HDCP Problem With 612

[oldengineer]

I have an HDCP capable TV in my basement which I feed with either the RF output or the output from an RF modulator fed from the RCA outputs of my 612. The results are the same in both cases - HDCP protected content on my DVR will NOT play on the basement unit if the primary TV, which is connected to the HDMI output of the 612, is OFF, but it DOES play protected content if the primary TV is ON.

My guess is that the TV-HDMI handshake is setting up the HDCP capability, and that doesn't happen when using the RCA or RF outputs, but I think that the same setup, using the same secondary TV, works on my 722 receiver using the TV1 RCA outputs with the 722 in the single TV mode.

The Dish CSRs have not been able to explain what's going on. Does anyone have a definitive answer about this?

 

[Ray C]

If you unplug the HDMI cable from the receiver that feeds the TV next to the receiver, do this still occur? Please let me know. Thanks.

I have an HDCP capable TV in my basement which I feed with either the RF output or the output from an RF modulator fed from the RCA outputs of my 612. The results are the same in both cases - HDCP protected content on my DVR will NOT play on the basement unit if the primary TV, which is connected to the HDMI output of the 612, is OFF, but it DOES play protected content if the primary TV is ON.

My guess is that the TV-HDMI handshake is setting up the HDCP capability, and that doesn't happen when using the RCA or RF outputs, but I think that the same setup, using the same secondary TV, works on my 722 receiver using the TV1 RCA outputs with the 722 in the single TV mode.

The Dish CSRs have not been able to explain what's going on. Does anyone have a definitive answer about this?

 

[oldengineer]

If you unplug the HDMI cable from the receiver that feeds the TV next to the receiver, do this still occur? Please let me know. Thanks.

Thanks for the quick reply. Disconnecting the HDMI cable from the main TV fixes the problem with the secondary set. I tried all kinds of on-off sequences with the secondary set and the 612 and it always plays the HDCP protected shows.

What does this mean?

 

[gtal98]

It means that because the HDMI cable is plugged in the receiver detects this and tries to do an HDCP handshake, but if the TV is off, it doesn't respond, so the handshake fails. Therefore the receiver will not display the content. When the HDMI is unplugged the receiver realizes there's nothing there and doesn't bother with the handshake. It will therefore allow the content to be displayed.

The only workaround I can think of would be to connect the main TV by component instead of HDMI. Still allows HD picture, but no handshaking.

 

[harshness]

The only workaround I can think of would be to connect the main TV by component instead of HDMI. Still allows HD picture, but no handshaking.

The danger here is when real content protection is in play, the analog outputs will go dark/quiet.

 

[oldengineer]

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll just live with it as is for now since I only use the secondary TV for an hour a day and leaving the main set on isn't a problem.