Hdcp

Hi Guys,

Having recently moved my living room around the need for a separate media PC has now gone as I have been able to hook up my desktop to my TV and Surround Sound. Im not that clued up HD video etc but worked on the basis that my GPU (Radeon X1950pro) supports HD resolution on both my monitor and TV so although I dont have a BluRay player I can buy HD movies from iTunes and watch them on my TV... WRONG.

iTunes will not let me buy HD media as it says the driver for my GPU in not HDCP compliant! Im not prepared to spend large amounts on a new GPU as my current system still does what I want and my next upgrade will be a complete system overhaul (prob to Bulldozzer) in about 12 months. So I have just ordered a gForce 8400GS for £25 to get a HDCP compliant card. I am happy that my TV is HDCP compliant but my monitor is about 12 years old so I doubt has HDCP support. Am I right in assuming that playback on my monitor will not work and I can only watch films on my TV?

Cheers

 

I think what you are not understanding is that HDCP is high bandwidth copyright protection. If I remember correctly, not having much to do with this sort of thing other than read :-D, this is to ensure a protected link between the streaming device and the display. It sounds like iTunes won't allow playback based on the premise that you do not have a secured connection for streaming.

I remember reading that there is hardware to strip the HDCP when streaming, but I am not sure if this will solve your iTunes error. Will iTunes let you load and play on your PC? If not, then I would look at your driver sets. Playback is by default based on the display connected, but not limited to it. You can change which driver to use, such as when connected to the TV with HDCP capability, as I understand from what you wrote that you have. Driver sets would be my first attack point for solving the playback problem.

HTH'ed I just wanted to toss something in here to see if you would get someone with some more know-how.

 

Thanks PrissyChrissy,

iTunes wont even let me download an HDCP protected film as my x1950 does not support HDCP. Apparently the HDCP key has to be directly encrypted onto the transmitting device (ie my GPU). ATI no longer support my card so there are no HDCP drivers available. If I had the content on my PC then I think I could use something like AnyDVD to play back the film as it apparently strips out the HDCP "Handshake". I have found loads of reading on google but it all dates back to 2006 when this technology first came out. I guess im just a bit worried that I have bought a new card and it still wont work...:confused

 

This is certianly something that intrigues me.

I read earlier that the Radeon X1950 Pro is HDCP ready.

1. Uninstall and clean your pc of iTunes or any other media software of similiar kind.
2. Uninstall and remove the hardware, Radeon X1950pro. DO NOT use the Windows drivers - use your disk.

Add the hardware first and iTunes second.

You seem to have some sort of conflict. Check the status and look for conflicts in the config windows. I'll think on this.

Make and model of pc, os, hardware connected and how - list if a reinstall does not solve the nature of your problem. You just might have a bad card too.

 

Sadly no conflicts. Its a brand new installation with latest drivers from ATI. While cards can be called HDCP ready it depends on whether it has had the HDCP key coded onto the board. Some early cards where not coded as they wer pre HDCP. My understanding is that if the key hasnt been added when it leaves the factory it will never be compliant.