WMC on Windows 10: Protected channels go to No-Signal

Discussion of getting WMC to work on Windows 10 (unsupported)
The Mac

Posts: 116
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:09 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#21

Post by The Mac » Thu Sep 17, 2015 12:22 am

might be easier to test with a protected file 1st due to the differences in the setup graphs.

Klownicle

Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:02 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#22

Post by Klownicle » Thu Sep 17, 2015 1:13 pm

The Mac wrote:did you unregister the prior ones?
No, didn't realize you had to. Figured I could just register the new ones?

Is it just .dll's that need to be registered, what about the .ax files?
ajhieb wrote: I think you're being overly optimistic if you think that DRM is just confined to the codec. It is almost certainly checking the entire playback chain, including the player. The player in this case happens to be WMC, and WMC files have been modified in order to make them run on Win10.
Remember, tho, its not just WMC that doesn't play the Live CopyOnce and Recorded Content. WMP will not play recorded CopyOnce either. No files of WMP have been modified.
glugglug wrote:What is the WM-DRM pairing status reported by the CableCARD tuner? It will be in the main status page in the infiniTV web interface, I'm assuming also there for HD Homerun. Not home right now to grab the URL.
I'll have to check on that!

Klownicle

Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:02 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#23

Post by Klownicle » Thu Sep 17, 2015 1:55 pm

WMDRM: Status Ready
WMDRM Version: 10.08; WMDRM-NDT - Version: 10.02

ajhieb

Posts: 272
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 2:34 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#24

Post by ajhieb » Thu Sep 17, 2015 3:01 pm

Klownicle wrote:
ajhieb wrote: I think you're being overly optimistic if you think that DRM is just confined to the codec. It is almost certainly checking the entire playback chain, including the player. The player in this case happens to be WMC, and WMC files have been modified in order to make them run on Win10.
Remember, tho, its not just WMC that doesn't play the Live CopyOnce and Recorded Content. WMP will not play recorded CopyOnce either. No files of WMP have been modified.
ajhieb wrote:Different versions of these files may indeed result in improper playback, but I don't think getting the right codec is going to solve your problem. The "System files have been modified" error message is one you should take seriously. I don't see any way around the DRM issue until you can successfully disable that verification.

I'm not ruling out the possibility that the codec is part of the problem. I'm saying it isn't the only problem.

Klownicle

Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:02 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#25

Post by Klownicle » Thu Sep 17, 2015 4:41 pm

ajhieb wrote:
Klownicle wrote:
ajhieb wrote: I think you're being overly optimistic if you think that DRM is just confined to the codec. It is almost certainly checking the entire playback chain, including the player. The player in this case happens to be WMC, and WMC files have been modified in order to make them run on Win10.
Remember, tho, its not just WMC that doesn't play the Live CopyOnce and Recorded Content. WMP will not play recorded CopyOnce either. No files of WMP have been modified.
ajhieb wrote:Different versions of these files may indeed result in improper playback, but I don't think getting the right codec is going to solve your problem. The "System files have been modified" error message is one you should take seriously. I don't see any way around the DRM issue until you can successfully disable that verification.

I'm not ruling out the possibility that the codec is part of the problem. I'm saying it isn't the only problem.
Very true, there is a specific PlayReady version for Windows 8.1, the previous one is good for Windows Vista/7 if I recall. I think as someone mentioned, it could be very well that the OS just isn't supported by the version of PlayReady WMC wants causing the chain to fail. Meaning we will NEVER get CopyOnce working.

ajhieb

Posts: 272
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 2:34 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#26

Post by ajhieb » Thu Sep 17, 2015 5:43 pm

Klownicle wrote:Very true, there is a specific PlayReady version for Windows 8.1, the previous one is good for Windows Vista/7 if I recall. I think as someone mentioned, it could be very well that the OS just isn't supported by the version of PlayReady WMC wants causing the chain to fail. Meaning we will NEVER get CopyOnce working.
Well, I think it just makes things more difficult but not impossible.

If the clever fellows that figured out how to bypass the kernel check can also circumvent the file validation then I think it could still be made to work, but figuring out which components are actually doing the validation could be tricky and if anything in the OS is involved it gets significantly more difficult since patching OS files in Win10 is going to be subject to the whims of MS and Windows Update.

If all of the patching can be done within the WMC files then I think there is a real chance of making it work.

