Internet seems very correct to me to be able to continue with the entry and to fully understand what is happening right now with iOS 16.
Some time ago it was detected that AirPlay on previous Apple TV models no longer works with DRM-restricted content when iOS 16 was installed. But now you are seeing how in Apple’s own forums, some users claim that neither on iPhone and iPad, you can’t watch videos from streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max on a TV with an HDMI adapter. The issue is that the device syncs perfectly but content does not play when it is restricted by DRM.
And on Reddit, the finishing touch has finished when a user claims to have spoken with technical support and they have confirmed his suspicions: HDMI cannot be used to play restricted content with iOS 16. As far as is known, for now, the only way is to be able to view it through an external USB-C display with the iPad.