Basic Fixes

• Use Safari to play HDR content: The Safari browser on Mac supports 4K Ultra HD playback in Dolby Vision HDR for streaming platforms.
• Quit screen recording apps: If you are trying to run the QuickTime Player or any other app, close it from running in the background.
• Downgrade streaming quality: If your current internet speeds are not optimal, we suggest downgrading the streaming quality.
• Update your web browser: Installing the latest version will ensure that your web browser does not glitch when playing content.

Fix 1: Disable Optimized Video Streaming

Optimized Video Streaming is one of the built-in tools to save battery on your Mac. This feature restricts HDR playback in streaming platforms like Prime Video, which might also explain why your Mac has a black screen with sound. So, here’s how to check and disable this feature.

Step 1: Open Settings and click on Battery.

Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom and click on Options at the bottom-right corner.

Step 3: Disable the toggle for Optimize video streaming while on battery.

Fix 2: Enable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware Acceleration utilizes your Mac’s system resources to perform graphic-intensive tasks, including high-definition video playback on streaming platforms like Prime Video. Therefore, you should check if this feature is enabled on your browser.

Enable in Safari

Hardware Acceleration is enabled by default in Safari on macOS Catalina 10.15 and above versions. If your Mac runs an older macOS version, follow these steps.

Step 1: Open Safari > click Safari at the top-left corner > select Settings.

Step 2: Go to the Advanced tab in the General window and enable the toggle for Use Hardware Acceleration.

Enable in Google Chrome

Open Chrome > Settings > System > enable the toggle for Use hardware acceleration when available.

Enable in Firefox

Open Firefox > Settings > enable Use hardware acceleration when available.

5. Clear Browser Cache for Prime Video

If you still have the same issue, we suggest clearing the browser cache for Prime Video. Once you do this, log in again to your Amazon account, as your preferences and login information will be wiped out in your browser.

On Safari

Open Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data > search Prime Video > click on Remove.

Also Read: How to clear cache in Chrome browser

On Firefox

Open Firefox > Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and Site Data > Manage data > search Prime Video > Remove Selected > Save Changes.

Tip: You can also read our post to know what happens when you sign out of Amazon Prime Video on all devices.