Ceton Echo & Xbox cannot play H.264 protected content

Troubleshoot and discuss the XBOX 360, XBOX One, Linksys, and other extenders.
daidavel

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#41

Post by daidavel » Fri Jan 29, 2016 9:24 pm

When I was in the Cox market, I was using an older i3 with onboard graphics that had the "black screen, audio only" issue with the MPEG-4 channels. However, while the main PC was in this state, both of my Xbox 360 extenders could play these channels fine. I was prompted to install some kind of "media pack" on the Xbox's though ... and for some silly reason the install was per-user. I later changed over to a dedicated video card at which point both the PC and the extenders could play all of these channels fine. Cox protects every channel (except the networks I think).

I'm now in the Verizon Fios market with the same PC, video card, and Xbox 360s and still going strong (though Verizon is much less strict with their protection).

Bottom line, I believe your Xbox's should work even if your PC won't for those channels, provided you have installed the media pack on the Xbox. Google "xbox 360 optional media pack".

RyC

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#42

Post by RyC » Fri Jan 29, 2016 9:24 pm

Crash2009 wrote:
whoareyou wrote:
For whole house machine, as solution, I purchased a Radeon graphics card, and this fixed issue on whole house PC.
I can now view live / recorded mpeg4 copy protected channels once again.
However, the extenders connected to the whole house PC will not play correctly. They will play black screen with audio.

Any suggestions to get the extenders going???

Why if the PC plays protected content, will the extenders fail?
I'm at a loss on this one.
You fixed the PC by upgrading to the Radeon.

Uninstall and re-install the extenders. The MCX account is still thinks you have the old graphics. You might have to run tv setup again to update the PlayReady. As a matter of fact, the new graphics might have broken PlayReady AllReady.
Go ahead and try it but I don't see how re-adding an extender just because the GPU on the PC changed will fix it. Extenders don't go through the PC GPU at all.

Comcast seems to be the first provider to make the change to H.264 on a wide basis. I think Cox has some random channels in H.264 too, so if anyone has Cox, maybe they can check and see if protected H.264 works for them to pinpoint whether it's a Comcast issue or extender issue.

coolwhip

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#43

Post by coolwhip » Fri Jan 29, 2016 9:37 pm

Crash2009 wrote:
coolwhip wrote:
My HTPC plays all H.264 channels. The only problem I have with H.264 is that I have to stop playback when switching between channels to prevent the picture from freezing.
Are you using an I3-550 processor?
My HTPC has an AMD CPU. If the H.264 hangs at channel change I can always start it back up by stopping the playback and restarting the playback. Not a big deal. Just annoying.

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Crash2009

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#44

Post by Crash2009 » Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:42 pm

RyC wrote:Go ahead and try it but I don't see how re-adding an extender just because the GPU on the PC changed will fix it. Extenders don't go through the PC GPU at all.

Comcast seems to be the first provider to make the change to H.264 on a wide basis. I think Cox has some random channels in H.264 too, so if anyone has Cox, maybe they can check and see if protected H.264 works for them to pinpoint whether it's a Comcast issue or extender issue.
I don't know exactly how everything works, but I am sure that PlayReady does some kind of inventory on all the hardware, and if there is a big enough change, it will stop something from happening. To me, it is quite possible PlayReady has closed the video door for these 3 guys. Just a hunch, take it or leave it.

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#45

Post by coolwhip » Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:23 pm

Crash2009 wrote:
RyC wrote:Go ahead and try it but I don't see how re-adding an extender just because the GPU on the PC changed will fix it. Extenders don't go through the PC GPU at all.

Comcast seems to be the first provider to make the change to H.264 on a wide basis. I think Cox has some random channels in H.264 too, so if anyone has Cox, maybe they can check and see if protected H.264 works for them to pinpoint whether it's a Comcast issue or extender issue.
I don't know exactly how everything works, but I am sure that PlayReady does some kind of inventory on all the hardware, and if there is a big enough change, it will stop something from happening. To me, it is quite possible PlayReady has closed the video door for these 3 guys. Just a hunch, take it or leave it.
If PlayReady had something to do with it, wouldn't MPEG2 Protected Content have stopped working? MPEG2 protected content was working fine on the extenders when this happened as some premium channels (HBO2) had not converted to H.264.

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#46

Post by RyC » Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:30 pm

coolwhip wrote:
Crash2009 wrote:
RyC wrote:Go ahead and try it but I don't see how re-adding an extender just because the GPU on the PC changed will fix it. Extenders don't go through the PC GPU at all.

Comcast seems to be the first provider to make the change to H.264 on a wide basis. I think Cox has some random channels in H.264 too, so if anyone has Cox, maybe they can check and see if protected H.264 works for them to pinpoint whether it's a Comcast issue or extender issue.
I don't know exactly how everything works, but I am sure that PlayReady does some kind of inventory on all the hardware, and if there is a big enough change, it will stop something from happening. To me, it is quite possible PlayReady has closed the video door for these 3 guys. Just a hunch, take it or leave it.
If PlayReady had something to do with it, wouldn't MPEG2 Protected Content have stopped working? MPEG2 protected content was working fine on the extenders when this happened as some premium channels (HBO2) had not converted to H.264.
Indeed MPEG2 protected content should stop working too if PlayReady needed an update/reset

cwinfield

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#47

Post by cwinfield » Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:38 pm

What firmware are you running on your card? Here is the latest beta which fixes some DRM issues http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... =68&t=8352

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Crash2009

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#48

Post by Crash2009 » Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:48 pm

This is OLD OLD (2009) but it has been suggested twice Optional Media Update for xbox. I would think you already got this years ago, but here it is....

http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questio ... dia-update

whoareyou

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#49

Post by whoareyou » Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:51 pm

"Uninstall and re-install the extenders. The MCX account is still thinks you have the old graphics. You might have to run tv setup again to update the PlayReady. As a matter of fact, the new graphics might have broken PlayReady AllReady."

Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately all this has already been done. No difference.

I also removed the extender and paired it with a computer that doesn't have the issue (Nvidia GPU). Same result. This second machine is also a windows 8.1 (as opposed to original Windows 7 whole house machine), as I wanted to rule out a Windows 7 problem.

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Crash2009

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#50

Post by Crash2009 » Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:53 pm

RyC wrote:
Indeed MPEG2 protected content should stop working too if PlayReady needed an update/reset
Food for Thought.....Maybe PlayReady is working just well enough to give you what you got. Perhaps an update will give you what you want.

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#51

Post by whoareyou » Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:00 am

"This is OLD OLD (2009) but it has been suggested twice Optional Media Update for xbox"
I have all latest updates, unless there's something not included in the version number.
But wouldn't all mpeg-4 fail if I didn't have the update, and this is not the case. It is only protected content mpeg-4.

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Crash2009

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#52

Post by Crash2009 » Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:02 am

What do you get in these two sections of Event Viewer

Media Center?

Application?
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CetonEcho006.jpg
CetonEcho010.JPG

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Crash2009

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#53

Post by Crash2009 » Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:08 am

Any clues in Fiddler or Wireshark?

Right Click Extender in Device Manager or Network and view Properties/Events Tab....Any clues there?
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LegacyExtender010.jpg
EchoHangsOnSetup002.jpg
EchoHangsOnSetup001.jpg

coolwhip

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#54

Post by coolwhip » Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:25 am

cwinfield wrote:What firmware are you running on your card? Here is the latest beta which fixes some DRM issues http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... =68&t=8352
Running 15.1.13.152 here.

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Crash2009

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#55

Post by Crash2009 » Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:29 am

Is the Media Center Extender Certificate corrupt?

or

Are there any clues in here?
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XboxHack006.jpg
Last edited by Crash2009 on Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

cwinfield

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#56

Post by cwinfield » Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:32 am

Yeah well I'm at a loss. You tried different computer and graphics so it appears that Comcast's H.264 protected scheme is incompatible with extenders. Only thing you can really do is reach out to Microsoft and Ceton at this point. Comcast will be little help other than wanting to give you a X1 box... you could move to SD HRP and Shield android tv but would lose recorded playback.

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Crash2009

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#57

Post by Crash2009 » Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:39 am

I have thrown everything I got at it.

I'm surprised there is only 3 that have the problem. Are you guys all in the same Comcast market

Timbukk2

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#58

Post by Timbukk2 » Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:25 am

Hi Again to all
I live in Northern Indiana South Bend/Elkhart Comcast area.
I have tried all of these things now on this thread including uninstall reinstall play ready.
I have had this setup working with all channels on HTPC and both extenders with no problems for over two years and then this started happening on only the two extenders at the same time. It started before the year 2015 was up but I don't know the exact date since we don't watch hbo that much. Encore HD has the same problem.
Thanks so much to all of you for combining ideas to figure this out!!!
I will keep fingers crossed and keep monitoring these posts hoping for a fix! This is starting to remind me of Black Sunday back in the old Satelite card days and unloopers and things lol

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spanner

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#59

Post by spanner » Sat Jan 30, 2016 7:19 am

had the time to check things out yesterday.

1.All my cable channels work on my HTPC except for my HBO channels I get audio and black screen. HBO is my only premium channel
2. All my cable channels work on my two echos and my 2 xbox's except for my HBO channels
3. my two linksys work with my local channels, but I have lost the cable news channels and much more, and also no hbO. I think my linksys are done, so sad they worked so well.
4. some channels are freezing on my echo and xbox when i fast forward to far or fast. this is new, skiping forward works fine.
5. channels seem to take longer to load, black screen for a few seconds longer than before
6.for me i think this is directly related to the switch to mepeg4 by Comcast in my area

was on the phone for quite sometime with Comcast yesterday, of course didn't get anywhere. was promised a phone call on Monday from someone that knows more about the new mpeg4 file conversion. we shall see. In the past we had ceton employees on this board, that had contact with comcast over these types of issues, Maybe some are still looking in.

In the meantime, I can see HBO with the HBO GO app, and will check into replacing my linksys boxes. I have also been researching the Xfinity x1 system, and it might be time to go back to OTA.

I would like to try the new graphics card as a fix, but i have no room in my case so I have to stick with onboard

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#60

Post by whoareyou » Sat Jan 30, 2016 4:53 pm

spanner wrote:had the time to check things out yesterday.
3. my two linksys work with my local channels, but I have lost the cable news channels and much more, and also no hbO. I think my linksys are done, so sad they worked so well.
....
In the past we had ceton employees on this board, that had contact with comcast over these types of issues, Maybe some are still looking in.
Linksys definitely are dead as they don't support mpeg-4. Low def are all in mpeg-2 and should still work.
Ceton might be able to help, but the issue also occurs with my HdHomerun cable tuner, so not specific to Ceton.

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