Klownicle

Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:02 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#27

Post by Klownicle » Thu Sep 17, 2015 6:03 pm

ajhieb wrote:
Klownicle wrote:Very true, there is a specific PlayReady version for Windows 8.1, the previous one is good for Windows Vista/7 if I recall. I think as someone mentioned, it could be very well that the OS just isn't supported by the version of PlayReady WMC wants causing the chain to fail. Meaning we will NEVER get CopyOnce working.
Well, I think it just makes things more difficult but not impossible.

If the clever fellows that figured out how to bypass the kernel check can also circumvent the file validation then I think it could still be made to work, but figuring out which components are actually doing the validation could be tricky and if anything in the OS is involved it gets significantly more difficult since patching OS files in Win10 is going to be subject to the whims of MS and Windows Update.

If all of the patching can be done within the WMC files then I think there is a real chance of making it work.
And the draw back of that is, the people who initially got this to work, are not US folk from what DavCT says.

User avatar
DavidinCT

Posts: 1556
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:45 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#28

Post by DavidinCT » Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:50 pm

This is interesting...

If you want to test DRM on your machine if it works or not....

Download this DRM sample file

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=166118

This is the official DRM rights test WMA from Microsoft. If DRM is working correctly, it should playback fine. Open in WMC and WMP and see if it plays back, I would try WMP first (as WMC depends on WMP) and if your DRM is NOT up to date, it will ask you to take an update. Take the minor update, this fixes DRM on the system. Then try in WMC. It should play back fine.

This DOES NOT fix WMC DRM'ed TV playback though... It DOES show that DRM is working on the said computer in WMC and WMP, so, that is not broken, we just need to find the right drivers/Codecs and find the CONNECTION between DRM and WMC.... and IN theory, this should make it all work.
-Dave
Twitter @TheCoolDave

Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

audinutt

Posts: 114
Joined: Thu May 14, 2015 2:43 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#29

Post by audinutt » Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:07 pm

Didn't WMC work in win 10 tech preview? If so why aren't we using this files? Forgive me for being naive.

3rob3

Posts: 548
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 8:48 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#30

Post by 3rob3 » Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:38 pm

audinutt wrote:Didn't WMC work in win 10 tech preview? If so why aren't we using this files? Forgive me for being naive.
Can't get guide data from Microsoft with those files.

glugglug

Posts: 391
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:34 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#31

Post by glugglug » Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:46 am

Klownicle wrote:WMDRM: Status Ready
WMDRM Version: 10.08; WMDRM-NDT - Version: 10.02
Exactly the same as I see in Windows 7.

So DRM to the tuner is working, and protected wma playback works....

Maybe playback of CableCARD protected content has to be activated, like with the DCA advisor tool in the extras section that used to be required? Or maybe a WEI needs to be calculated like the initial problem when they got rid of the UI for that in Windows 8.1? Have you guys tried running "winsat formal" from an elevated command prompt?

garrettskj

Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:24 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#32

Post by garrettskj » Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:27 am

Are we still needing people with CableCARD, DRM and tuners? I have the ability to share/test as needed.

hdtvjeff

Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 4:41 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#33

Post by hdtvjeff » Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:41 pm

Any news on the DRM front with Windows 10 and MC?

hdtvjeff

Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 4:41 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#34

Post by hdtvjeff » Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:35 am

I repeated this step 3 times.

Reinstalled win 10 Pro
Ran Media Center latest version v10
infinite quad pcie

Ran Setup
Premiums viewed

Rebooted

Cannot view premiums anymore

3 times, 3 exact situations.

dougpowers1965

Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 3:49 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#35

Post by dougpowers1965 » Fri Jun 16, 2023 1:57 am

I know this is an old thread but thought I would contribute as the "Missing critical files" error brought me here. SO the only way I got protected content to work on a fresh install of Win10 64-bit V1511 and installed WMC_6.3.9600.16384_x64_v12 (only version that worked for me without the missing files error and it installed the DVD Player on it's own) was as follows. Ceton ETH6 CableCARD, created outbound firewall rules for EhShell.exe, ehRecvr.exe and RegisterMCEapp.exe. Allowed WMC through the firewall. Installed "Playready PC Runtime amd64" AND "Playready PC Runtime x86" (both show version 3.1.0) manually. When activating Playready and getting the not connecting to server error I stopped ehRecvr service WHILE IN the Playready not connecting loop, it goes through that mess a about 2 or 3 times then finally works, every time. I've tested this 3 times. I'm not sure if all of these steps are necessary but if I leave out even one I never get protected content to work. Hardware is an HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Tower, Nvidia GTX 1050 video card. If this helps anyone at least the post will have been worth it. Thanks to everyone and especially Gary for all you guys do to keep WMC alive!

Post Reply