Here’s a message you don’t want to see on your Media Center machine:
This occurs when you try to play back a copy-protected file – in this case, a movie recorded from HBO Signature – on a computer other than the one it was recorded on. Media Center Extenders include code that bypasses this restriction so that you can view recorded shows elsewhere on your network, as long as they’re playing back on the main Media Center box where they were originally recorded.
The trouble is, I got this message when I tried to play back a movie on the Media Center machine where it was originally recorded. And now I see that the same problem is affecting another movie recorded the same day, from the Starz channel. What went wrong? I’m not sure. Did I copy this particular movie file to a different partition?
I’ll do some more tests and see if I can figure out where the problem lies. Meanwhile, I won’t be watching Three Days of the Condor or Lenny anytime soon.
Update: See the follow-up here.
Are you sure that is what is going on?
I too was getting this error, but when I reinstalled the fix for Media Player 10 overwriting DRM, I was able to play HBO again. I had recently updated the DVD decoder, so I am not sure what caused the error.
I can now play HBO again…..
Irrespective of whether this is a mesage in error or not, it is incumbent upon Microsoft and HBO to make sure that this error message is not received when a customer is viewing a copy under hte auspices of fair use.
There is already very little tollerance for DRM in the first place and if Microsoft and Hollywood want to influence the PR war on the subject at hand they had better work harder to make sure that consumers do not get messages such as the one above.
You have two extreme sides right now, the total anti-DRM crowd that is very loud and vocal and Hollywood/Microsoft who are campaigning for Vista’s upcoming use of DRM to provide things like HDTV to consumers while protecting content owners.
One of the biggest criticisms of DRM is that it often inadvertantly does not work and causes the customer frustration over fair use.
Recently I switched from Microsoft’s Outlook software for my email to Thunderbird (even though I own a perfectly paid for legitimate copy of Outlook and like it better than Thunderbird). The reason for my switch was that the authentication for my Outlook was so screwed up and I could never get my legitimate copy installed from my original disc.
While I understand that piracy is an issue for both content providers and software companies, the use of their protection schemes need to be absolutly bullet proof from an end user consumer perspective. People already are critical of PCs as entertainment devices because, well, they are PCs — and PCs are notoriously buggy. Throw in DRM errors like this and you have a lot to lose in the PR war for the concept of DRM with consumers.
Michael, see the follow-up post. (Link at end of this post.)
I probably still have VHS tapes I made off of HBO when they used to run ads saying, “HBO and your VCR — Best Friends!”
I guess they weren’t Best Friends Forever. I know it wasn’t the VCR’s fault.
I am having this same problem. Except I cannot watch any program over g rating. There is not parental control on directtv or media center. Set up to watch anything and I receive almost 500 channels. HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, etc. I cannot even watch a Disney PG movie on the Disney channel without the restricted content blue screen showing up and blocking it. Any suggestions?
I got the “blue screen of restriction” while viewing (not recording) a movie on IFC channel over sattelite.
I got the same issue after I installed Windows Media Player 11.
It this the issue here ? I will rollback the change.
Anyone experienced this with WMP 11 and MCE ?
Thanks,
Q
I get this while viewing too. Any possible fix?
VISTA Ultimate & Media Center, I get the Restricted Content just watching “There’s something about Mary” on AMC
I get the restricted content message when I try to watch HBO Curb Enthusiasm episode that I recorded on one computer in my home network from a laptop computer on the same network (wireless connection). On the laptop I referenced a shared recorded TV folder containing recorded tv programs.
I can watch this program on the main desktop that did the recording.
Any body tried this?
Del, that’s normal behavior. HBO is copy protected, and you can only watch it on the system on which it was recorded. You can’t edit in Movie Maker or transfer to a portable device, either.
I have had this problem for several years with my media center–XP not Vista. I can NOT view such programs on the same machine and have virtually given up on recording except for the few channels not protecting content. FMC and TMC are two without commercials. Other with commerials may or may not protect content. AMC does, for example. All the satellite premium channels are protected.
I figure in a couple of years, I can just yank my tuner out of the computer and forget the media center forever.
I will admit that I like to transfer movies to DVD. They are low quality but as good or better than VHS tape when color guard is not on the signal. I have not intention of showing these DVDs in any forum-=-they are just my library, like my VHS was. But alas, the days are numbered!
I Googled my issue and this discussion came up tops… I did not know this was possible but I guess it is: Every movie I record from Basic Analog Cable on Vista MCE on the AMC plays for about 15 seconds in Windows Movie Maker… then nothing. I can watch them, but not edit them.
I was just notified of this virus 3 years after install. I was watching broadcast nfl and America’s Got Talent on xp mce ‘05 and it showed up 4 times in random places closing down the rest of the recordings. The tuner is only plugged into a roof antenna and I don’t buy content from the net. WTF?!
My wife’s tolerance for toys is limited severely by them working on demand. Ubuntu Linux is now on my project list as a replacement. The funny thing is, I’m a techie type who was happy to never make the jump to Unix and now I’m going to learn it… Good on you M$!
I right click the *.dvr-ms file, click Properties and see License Tab. On License Tab I see Protected Yes. I get this randomly on “over the air” programs (although I am using Cable to recieve them). Anyway to “turn it off”? Or “modify” the setting?