HDCP and Display Ports

[brett_mce]

Does any know if MS will update the Display port drivers to support HDCP in media center?
Display port protocal does have the HDCP protocols, but it appears the MCE doesn't know about it...

I have a eyefinity setup , 1 HDMI, 1 DVI-D, 2 display ports. (3 monitors @ 5760x1080)
If I try to use hdmi, dvi, and 1 dp... MCE and my CableCard and the HDCP crap...say no! (because of DP.)
If I create a eyefinity setup using only two of my monitors (and I have to physically unplug the DP).. then the cablecard HDCP is ok...

[richard1980]

It's not WMC...it's CableLabs. The spec doesn't recognize DisplayPort as HDCP compliant. WMC must meet the CableLabs spec, so until CableLabs changes the spec, Microsoft can't change WMC.

IIRC, Erik at Ceton was going to submit something to CableLabs requesting a change to the spec. However, last time I heard, he hadn't submitted it. I'm sure this is very low on Ceton's priority list.

[brett_mce]

thanks for the info!

this is really messing with my Eyefinity mojo though.

[videorat]

Like so many others, I have been dealing with this failure to recognize Displayport as HDCP compliant. I have a comment and a workaround to share.

1. I looked at cablelabs.com and did a search on "Displayport". That yielded one result and that was the change order mentioned above. It shows Eric as the primary author and the email address points to cetoncorp.com. It makes no mention of any progress on the issue. The date shown is 4/11/2012 so it is about a year old. The news for this thread is that Eric did submit a change order.

2. Many of the people who have written about having this problem have noticed that maximizing and then restoring the size of the Windows Media Center window will provide a temporary (until WMC is closed) fix. Such is the case with my machine. I used AutoHotKey to write a script to launch WMC in live TV mode, maximize the window, wait about 5 seconds (ymmv here), and then restore to the original window size. Pressing CTRL + space launches the AutoHotKey script. When I do that I see WMC launch, maximize, show the HDCP error, then resize to a window with TV playing normally. I would guess that this could be done with a batch file or other programming language too.

So, I'll just hurry up and wait for something to happen now.

[barnabas1969]

I have a better solution for you videorat... hurry up and use HDMI or DVI. That will solve your problem.

[richard1980]

No, that would make too much sense.

[videorat]

Thanks for the suggestion barnabas1969.

I tried DVI (digital, single link) and HDMI V1.4. Windows 7 only allowed 1680X1050 and 1920X1080 respective resolutions. I clicked desktop>screen resolution and those were the maximums offered. My Dell U2713HM display supports up to 2560X1440 and I wanted all of that while using Windows.

But, thanks to your comment, I looked closer and found that the mother board video on the Asus P8z77 does not support higher resolution on DVI or HDMI. It only supports the full resolution of my display on the Displayport. I don't know why but it hardly matters. I'll pick up a video board that supports the resolution I need on HDMI and go with that. I had an idea that no good would come of going with only the onboard video but didn't check it out fully.

[JazJon]

maximizing and then restoring the size of the Windows Media Center window will provide a temporary (until WMC is closed) fix.

Thanks! That was a simple fix, didn't even occur to me to try maximizing the window full screen.

I just setup my beautiful new AOC 29" Ultra-Wide display via DisplayPort to my Windows 8 Lenovo W520 Laptop/docking station.

I wanted to try Shared Tuners via Ceton ETH 6, so I setup Media Center on my Laptop for occasional supplemental live TV.
(I have a main Win 8 HTPC for Media Center)

I was annoyed with the popup show stopping error:
"Display driver error – the video playback device does not support playback of protected content."

I googled up:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2392252
(and thought all was lost)

I knew a quick search TGB here would yield results.

I'm happy enough with the maximize/restore fix. (I just hit Alt + Tab twice)

So far so good, I'm really happy with the shared tuner support. I pointed the Recorded TV Library of my Laptop at the HTPC's Recorded TV as well.

[richard1980]

It's not WMC...it's CableLabs. The spec doesn't recognize DisplayPort as HDCP compliant. WMC must meet the CableLabs spec, so until CableLabs changes the spec, Microsoft can't change WMC.

IIRC, Erik at Ceton was going to submit something to CableLabs requesting a change to the spec. However, last time I heard, he hadn't submitted it. I'm sure this is very low on Ceton's priority list.

Follow-up: CableLabs recently updated the OCUR specification to allow HDCP output on any digital output. Now it's up to Microsoft to change WMC.

[barnabas1969]

Now it's up to Microsoft to change WMC.

Fat chance. Don't hold your breath.

[richard1980]

Yeah, I know. But at least now people can legitimately point the finger at Microsoft. In the past, people have pointed the finger at Microsoft when it was really a CableLabs issue.

[barnabas1969]

I understand. But, from what I've read, the OP could have used a display-port-to-HDMI adapter to get around this. Correct?

[JazJon]

I understand. But, from what I've read, the OP could have used a display-port-to-HDMI adapter to get around this. Correct?

I can't speak for the OP but I'm running 2560 x 1080 (20:9)
Im limited to 1080P over HDMI. My thinkpad will only let me do 2560x1080 over Display port.

This new wide screen kicks ass watching movies. Movies have no black bars any more. (Cinema wide like Lord of the Rings etc)

This has to spill over to TV's soon. (4K etc)

[barnabas1969]

I understand. But, from what I've read, the OP could have used a display-port-to-HDMI adapter to get around this. Correct?

I can't speak for the OP but I'm running 2560 x 1080 (20:9)
Im limited to 1080P over HDMI. My thinkpad will only let me do 2560x1080 over Display port.

