You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

📰 Newsroom Update

Billie Eilish is Apple Music’s Artist of the Year for 2024. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

maxyourmacs Author

Level 1

15 points

iTunes movie purchases will not play on external display - HDCP auth error

Hello,

Well, I'm surprised there hasn't been more of a storm over this one already but I expect there will be.

Just got a new MacBook last week and finally found a mini Display Port -> VGA adapter so i could use my 19" external display. I rented a movie from the iTunes store yesterday and when I tried to play it on my external display, it gave me a warning/error that the display was 'not an authorized HDCP display' and it would not play. Plays fine on the small MacBook screen, just nothing external. To make it even worse, i tried all the movies that I have purchased from the iTunes store with the same result... NONE of them will play on anything but the MacBook's small 13" screen. This is crazy unacceptable.

Has anyone else run into this yet or have any ideas of something I may be overlooking in order to get purchased movies to play on an external display?

Thanks!

MacBook unibody C2D 2.0/2.0/160, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Oct 26, 2008 8:12 AM

Top-ranking reply

Al Knowles

Level 1

5 points

Posted on Nov 4, 2008 9:58 AM

Same problem here as well. I guess they want to be sure we HAVE to buy an
Apple TV.

Not gonna happen.

I'll buy DVD's at my local retailer before that happens.

View in context

339 replies

Jan 23, 2009 7:06 AM in response to Gadget

Yes you are correct. Although I can't choose the SD version in iTunes.

Another funny thing... all my movies and TV shows are now grey when using QuickPreview. Even ones I downloaded 2 years ago. I have to open the file in Quicktime in order to see it.

So now I am forced to download two versions... SD & HD. But I can't watch the HD content because I don't have the correct model of display. I didn't say the secret password. Even though the display is an Apple product, and technically is able to play the content, it's not authorized. FUBAR.

Interesting article that came out today:
http://mashable.com/2009/01/22/youtube-boost-sales/

Scary how close Apple is to becoming what it's 1984 TV ad compared other companies to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8

Jan 24, 2009 8:29 AM in response to arfore

My content has become unwatchable due to the implementation of HDCP and DPCP.

I do not have a laptop.

I have a desktop.

Just purchased a season of Lost.

It will not play on my DVI connected display.

Jan 24, 2009 9:30 AM in response to StephenZcat

Spent some time with Apple support. I now can view the SD content of the purchased episode.

I right clicked on the episode, and choose the default to be SD instead of HD.

Still sad about not being able to view the HD. I can view HD of the first episode of Battlestar Galactica on my monitor. But not the episodes of Lost.

Jan 26, 2009 7:08 PM in response to StephenZcat

There is an update to graphics cards that has fixed this for me! I can now view HD content downloaded to my computer. Someone at Apple must have picked up this discussion or from my telephone call to support.

Thank you Apple! My faith is restored. 🙂

Message was edited by: StephenZcat

Jan 28, 2009 10:03 AM in response to maxyourmacs

I just updated my Mac this morning, and behold there is a warning message in my iTunes. This HDCP crap is really irritating. Not only does it effect some of my movies, but now I can't watch any of the HD CSI Las Vegas or CSI NY episodes that I payed a fortune for. Is there a way to convert your HD episodes to SD? Lord, I hope Apple fixes this soon.

Jan 28, 2009 10:23 AM in response to spookyspittle

This is a feature, and not a bug. If you purchased HD content you should be allowed to watch it however you please. If you do not have an HDCP "compliant" device you should return the content. Do not settle for SD, otherwise why would you pay for HD?

You may also wish to look in to an HDFury2. It seems to remove arbitrary restrictions for paying customers.

Feb 1, 2009 1:46 PM in response to StephenZcat

Stephen,

I also have the Mac Pro + 23" Apple Cinema HD Display. Can you please explain how can I get the same patch for the graphics card that you're referring to above?

