HDCP is just a bad idea

jay5 · ‎09-03-2009

So I just got U-Verse and I was super excited. In my media room I have a LG TV (HDMI) for those sunny days and a projector those movie nights (component + optical). Just like my old TiVo Series 3 both the HDMI and Component ports work at the same time. Super awesome, save me both the extra cost of a second box and the cost of powering an extra box for no reason. Problem started when I turned off the LG TV. The projector only gets the following error:

“Your television cannot support DHCP video over your high definition connection. (H1001)”

This is so stupid. The quality is the same on component + optical (which doesn’t have HDCP) so if I wanted to steal the content that wouldn’t stop me. Plus the unit is a DVR. I am recording the stuff anyways. This post is really more for AT&T than anyone else. Please change your software to disable this. Other cable providers have already done this considering 10% of all HDMI TV’s don’t have this technology in them anyways.

If anyone knows a way around this please let me know. Until then I will just waste electricity and hours on my flat panel TV when I want to watch my projector.

My Slingbox also connected has the same problem. Sucks someone has to be home to turn on the TV so I can watch my football on the road.

Oh I am using the latest Cisco box just in case anyone was wondering.

RCSMG · ‎12-10-2007

Check and make sure your hdmi cables are connected properly. This error can show up because of a bad or loosely connected cable. IMO

Welcome to Uverse.

Message Edited by RCSMG on 09-03-2009 09:09 AM

mibrnsurg · ‎07-15-2008

I think the problem is you are turning off the TV on HDMI and the last thing the TV sends is 'see you

next time on HDMI'. Then you turn it on on the component output and that really confuses the DVR/STB

and you get the error since it thinks you turned it back on to HDMI and it's not there, voila the error.

Chris

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-983-2811 to avoid Mr. Voice Recognition
YRMV IMHO Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

chewyflappy · ‎09-06-2009

I agree that HDCP is a bad idea. I cannot connect my Sony KDS50-XBR1 via hdmi cables because of it. AT&T please alert me when you have the technology that works with my TV. Component cables are inferior. HDMI worked fine with this TV and Comcast's dvr.

mibrnsurg · ‎07-15-2008

Well, did you ever try the little trick of unplugging the HDMI cable from the DVR/STB and press the power

button of the DVR/STB until the 3 lites flash, then after about 5 minutes plug the HDMI cable back in (TV

should be on the whole time). This has worked a number of times to get the HDMI cable to work.

Chris

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-983-2811 to avoid Mr. Voice Recognition
YRMV IMHO Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

Message Edited by mibrnsurg on 09-06-2009 08:45 PM

1006lespaul · ‎11-06-2007

Chris,

that does work but it has to be done over and over.

Component is being used on two of my 4 tvs just to avoid the hassle.

mibrnsurg · ‎07-15-2008

Feel bad for users that can't use HDMI w/o problems as I've been able to since day one 13 months ago.

Unluckily, here's probably why:

It usually is a TV problem if the original model age (when it was originally introduced-not when you bought it)

is more than 2 -2 1/2 years old (Samsungs of any age). Some manufacturers did not incorporate all the

HDMI and/or HDCP specs into their TVs for whatever reason (cost?) and this is causing handshaking/security

problems between the TV and DVR/STB making the connection problematic. Generally Hitachi, Panasonic,

Phillips, Sony, Thompson and Toshibi TVs should not have problems as they are founding adoptors in the

HDMI Org. The ATT boxes are completely up to specs, but the HDCP regulations cause the DVR/STB to

stop the HDMI signal if it failed one of the many handshake/security signals (and there are many, if you

looked into-actually constantly during connection).

Chris

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-983-2811 to avoid Mr. Voice Recognition
YRMV IMHO Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

Amigadude · ‎06-09-2009

Every now and then I check in here hoping to find a solution to my issues. Unfortunately I see that it is going to take a little longer than it should to get these problems fixed, because well meaning people like Chris keep coming up with (and repeating) these lame excuses. Don't get me wrong, I have AT&T stock and have been using uVerse since it first became available to my area. That said, this is a consumer service in a setting where there are many years of cable/satellite experience with consumers. It's a pretty simple selling point to consumers - turn your TV on and it works!

No one cares about, and few really understand, HDCP, HDMI 1.1, 1.3, etc.. If you really want to help, then I would suggest that you stop blaming the consumer, their equipment, or the flux capacitor for a deployment problem. Perhaps you can help collect some relevant factual, technical information that can be used in diagnostics? We (owners/users of AT&T) need to get these issues resolved before the churn gets so bad that it can't recover.

Here is FACT, proven in my home:

Toshiba LCD < 2yrs old, HDMI connected, will start with the HDCP error, or No Audio, or just fine. Very unpredictable.

A Workaround

- First, make sure blue light on STB is out

- Switch Remote to TV mode (Press TV button at top)

- Press Power to start TV

- Wait for TV to come on and Blue Light on STB, and give it a couple seconds more ..

- Switch Remote to AT&T mode (Press AT&T button at top)

- Press OK

Could be a timing issue, between the STB and TV, or could just be bad winds blowing around. Either way, it's not something anyone should have to deal with to watch TV from a commercial provider. This came out of the labs (and yes, they have labs) with inadequate testing between AT&T, Microsoft and/or Cisco.

Well, I guess I'll check back in another couple of months. Who knows, maybe some progress?

mibrnsurg · ‎07-15-2008

Sorry, bud, you can't make a TV do something if it doesn't have the electronics to do it. That's exactly

why you have problems w/HDMI. You may call that lame because it doesn't solve the problem, but won't

get better as ATT follows the HDCP guidelines, in your case, failing an initial handshake. I've given

your workaround to users for the last 14 months to try, some it worked, some it didn't.

I want every user to be able to use an HDMI cable if they so chooe, I've got component hooked up

too and would not like to be forced to have to use it exclusively.

Chris

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-983-2811 to avoid Mr. Voice Recognition
YRMV IMHO Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

Dean_Gullberry · ‎10-12-2009

Yup, the truth is that AT&T can't do anything about HDCP, they have to comply to the standards or they can't use it at all.

It's just an unfortunate reality that many 1st and even 2nd gen HDMI capable sets are going to have problems with this. On the other hand, you really don't lose anything with component/toslink as far as TV goes. Blu-Ray players are another story though.

I hate how devices can't overlay additional data over an HDCP connection, such as my HDMI receiver which can only send Volume, Input, etc data as onscreen info to the TV if it is from a composite or component source.