This new wide screen kicks butt watching movies. Movies have no black bars any more. (Cinema wide like Lord of the Rings etc)

This has to spill over to TV's soon. (4K etc)

I think most HTPC-users are using a TV or projector that is designed for TV/movie viewing. Sitting in front of a computer display kind of defeats the purpose of an HTPC.

Besides, when you're using a PC... if you want to scale the video to fit your display (as opposed to 1:1 pixel mapping, which gives you the most accurate picture), you can always do that.

[JazJon]

I understand. But, from what I've read, the OP could have used a display-port-to-HDMI adapter to get around this. Correct?

I can't speak for the OP but I'm running 2560 x 1080 (20:9)
Im limited to 1080P over HDMI. My thinkpad will only let me do 2560x1080 over Display port.

This new wide screen kicks butt watching movies. Movies have no black bars any more. (Cinema wide like Lord of the Rings etc)

This has to spill over to TV's soon. (4K etc)

I think most HTPC-users are using a TV or projector that is designed for TV/movie viewing. Sitting in front of a computer display kind of defeats the purpose of an HTPC.

Besides, when you're using a PC... if you want to scale the video to fit your display (as opposed to 1:1 pixel mapping, which gives you the most accurate picture), you can always do that.

Well trying to simply live with Microsoft's problem isn't that helpful of a suggestion. The last thing we should do is ignore the issue all together and tell people to just use HDMI. DisplayPort has been around awhile, but I think it's just now catching on more with situations like mine. 29" is plenty big for someone that has a Bedroom/Livingroom combination for example. People always want to do more with less. I think we should continue to put pressure on Microsoft to fix this, they could easily slip it into Windows 8.1 at least. People on this forum have direct connections, so let's use them.

[barnabas1969]

JazJon, I think you're 1% of the 1%.

HTPC users are a small group. You're a very small percentage of that small group. I doubt many people are using an HTPC to watch TV/movies on a computer monitor. Basically, you don't have an HTPC... you have a PC with which you choose to watch TV and movies.

[JazJon]

JazJon, I think you're 1% of the 1%.

HTPC users are a small group. You're a very small percentage of that small group. I doubt many people are using an HTPC to watch TV/movies on a computer monitor. Basically, you don't have an HTPC... you have a PC with which you choose to watch TV and movies.

Well the goal of this thread is to make MediaCenter work for DisplayPort. It's not helpful to keep replying with you're only 1%, and too bad live with HDMI "as is". It's annoying when someone shoots down minor wish lists/requests when it's technically possible and halfway there already.

My new 29" is so wide I can watch TV and surf the web at the same time, what's wrong with that? I love it. I like to multitask what can I say. Even if I'm in front of the main TV, I'm usually looking at my iPhone/iPad if I get bored as well.

MediaCenter isn't' the only thing dying, it's the way we watch TV/Movies in general.

[richard1980]

I understand. But, from what I've read, the OP could have used a display-port-to-HDMI adapter to get around this. Correct?

No. That would still be considered outputting on DisplayPort.

It doesn't really matter why JazJon wants to use DisplayPort. The point is, he is now allowed to do so per the OCUR specification. Microsoft originally designed WMC to comply with the OCUR spec, and now the spec has changed. So it's up to Microsoft to decide if they want to change WMC. They don't have any obligation to fix WMC, but adding the new feature would be beneficial to JazJon and anybody else that wants to output to DisplayPort.

JazJon, you know that WMC doesn't support HDCP over DisplayPort. You also know that Microsoft doesn't really seem to care about updating the things that are wrong with WMC, much less adding new functionality to it. So you can be stubborn and sit around for the next 5 or 10 years complaining about it and hoping that Microsoft updates WMC, or you can realize now that Microsoft may never (and probably will never) update WMC, so you find a different solution. It's your call. Do you want to be stubborn, or do you want to enjoy copy-protected content?

[JazJon]

Well it seems everything I need plays fine once I do the Alt + Enter trick. (Live HD channels such as MSNBC + Recorded HD shows which are all not Copy Protected)
I don't pay for HBO or anything that has copy-protected content. Media Center requires full HDCP compliance though as you know. (even if we don't "need" it!)

So yes I'm satisfied with how things are working for me now, but I'd still like to see this thread addressed/fixed if it's at all possible. Will it kill me if nothing ever happens? (no) We know Microsoft shut down their e-home media center team, but they still have a few minimal part time support guys. (how many who knows)

As far as my permanent Blu-Ray/DVD ripped TV shows and Movies, I'm very happy with MyMovies.dk. (for .mp4, .mkv, .avi organization + filebot) XBMC front end and iOS app works well too. If the XBMC DVR part end up working better, I'll dump Media Center all together. Maybe the Q3/Q4 Silicondust HDHomeRun Prime with added H264 compression will make XBMC DVR take off faster. It's my understanding that if we don't care about copy protected channels such as HBO, non-MCE DVR options are a good next generation solution. (post MCE world) Windows 8/8.1 is going to be around for quite awhile. As of today MCE is the "best" DVR PC option. I've been using it since 2003!!!!!

I wouldn't have even chimed in on this old thread at all if it seemed like an impossible request, but the last few updates point to slow gears turning.

[theifx02]

HEHE, i've got a Radeon 7450, with only DVI-D and Displayport. I bought a display port to HDMI because if I go from DVI i need to run a separate cable for audio. Does any one know if WMC is updated to allow display port as HDCP compliant yet? Is there any patch or anything?