This discussion is locked
Advockaat
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: HDCP Error - I've tried everything and still no luck... Please help!

I have read every thread about the HDCP error when renting or buying a movie from Apple TV. My AppleTV is updated with the latest firmware. I have a brand new Sharp LCD TV (that is 100% HDCP compliant via all 4 HDMI ports) and a brand new Key Digital HDMI cable (also 100% HDCP compliant and way more expensive than necessary).

For some reason any time I try to rent or buy a movie from AppleTV I get an error saying that my connection is not HDCP enabled. I have tried everything from switching ports, changing the resolution, restarting the ATV, just renting anyways and hoping it plays... Unfortunately none of these have helped and I am left scratching my head (Apple support could not identify the problem either).

I would just as well switch to composite cables but the TV is mounted on the wall and the cables are snaked from a closet through the ceiling and the wall so not easy to run a new connection (all I have running to the TV is HDMI).

Any ideas on potential causes or, better yet, solutions?

Thanks.

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Mar 14, 2009 7:58 PM

Close
Advockaat

Q: HDCP Error - I've tried everything and still no luck... Please help!

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Dano Monticelli,

    Dano Monticelli Dano Monticelli Mar 16, 2009 10:14 PM in response to Advockaat
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 16, 2009 10:14 PM in response to Advockaat
    Yet another frustrated user.

    I have verified my TV and cable are HDCP compliant, yet have suddenly started getting the same error message.

    Check out http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9132347&#9132347

    Frustrating to say the least. The more people yell, the more we have a chance of being heard.

  • by hualon,

    hualon hualon Mar 24, 2009 8:58 AM in response to Advockaat
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 24, 2009 8:58 AM in response to Advockaat
    Is your AppleTV connected directly to the TV or does it go through a switch, receiver, etc.? If it is then bypass said device and try again.

    There may also be a firmware update available for your television that might fix this.

  • by sdp33,

    sdp33 sdp33 Mar 24, 2009 7:28 PM in response to hualon
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Mar 24, 2009 7:28 PM in response to hualon
    Mine started giving me the same error message tonight. I have rented two movies last week, watched one of them the same evening. Today I wanted to watch the second one (Manhattan) and it gave me the error message. I tried to rent several movies tonight and I got the same message for all of them. This is totally crazy. Nothing has changed in my settings since last week.
    This is very upsetting.

  • by sdp33,

    sdp33 sdp33 Mar 24, 2009 8:04 PM in response to sdp33
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Mar 24, 2009 8:04 PM in response to sdp33
    After posting my first reply, I thought of checking on my previous movies and see what happens. To my total amazement, not only the movies I bought through iTunes cannot be played anymore using the HDMI connection, but also the digital copies of movies that came with the DVDs I bought!
    What is going on?

  • by sdp33,

    sdp33 sdp33 Mar 25, 2009 12:34 PM in response to sdp33
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Mar 25, 2009 12:34 PM in response to sdp33
    I had a chat with a Samsung technical support specialist and he confirms that my TV set's HDMI connections are HDCP compliant.
    Can the HDMI cable have anything to do with this? I have the HDMI cable sold by Apple.
    Stranger things started happening though and it all seems to be due to the changes Apple made since Friday with the purchase option for HD movies.
    All of a sudden my ATV was not authorized to play video content. Before I even tried to deauthorize it, everything was gone from my ATV and iTunes started synchronizing the whole thing again. After synchronizing three or four TV shows, iTunes became unresponsive and I haven't been able to restart it since.
    Did anybody call Apple support.

  • by sdp33,

    sdp33 sdp33 Mar 26, 2009 3:36 PM in response to sdp33
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Mar 26, 2009 3:36 PM in response to sdp33
    I have finally decided to use the component video connection until we find an answer. I had Tivo HD connected to my TV using both HDMI and component, so I unplugged the cables from Tivo and connected them to the AppleTV. Surprise: nothing. No picture, no sound.

    I'm lost. Now it's connected using both HDMI and component video. What am I doing wrong?

  • by Advockaat,

    Advockaat Advockaat Mar 26, 2009 8:45 PM in response to sdp33
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 26, 2009 8:45 PM in response to sdp33
    I do have the ATV running through and HDMI switch that is HDMI compliant but even when I took out the switch and plugged the ATV directly into the TV the problem persists. I have decided to give up and just go component.

    sdp33: there is no reason to have both HDMI and component connections running to your TV. You are getting a blank screen because the ATV is defaulting to HDMI and is sending the signal out digitally whereas your TV is set to the component input. Just unplug the HDMI and you should be ok.

  • by sdp33,

    sdp33 sdp33 Apr 1, 2009 9:28 PM in response to Advockaat
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Apr 1, 2009 9:28 PM in response to Advockaat
    I guess I can call it a miracle?
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1779346&tstart=0

  • by Dano Monticelli,

    Dano Monticelli Dano Monticelli Jun 16, 2009 9:20 AM in response to sdp33
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 16, 2009 9:20 AM in response to sdp33
    UPDATE: turns out my issue was a physical/hardware one....

    My Apple TV had a bad HMDI port on the back - no cable would work

    Replaced the unit under warranty - no problems since then....