Many thanks

Message was edited by: Oleg Desh

Feb 1, 2009 2:21 PM in response to Oleg Desh

I misspoke in the post above, I have the 20" Cinema Display. But the problem probably has to do with the graphics card more than the display.

Apple pulled the update. It appears there may have been some flickering issue with the update.
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/01/apple-pulls-nvidia-graphics-update-aft er-two-days.ars

At least you can view the SD until Apple re-releases. To view SD, cntrl+click (right+click) on the episode and change the version from HD to SD.

SalSessa

Level 1

10 points

Feb 6, 2009 12:35 PM in response to Kelly Kane

Oh, yeah.

Same problem here, and PO'd big time.

Here is what I don't understand. If you can VIEW the preview, you should be able to VIEW the movie you BUY!

I have a Mac Pro with a 24 inch Dell monitor (albeit a 4 year old version) but never would have guessed or known from the disclaimer (or) instructions on iTunes regarding HD content that the HD TV shows I just purchased (Fringe) would give me a grey screen only (will not play.)

Oddly enough they work fine in Fusion / Windows on Quicktime with same HD file. GO FIGURE that.

???????

Am I missing something here? Also, FWIW the HD version works fine on my 3 year old MacBook Pro.

?????

SAS

EPad1000

Level 1

0 points

Mar 11, 2009 7:27 PM in response to maxyourmacs

For those of you interested, I am getting this same message on the new Mac mini. The really irritating thing is that, unlike on the Macbooks, I ONLY have an external display and can't play my itunes-bought HD content at all! I can watch my content by switching to the SD versions but this make buying the HD versions a complete waste!

This is irritating!!

-EPad

Mar 23, 2009 10:36 AM in response to maxyourmacs

I just ran into this problem when I tried to play the newest tv episode of Legend of the Seeker. I have an Apple 23 inch Cinema display and a brand new MacPro Quad Core. I haven't tried playing it on my AppleTV connected to a 42 inch analog tv yet.

Apr 5, 2009 8:55 AM in response to maxyourmacs

well **** u apple, wasted my money buying the new f@cking mac mini only to find this **** out......well done a55H@les.......

bite me

Apr 18, 2009 5:04 PM in response to otamaandgeorge

Castle (HD) episode 1 refuses to play to my Apple Cinema DIsplay from my brand new Mac Pro. Tells me to unhook any non HDCP complaint displays -- how am I supposed to watch without a display -- telepathically?

Come on Apple, this is absurd. Please fix this. At a minimum tell us which Apple Cinema DIsplays support HDCP, but better, get rid of HDCP in Mac OS. Who in their right mind is going try to copy something from the video out?

dredre2k

Level 1

8 points

Jul 11, 2009 9:27 AM in response to maxyourmacs

I just purchased the seasons pass for Terminator Salvation Machinima on iTunes and received the same error as others here "iTunes movie purchase will not play on external display" because my brand new LCD isn't HDCP.

I was not informed by apple that I would need an HDCP compliant monitor prior to purchasing the movie. I will not be buying any more movies or episodes from Apple's iTunes store since i have no way to watch my purchased movies on the screen that I own and on the machine that I bought from apple.

I would like a refund since I am not able to watch what I purchased. I am also reconsidering whether my planned macbook pro purchase should be undertaken since Apple has started to restrict what users can do with purchase content.

Thanks, ~ dredre2k

Sep 1, 2009 1:38 AM in response to maxyourmacs

OK. this post is really old. any news?
Unlike all of you i discovered my HD contents don't play... TODAY!! I thought maybe it was an error with snowleopard but judging by this post... it is long past that. any updates?

If any of you want to tell me not to use an external display... i have a mac mini. this is impossible. and i have yet to find any "compliant" displays. I shouldn't have to anywayz becuz when i purchased the HD stuff from itunes... no such restriction was agreed upon.

ANY SOLUTION OR NEWS FROM APPLE??

iTunes movie purchases will not play on external display - HDCP auth error