InfiniTV6 ETH Playready Update Failure Loop

[shortcut3d]

I just finished building out my new system based on an i5 Intel NUC DC53427HYE. The system went into a Playready Update loop after trying to record a show on Cinemax. I found that testing HBO and Cinemax caused Playready to require a manual uninstall and reinstall. I rebuilt the system two more times, but could not get past the Playready Update without manually forcing the installation*. So, I went back to my original system and tuned to HBO and received a Playready Update required message on a perfectly fine system that was simply unplugged and shelved while I was working on the new build. That got me thinking there maybe an issue with the ETH. So I powered off both systems, then unplugged the ETH for 30 seconds. I started new build and now it can tune HBO without the Playready Update loop.

This wasted a huge amount of time over the weekend.

What could the ETH do to cause this problem? I really do not want this to comeback.



*Order of install: Launch WMC and Express Configure, Install Ceton InfiniTV software, Restart, Run DCA (success & update), Setup Live TV, 6 tuners (OK), Playready (OK), Guide Data (OK), Playready Update (FAIL).

Coming from SiliconDust, I simply uninstalled the SD software, and installed the Ceton software and re-configured the tuners. The clean Ceton InfiniTV6 ETH software seems to be giving me trouble.

[JohnW248]

What cable system are you on?

Did you look at WMDRM status on each tuner of the ETH? I wonder if any of those were RED. The only time I've seen a playready update there was something wrong with the WMDRM status on a tuner (either RED or ORANGE). Restarting the ETH would force a re-load and challenge which would run through the WMDRM again. It might also work if you went to the web gui for the ETH and clicked on log and typed reboot in the command box.

[erkotz]

WMDRM has nothing to do with Playready and them being red/orange won't affect it at all. I would recommend you start by following this KB - note that it will reset your DRM and you will be unable to play any protected content you previously recorded. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976590

[shortcut3d]

WMDRM has nothing to do with Playready and them being red/orange won't affect it at all. I would recommend you start by following this KB - note that it will reset your DRM and you will be unable to play any protected content you previously recorded. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976590

I followed those instructions several times before the first reinstall.

The only thing that worked was restarting the ETH.

FWIW, the Ceton Diagnostic and ETH device webpage show no issues. Everything appeared fine before restarting the ETH.

[shortcut3d]

The CableCARD turned out to be the issue. http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 617#p54617

[BSR]

If it helps anyone else, I was having the same issue with PlayReady continuously saying "installation incomplete" and then not allowing the installation go forward. Because of this every half hour the picture would freeze, the tuners needed to be set up again and that was followed by WMC TV needing to be set up again.

While looking through Ceton settings I saw that the IP address was randomly selected to 192.168.200.xxx and my router IP is 192.168.1.1. I changed Ceton to a static Ip of 192.168.1.xxx and since then it works perfectly.

[erkotz]

If it helps anyone else, I was having the same issue with PlayReady continuously saying "installation incomplete" and then not allowing the installation go forward. Because of this every half hour the picture would freeze, the tuners needed to be set up again and that was followed by WMC TV needing to be set up again.

While looking through Ceton settings I saw that the IP address was randomly selected to 192.168.200.xxx and my router IP is 192.168.1.1. I changed Ceton to a static Ip of 192.168.1.xxx and since then it works perfectly.

The InfiniTV ETH does not randomly select an IP address - it was either statically configured, or a DHCP server on your network handed it out. PCIe InfiniTVs default to 192.168.200.1, but they should NOT match your network settings (unless you are using network tuners)

[fleanote]

Had similar issue and I determined it to be a hardware change on the PC AFTER Windows install. What I mean is, if I took a system that had a crappy video card, installed Win7/Win8, then replaced the card with a better one - then ran WMC setup - I got the PlayReady loop and all the reg fixes crap I found on the Net were worthless, it wouldn't get past. Then, I took that same box, replaced the video card with a beefy one - then installed Win7/Win8 from scratch - no issues. When WMC reached the PlayReady setup portion it went through smoothly. So it seemed to me that you can't mess with your video hardware after the fact as the DRM has already tied itself to your system.

[th83]

I can confirm that this is an issue related specifically to the ETH 6. I have run into this several times with different PCs and different Ceton InfiniTV ETH 6 devices. The only fix is to reboot the Ceton ETH, then click the option to retry the update. After this, the update finishes and I can watch premium channels again. This is pretty annoying as it seems to happen every few weeks for no apparent reason and sometimes screws up scheduled recordings. I have not seen this with the internal tuners or with HDHomeRun Prime. It seems that some kind of encryption or DRM status is screwed up in the device and rebooting it refreshes whatever has gotten messed up.

[th83]

I got the same nonsense from support about this issue even thought my original ticket stated that I already tried all of these steps. This is clearly a problem with the ETH, as it simply does not happen on any other tuners I've used and rebooting the ETH magically fixes it (but according to them, the InfiniTV CANNOT break PlayReady). My theory on this is that PlayReady is NOT broken, but thinks it is corrupted because of corrupt data coming from the InfiniTV ETH on the encrypted channels. This is really the only explanation since resetting DRM did nothing, renaming the mspr file did nothing, running a system restore did not fix, reinstalling PlayReady and MediaCenter did not fix, and all PCs connected to the InfiniTV (including PCs with a fresh install of Windows 7) exhibit the same behavior at the same time. If I reboot the InfiniTV ETH, all PCs magically start working fine again, so this is completely independent of the PC, and the ONLY common factor is rebooting the InfiniTV ETH. DOES ANYBODY AT CETON ACTUALLY WANT TO FIX THIS??? It is very obvious that this issue is specifically related to this device. I have used the USB 4-tuner, the HD HomeRun, and have never had this issue until connecting the PCs to the Ceton ETH. Note that if I connect them to any other device and disconnect the ETH, the issue does not happen any more. I don't know how much more obvious it can be that this is coming from the device! I want my money back.

