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LAN Party Forums => Support Group => Started by: The Nstuff on September 06, 2012, 07:03:49 PM

Title: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: The Nstuff on September 06, 2012, 07:03:49 PM
maybe this is common knowledge, but I finally started researching some intermittent issues i've been having where Windows Media Center will show "display port driver error" when trying to watch encrypted content from my HD Homerun Prime with cablecard.


Issue appears to be that my new Radeon HD 7950 has lots of displayport ports, but Windows 7 doesn't consider it HDCP compliant, even though it is.  Had to switch one of my monitors to DVI (although HDMI would have worked too) and HBO shows up fine now.


http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2392252 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2392252)



Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: Czar on September 06, 2012, 07:12:01 PM
(http://1-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/a/image/1333/24/1333243626045.jpg)
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: Mr.Tibbs on September 06, 2012, 07:46:39 PM
I never ran into that problem when I had my old 6950 cards. And each one of those had 4 display ports a piece. I think I am going to stick with Nvidia for awhile.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: The Nstuff on September 06, 2012, 08:43:38 PM
I never ran into that problem when I had my old 6950 cards. And each one of those had 4 display ports a piece. I think I am going to stick with Nvidia for awhile.

This only applies to specific encrypted stations from Comcast or FIOS that have the various HDCP bits enabled thus requiring it on a TV Tuner card that has the cablecard feature.  Only certain ones do, like the Ceton or HD Homerun Prime.  Some old ATI cablecard tv tuner cards had them, but they were only sold OEM.  This doesn't apply to standard TV tuner cards with no cablecard, digital or analog.

Normal digital HD stations on FIOS apparently don't require it as they worked fine.  But HBO does, thus why I was getting the error.

Also, unless you have other info, the KB article I linked to says it's a MS thing, not Nvidia vs ATI.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: sully! on September 07, 2012, 08:33:10 AM
So another case of DRM screwing over the legitimate consumer....

After reading the article, I have to wonder if this issue is addressed in the Windows 8 version of MC? They say it was a "fast publish" article, but haven't touched it in over a year. Through some quick searching, it looks like you won't be able to test that theory until general availability on October 26 when the WMC add-on for Win8 is available:

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx (http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx)
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: zx2slow on September 07, 2012, 01:33:06 PM
HDCP is a [bad thing], as soon as some analogue or non compliant component is detected it will downgrade or fail to work.

  To get sound over HDMI to work on my media center was a PITA.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: The Nstuff on September 07, 2012, 04:28:42 PM
i'm pretty surprised that this isn't something they didn't already fix by now, the KB article is over a year old.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: sully! on September 08, 2012, 12:09:48 AM
It probably hasn't been fixed because, according to Microsoft, WMC is a niche product, and doesn't have enough users (as a ratio of the whole userbase) to devote any time to the fix. This is also part of their same reasoning for making WMC an add-on for Win8 instead of just including it by default. If it's not an included part of the OS, they can update just WMC without going through the extensive testing, validation, and other hoops that have to occur for an OS update, because it would technically not be an OS update any more.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: krakah on September 08, 2012, 02:24:03 PM
It probably hasn't been fixed because, according to Microsoft, WMC is a niche product, and doesn't have enough users (as a ratio of the whole userbase) to devote any time to the fix. This is also part of their same reasoning for making WMC an add-on for Win8 instead of just including it by default. If it's not an included part of the OS, they can update just WMC without going through the extensive testing, validation, and other hoops that have to occur for an OS update, because it would technically not be an OS update any more.

Which is lame.  I for one ditched my Verizon set top boxes and invested in the HDHomeRun 3 Tuner, which uses CableCard.  WMC, out of all the Media Centers I've tried, has the best support for this thing, as well as all the other features one might want like Netflix integration.  CableCard was stupid easy to setup.  Their library browsing for movies and music leaves alot to be desired, but its functional enough.  The program itself has so much potential.  Such a shame.

Next best MC I've found was XBMC, but getting the HDHR to work with it isnt as straight forward.  I love XBMC's media library browsing too, much cooler than WMC's.  It just seemed like a TV tuner was an afterthought with XBMC.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: The Nstuff on September 08, 2012, 02:45:30 PM
when i first saw WMC, i thought it was a dumb idea because on the face, it looked like just a harder to use version of Media Player (which also sucks).  Not until i got interested into building a media center did I realize the potential.  So many cool ideas MS has that they just don't nurture.  Home Server, WMC, etc all great products needing some love.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: sully! on September 08, 2012, 05:20:18 PM
Home Server's not getting any love at all. It turned 4 and got kicked out of the house.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: The Nstuff on September 08, 2012, 05:59:20 PM
yeah, and i don't consider it a good replacement when you go from a $50 WHS 2011 to $400 WinServer 2012 Essentials.  Not a cool story, bro.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: The Nstuff on October 30, 2012, 09:50:31 PM
I just did an in-place upgrade over top my Windows 7 Ultimate setup with Windows 8 Pro.  After doing the upgrade, I immediately used the free coupon to get Media Center back (since the upgrade helpfully takes media center away from you).

Well, after 3 restarts, Media Center was back.  I loaded it up and it said it detected a previous MC config and asked if I wanted to import.  Hell yes I did.  After it was done, TV was working perfectly again.

Now, the kicker (or bummer) - i dragged the window over to the displayport connected screen and it MC window popped up and said it needed an update (it basically said to go to windows update and install an optional update there).  When I went, the only thing there remotely close was http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2712101 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2712101)

Edit:  installed the update and now all it does is give the same message as Windows 7 did:  "Display driver error:  the video playback device does not support playback of protected content."


Oh, and one more thing.  After Windows 8 removed Media Center and I had to get it back installed, there literally are zero differences that i've found thus far.  Sad, very sad.
Title: Re: Windows Media Center 7 via displayport
Post by: Dwg115 on November 03, 2012, 11:49:51 AM
([url]http://1-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/a/image/1333/24/1333243626045.jpg[/url])
wow! i always wondered what you looked like without glasses Czar.