Help Component cables and HBO HD (HDCP error)

bwexler

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Nov 29, 2007
748
268
San Marcos, CA
I have 2 Hoppers with sling. one is connected to the wife's TV with 5 component RCA cables and mirrored to my home office TV by HDMI cable.
Normally this works fine, but today Dish offered a free preview of HBO. The wife being a serious channel surfer had to check it out. She got an error message that HDCP could not be verified and she got a blank screen.
Since she does not enjoy watching a blank screen, she yelled at me to FIX IT. I went to guide and found a channel she could watch.

Is their an easy way to fix the HDCP problem while using component cables?
 
Yes the HDMI is connected to the TV/computer monitor in my home office. The monitor is set to PC so it may not be recognized by the Hopper as being connected.
 
I have 2 Hoppers with sling. one is connected to the wife's TV with 5 component RCA cables and mirrored to my home office TV by HDMI cable.
Normally this works fine, but today Dish offered a free preview of HBO. The wife being a serious channel surfer had to check it out. She got an error message that HDCP could not be verified and she got a blank screen.
Since she does not enjoy watching a blank screen, she yelled at me to FIX IT. I went to guide and found a channel she could watch.

Is their an easy way to fix the HDCP problem while using component cables?

Unplugging the HDMI wire from the Hopper should do it.
 
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Going forward it is likely that component will not work for flagged content. This is all part of the effort to "close the analog hole".

The solution may be to get an HDMI splitter when the time comes.
 
Will movie play in office? If so, try turning on office TV (to complete the handshake), and the component set should work (play the movie).
 
Back in my 621 days, I had the HDMI connected to the TV & the Component connected to a Slingbox. I also needed to disconnect the HDMI to get HBO on the sling. I added a Monoprice HDMI switchbox, and setup my Harmony to switch the HDMI to a different source when exiting the "Watch Sat" activity. Worked for me since I'm not watching local and using Sling at the same time.

Just tried with my Hopper (I keep the external sling for when I want access to the OSG menus and external HDD), and HBO seems fine. Perhaps because the AV receiver is not turned on.