[RyC]

Why didn't you keep the Prime?

[th83]

Why didn't you keep the Prime?

I wanted to go up to 6 tuners without having to use a splitter. Sold the Prime. Just ordered a new Prime because this InifiniTV has been so bad.

[Scallica]

Just ordered a new Prime because this InifiniTV has been so bad.

Let us know how the Prime works out.

[ArtieMcD]

Just wanted to add a datapoint to this thread. I and a friend I built a media center for both encounter the issue with the Play Ready components failing all the time... And thank god I found this thread because I can indeed confirm, after many months of mucking with the deleting playready and reinstalling the solution is indeed to powercycle the ETH6... Magically the play ready update completed and all channels started working again. This is clearly an issue with Ceton's stuff. I moved one of the HTPC's to silicon dust's tuner and no problems anymore. Sadly my friend bolted for Direct TV so I can no longer test on their systems.

Unfortuantly, it seems's like we will never get a fix as it looks like Ceton is dead... They no longer publish updates to their drivers, and the sales are clear efforts to dump stock in the non-supported in media center extenders.

In the meantime, looks like I will need to set up a rig to powercycle the ETH6 every week or so to proactively avoid this issue.

[th83]

Ceton support keeps telling me that the ETH cannot cause a PlayReady issue... in spite of the fact that this appears on ALL PCs connected to the ETH at the same (expletive) time, and is ALWAYS resolved by rebooting the ETH. Frustrating.

[Scallica]

^^Did your HDHR Prime arrive? If so, did you set it up?

[th83]

^^Did your HDHR Prime arrive? If so, did you set it up?

It did, have not had the time to set it up. My customer who I also sold an ETH to is having issues, so I may end up putting it at his house instead.

[STC]

Ceton support keeps telling me that the ETH cannot cause a PlayReady issue... in spite of the fact that this appears on ALL PCs connected to the ETH at the same (expletive) time, and is ALWAYS resolved by rebooting the ETH. Frustrating.

shortcut3d's problem turned out to be the CableCard (as stated above). Have you both tried to ask for a replacement and re paired?
Your problems appear to be isolated. It certainly is not a generic infini complaint.
Rebooting the infini would restart a faulty CableCard too don't forget.

[erkotz]

Ceton support keeps telling me that the ETH cannot cause a PlayReady issue... in spite of the fact that this appears on ALL PCs connected to the ETH at the same (expletive) time, and is ALWAYS resolved by rebooting the ETH. Frustrating.

The InfiniTV (or any OCUR) does not "speak" PlayReady. Encryption is WMDRM from the tuner to the PC - WMC changes the encryption to PlayReady. Tuners have no idea that PlayReady even exists.

[th83]

Ceton support keeps telling me that the ETH cannot cause a PlayReady issue... in spite of the fact that this appears on ALL PCs connected to the ETH at the same (expletive) time, and is ALWAYS resolved by rebooting the ETH. Frustrating.

The InfiniTV (or any OCUR) does not "speak" PlayReady. Encryption is WMDRM from the tuner to the PC - WMC changes the encryption to PlayReady. Tuners have no idea that PlayReady even exists.

I understand the theory behind this, but there are multiple people having the SAME ISSUE with ONLY THIS DEVICE, so something is going wrong. Again, the **only thing** that fixes the issue is REBOOTING THE ETH. Note that this works every time. I have 3 PCs pooling from the same ETH, and ALL 3 get the exact error at the same time, and there is no way that all 3 could possibly have DRM issues at the exact same time. It is not a pooling issue either, because this happened when I was only using 1 PC before I stared pooling. When this has happens, rebooting the ETH *immidiately* fixes the issue (the playready update 'finishes') without having to mess with DRM or Windows at all, and all PCs are working normally again. What's weird is that protected content that was previously recorded (and requires playready) works fine and does not ask for an update, only live TV coming through the ETH. Keep in mind that this DOES NOT happen using an HD HomeRun Prime. Is it possible that the WMDRM coming from the tuner is getting screwed up somehow, which causes playready to think it's not working correctly? I would say there's enough evidence to at least consider there might be something to this.

EDIT: Is there no possibility that if WMDRM gets screwed up between the PC and Tuner, then subsequently Playready is not able to 'convert' the WMDRM to PlayReady encryption, therefore WMC could think that PlayReady has to be updated since it is not able to handle the bad stream? This is really the only thing that makes sense. If I have it happen again, I'll be happy to submit a diagnostic at the time the error is actually happening. I've been doing high level IT work for the past 10 years, and I can tell you that all the signs point to the ETH as the culprit.

EDIT2: I also noticed that if I stop the Windows Media Center Receiver service, the update finishes, but then the update warning comes right back up if I try to watch a protected channel again. If I then reboot the ETH, the update finishes (again), but now I can watch the protected channels again. Also note that if I notice the issue on PC1 and do not try to watch any protected TV from PC number 2 or 3 while the error is happening, then restart the Ceton ETH before attempting to watch a protected channel from PC 2 or 3, I never see the playready update prompt at all on PC 2 or 3 (meaning there was no update needed to begin with and something between the ETH and PC caused the false update prompt).