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This content requires HDCP for playback problem! Apple TV2

Owned Apple TV for two weeks. Two weeks ago, everything was fine for films already in my iTunes library.

This week, when selecting play on a movie, I get the message 'This content requires HDCP for playback problem' inconsistently. Some vids work, some don't. Then they do then they don't! I have tried on a Samsung TV and a Sony Bravia? Same for both!

How do I resolve this. I have tried different HDMI ports, turned Apple TV 2 off and on. Tried different cables (Although my HDMI cable is the one I purchased from Apple).

Any suggestions? Is it something Apple need to fix? This is kinda embarrassing when I tell friends how good Apple TV is, get them round to watch a movie and inconsistently get this.

Many Thanks for any help

Dave.

Apple TV2, Windows Vista

Posted on Nov 21, 2010 2:52 PM

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Posted on Dec 8, 2010 11:42 AM

Mine worked fine one minute then gave me errors the next. I did these things 1. Unplug the hdmi cables. First tv then apple tv 2. Unplug the TV power and the AppleTV power, let them sit 30-60 seconds, 3. Plug in hdmi cables while power is off 4. plug the tv power in first, then the ATV power. This worked for me! (I was told it's an HDCP Handshake error, and the handshake is forced to be done again by unplugging power, but make sure you unplug both devices and plug them in the order above).
152 replies

Apr 27, 2013 5:36 AM in response to dahonu20

Dahonu20, You may be on to something. HDCP errors are usually related to HDMI specification issues. That is to say, timing issues that prevent the two devices which connecting with an HDMI cable from properly exchanging their digital handshake. It's difficult to say why it happens after video has been streaming... unless one of the units isn't completely "in-spec" with regard to their HDMI protocols. Maybe your idea to connect it to a new display is "fixing" the stored EDID or otherwise resetting info about the HDMI connection.


I've read other posts in this thread and it seems that there are other professional A/V guys on here as well. I have been through at least a dozen manufacturer training events where they have been educating us, for several years now, about the potential evils of HDMI. Very few of the equipment manufacturers are completely compliant with the HDMI spec.


What is frustrating i that there are clearly so many of us experiencing this issue (some of us, as professional installers, see it more regularly than others,) yet no one from Apple chimes in to say, "We're working on it." Or, "That doesn't make sense, can you send us some more information."


BTW - Yes, I flamed mpiano but, information that tries something, or offers a new view of the issue such as Dahonu20 did above should be appreciated. Cheers!

May 2, 2013 12:21 PM in response to RationalOptimist

So, like all of you I am having the same problem BUT I have come to this conclusion almost backwards.. The first time that it was discovered was while simply turning on my tv (LG 32lh40) to watch some GREAT time warner cable and the picture/audio came through for about 2-4 seconds and then the picture was replaced by a HDCP error message (provided by my cable box's software) and only the audio remained. After reading into what exactly HDCP was I was confused as to why only now and all of a sudden my TV didn't support it after working fine with the same set up (hdmi cable, etc) for all of these years. I have since switched to component cables and the tv works fine.. BUT THEN, I thought, "Dang! Let me look at my Apple TV. If its the TV that is the problem.. maybe the apple tv won't work." And sure enough I began to encounter all of the same problems you guys are having. Two seconds of a netflix video and then a HDCP error screen.


My questions are :


Do you think the ATV update could have infact altered my TV's capability with remaining to be HDCP compliant?

Is that possible?

-Because my TV's ability to function on HDMI with both my ATV and Scientific Cable box was always fine until it all stopped about 3 days ago.


Has anyone else experienced any relative errors with their tv - cable HDCP functions after encountering this problem with their ATV.


I don't want to buy a new TV.


Thanks.

Jun 5, 2013 12:20 PM in response to UsernameAvailible

Hi to everyone


Please forgive me but I have read up to page 2 of this thread and got very very dissapointed. Not by the people who replied of course but by the fact that we are all actually talking of pluging / unpluging and whatever.


Sorry guys but this is really not the case. The huge issue here is that I (and like many of you too) own an ATV for 2 years now, on the same TV, connected with the same cable, in the same network and wi-fi connection, and I have never ever had a problem. I am seriously NOT going to keep pluging in and out the cables just because someone "efed"-up in Apple... AGAIN!


It was clear to me that it has to do with streaming issues. Everytime I try to airplay something from my iPad, or something from the cloud or the YouTube service I keep getting the same message. And the funny thing is it stops the videos and displays the message after the video has played 2 of its seconds... So no, the cable has definetely nothing to do with it, and I don't have to be an electrician or an IT guy to find that out...


So no, I spend money to buy a product that works, and that's what I expect... It's not my place to play with the cables because they failed with an update again!


Thanks Apple, the last year was a blast!


P.S.: For the record, just because so many people here insisted, I did try the cables once, but nothing...

Jun 14, 2013 2:00 AM in response to David Irvine

Hi all


This my very first post on the forum. Never really had to add anything post as I've alway been able to work out any issue over the many years of owning apple products... But to find out that this HDCP playback error message coming up for the first time ever on my Apple TV 2 is ABSOLUTELY Unacceptable.


I just got home to AirPlay youtube clips off my ipad 2 to my Apple TV 2 and this message has occurred. My iTunes off my computer works fine but the ipad and iPhone 4S cannot airplay onto my apple tv2......


It was working fine for the last 2 yrs and yesterday... But to find it doesn't work now for no apparent reason... What the "!" has happened since yesterday?....


APPLE SORT IT OUT!!!!


Turning it off and on, doesn't work, rebooting both ipad2 and iphone4s doesn't work... Maybe I'll go and buy a Samsung Galaxy tablet or a Samsung Galaxy S4 and see if that works???

Jun 27, 2013 12:33 PM in response to David Irvine

I was having this issue, too. Looking at the "This content" clued me to thinking that I had a connection but there was something wrong with what was being communicated from the Apple TV to my television. I used the remote to go back and lo and behold I got a screen to appear.

I repeated that last thing I had used Apple TV for and it repeated the same failure and the same solution fixed it.

What I was doing was watching baseball on MLBTV and after the game was over I just went back to my regular television from the "Thanks for watching" screen on MLBTV. The next time I would go back to Apple TV it was still where I'd left it, except there was now nothing communicating from Apple TV to my television because the game was over.

What I do now is remember to exit from the game screen to the Apple TV home screen before switching out of Apple TV.

Hope this helps.

Sep 28, 2013 7:57 AM in response to David Irvine

How can we get Apple to pay attention this. I have had my ATV for about 2 years now and I get this every other day. I have to keep reseting the box.


I am going to by my self a different product, Apple just looses out as I wont use their platform to buy and watch movies.


ATV could be something so much more interesting but its a really neglected product.

This content requires HDCP for playback problem! Apple TV2

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