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User profile for user: creator0
creator0 Author
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HDCP Problem.... Unhappy Customer :(

Well, I have always been happy with Apple products... Until now 😟

Got my shiny new AppleTV, all excited to use it, got my daughter excited to rent a movie for her and blammo! Error!

"This content requires HDCP for playback. HDCP is not supported by your HDMI connection."

The problem is, my TV does in fact support HDCP via HDMI.

I spent an hour on the phone with Apple Support. I was told it is either my TV or my HDMI cable. So I call Panasonic (TV model: PT-50LCX63) and they tell me that if the HDMI connection is displaying a picture, then the TV is fine and it must be the cable...

So of course I head over to BestBuy and get myself the best darn cable they have (well just about). I did not spend the extra $$$ on Monster cables but I did by a good HDMI cable which says it supports blueray and all that jazz so it should work, right?

Nope.

Hook it up, fire up the AppleTV, link up with my macbook to access a movie I bought from iTunes and get the same freakin' error!

Now what?

If it's not AppleTV, not my TV and not the cable, what then? Me?

I can access music, movie previews all the menus, but not movies...

Do I just return the thing and give up?

AppleTV, iOS 4

Posted on Oct 4, 2010 11:58 AM

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34 replies
User profile for user: tmrjapple
tmrjapple
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Oct 4, 2010 2:05 PM in response to creator0

I had the same problem and the same message initially. My HDMI cable was going through my Yamaha receiver (always worked this way with Netfix on xbox). I tried to hook it up directly to the TV, and the movie started right up. So I thought the problem was the interaction with the receiver. I plugged the ATV back into the original HDMI cable through the reciever and was surprised to see that the movie was still playing OK. I tried a different movie that didn't work before, and now it did! I guess the problem is solved, but I can't tell you why.
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User profile for user: creator0
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Oct 5, 2010 6:24 AM in response to creator0

Took a while to figure this one out. The good news is the issue is not with AppleTV, the bad news is the problem is with my Panasonic TV. It seems that although the HDMI port is working, the HDCP protocol is not.

I was able to figure this out once I realized that my LCD monitor I use on my desktop had an HDMI port so I connected the AppleTV unit to it and it worked fine.

Now I have to find out why the HDCP protocol is not working on my TV. It will likely need either a firmware upgrade or a repair if the HDMI port or some chip that runs it is fried.

Wish me luck...
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User profile for user: creator0
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Oct 5, 2010 7:51 AM in response to creator0

Still working on this issue... TV service guy says it is not likely the TV although surprisingly he knew nothing about HDCP so go figure.

The more research I do I am learnign that there aver different versions of HDCP ranging from 1.0 to 1.4 but rarely does a product say what version they are compatible with.

Is it possible that the AppleTV is not fully backwards compatible to HDCP 1.0? How would I ever find this out? I would assume that since my TV is 5 years old and HDMI/HDCP was pretty new then, that it is running HDCP 1.0
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User profile for user: rstubbs2
rstubbs2
User level: Level 1
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Oct 7, 2010 2:00 PM in response to creator0

I've had a similar problem. Picture and sound were fine until I tried to play a rented movie, then the dreaded HDCP error. I tried all three HDMI ports on the TV with no success. But then I tried my other two HDMI cables and they both worked. So I assume the original cable is faulty, even though it is a good quality HDMI v1.3 cable and seems to work until HDCP kicks in. (I've since found that this cable doesn't work at all with either my Virgin Media box or my Panasonic Blu-Ray player - I guess these must use HDCP for everything.)
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User profile for user: creator0
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Oct 8, 2010 7:15 AM in response to rstubbs2

Thanks rstubbs2, but I have tried 2 different HDMI cables already and both cables work on my Dell monitor with HDCP.

Apple basically said there is a 'chance' that there might be a backwards compatibility issue, but none that they have seen in-house so far.

I ordered an HDMI-to-Component converter that claims it is HDCP 1.2 compliant for $54.95 on ebay. (link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400140051512&ssPageName=STRK: MEWNX:IT ) Apple says they do not support this, but it might work so I'm gonna give it a try.
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User profile for user: orionsbelt0
orionsbelt0
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Oct 10, 2010 8:25 PM in response to creator0

I had the same problem with my older DLP HD TV and managed to fix the problem with a HDMI Switcher that I had lying around. So I'm guessing there are two ways to get around this.
1) Run it through a HDCP compliant receiver.
2) Run it through a HDCP compliant HDMI switcher

Both of these may be very hit and miss.

I was bummed to at first but this solved it.
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User profile for user: hccd
hccd
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Oct 18, 2010 9:12 PM in response to creator0

Apple removed my earlier post because they said that I was ranting. But it is kind of obvious with all the difficulties that people are having that there's some problem with the design of the product and it cant all be because of the customer. Anyway in reviewing one of the posts for AtV1 it recommended a hard reboot ( I.e. Remove power) of the various components and rebooting the ATV2 last. I did this with my pioneer elite 65 and my denon AVR, both supposedly HDCP compatible but somehow I had gotten the dreaded HDCP incompatibility message previously when I swapped out the ATV1 for the new ATV2. Lo and behold, IT WORKED. I still object to what seems like a degradation of my iPhoto resolution from ATV1. But my hard reboot of all the devices worked to re-establish the HDCP handshake.
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User profile for user: KayBee
KayBee
User level: Level 1
5 points

Oct 20, 2010 6:53 AM in response to hccd

Am having the same HDCD problem on Netflix, am using a 2 year old Samsung 40" 720p LCD, model LA40S71BX connected directly to the ATV via HDMI.

My HD cable box and HDX Media centre play just fine via HDMI, Netflix gets stuck with the HDCP error, sometimes it plays the first 2 seconds of video before showing the error.

I have tried all the steps outlined below:

Recycle power on both devices, in all possible combos: Failed

New $25 HDMI 1.3b HDCP compliant cales: Failed

Swapped the cables with 3 other HDMI cables: Failed

Set 'Energy Saving' option on the Samsung to 'Off' (worked for some): Failed

Reset Apple TV: Failed

Am calling the Samsung service tech to take a look, its still under extended warranty...hopefully there is a solution. If something else worked for someone please do post!

Message was edited by: KayBee
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HDCP Problem.... Unhappy Customer :(

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