High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) is an anti-piracy protocol that some HDMI devices respect. It is a cable standard that was created to prevent piracy. However, it can interrupt signals, even in otherwise harmless situations.
How HDCP Works and How to Bypass It
For example, connect a Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV to an HDTV that is too old to follow the standard that these new HDMI devices are part of. Because there is a device in the way that is not HDCP-compliant, you may get an error message like this:
Given the way the HDCP standard works, you may be able to work around this problem.
Generally, you will need to replace the hardware or use a special splitter. However, if you want to view content, alternative sourcing methods may also work.
