Why does my apple tv work ok one minute and the next display the message. This content requires HDCP for playback. Either your HDMI cable isn't properly connected, or your HDMI connection doesnt support HDCP. Please reconnect the HDMI cable from your appl

After a quick search you'll find this question asked and answered over and over.

People seem to be able to fix it by restarting their Apple TV, TV, unplugging, re-plugging in random order. Also by buying a new, more expensive HDMI cable that is marketed as HDCP compliant.

Yes, for a company that prides (and markets) itself as selling products that "just work" it seems rather insane that you need to reach behind your TV and unplug it in order to watch netflix. Especially since your Roku has never once made you do this. And that the complaints go back at least 2 years.

Please Apple do something about this ridiculousness. We shouldn't live in fear of using our Apple TV, or pausing too long to finish making dinner and coming back to this message when we are right in the middle of an episode.

Scan the Support Community sites. Apple TV losing connection is prevalent. The many postings point out the problem occurs with Apple TV1,2and 3; with different brands of router including Airport Extreme; from current and past versions of iTunes; after varying periods of working well.....minutes, hours, days; losing connection with Home Sharing and loosing Airplay; whether the router and Apple TV are in same room or separated by distance; after trying innumerable posted 'fixes'; after exchanging for a new Apple TV.

Readers, please don't post a fix until you check it works for atleast a week.

Scan the Support Community sites. Apple TV losing connection is prevalent. The many postings point out the problem occurs with Apple TV1,2and 3; with different brands of router including Airport Extreme; from current and past versions of iTunes; after varying periods of working well.....minutes, hours, days; losing connection with Home Sharing and loosing Airplay; whether the router and Apple TV are in same room or separated by distance; after trying innumerable posted 'fixes'; after exchanging for a new Apple TV.

Readers, please don't post a fix until you check it works for atleast a week.

I'm in the US Navy stationed in Japan and this is my ONLY reliable source of English movies and TV shows. I was beyond frustrated when all last month my ATV2 would randomly "black out" on my TV. I even invested in a mini USB cable to connect my ATV to my MacBook Pro and reset the software. I contemplated "jailbreaking" the ATV for the simple pleasure of finally being able to watch Netflix in Japan but for fear of increasing the "blackout" problem I haven't. I finally tried to stream a movie through my laptop instead of using playing my media directly from the Apple store on the ATV2, and I got this same error code. At least now I know WHY my ATV 'blacks out' sometimes, and works fine at other times. I've tried new HDMI cords, new HDMI plugs, a different TV, unplugging everything, reinstalling software, rebooting everything, I even once, out of desperation thought 'maybe my ATV overheated and I should cool it down' and popped it in the icebox for 15 minutes....Nothing. This is beyond frustrating. Come on, Apple. You're letting me down, for the first time in over a decade of being a happy member of iNation. Does anyone have ANY useful advice at all? Please!

Apple need to fix this bug

- It occurs when you update your apple TV

- All I do is switch off my TV and let the music play to my stereo via optical cable.

- Within a minute the apple TV will issue this message and stop playing music

- If you are on Airplay it will also throw you out of your podcast.

Poor software

HHi same thing happens to me looked it up on the net and tryed everything that everyone was saying unplug the cables turn off Apple TV restart the net play with hdmi cables changed the cables nothing worked so I was getting mad then after I tryed all that I turned my tv off and back on and it worked I think the TV was not sending back the info that it needs to to let it play till I reset the TV it self please confirm if anyone elce needs this fix

Edit

I confirm this solution is working.

Just an aside... this issue has nothing whatsoever to do with the LAN, router, WiFi, or anything else network-related @Rathbone Hall.

This is an issue with the HDMI signal/handshake between the ATV and the HDTV.

I have had this same issue over and over again. I am disgusted with rebooting and or reconnecting my Apple TV when I simply stopped the program to do something and come back and it will not connect! FIX THIS PROBLEM APPLE!