Netflix and DRM
After setting up the NSLU2 as my backup machine, I freed up the old ShuttleX box I had original bought as a media controller. I wasn’t happy with the results at the time, but it’s been a few years so I thought I’d give it another go.
The latest Mythbuntu release worked well right out of the box, and I picked up a MCE Remote on the cheap at Directron for very nice media playback solution. I need to tweak the color balance but other than that everything is going like gangbusters.
I had been trying out Netflix’s instant viewing using a laptop, so I decided to install XP onto a separate partition for dedicated use. I used hooked up a LCD panel to the main VGA out and a small TV to the S-Video out for test purposes. All worked well and I connected it to our primary TV. I didn’t have a primary display connected, since the S-Video channel should show a clone of the primary display it should just word, instead I got a C000D11B1 error from Netflix and a recommendation to reset all of the DRM licenses.
After several hours of mucking about, on a lark I connected a LCD panel, and everything worked again. For some reason, the DRM on the Netflix movies kicks in when the TV is the only display. I had heard about this when using HD monitors, but it never occurred to me that a regular TV would also trigger it.
For now I’ll just connect a display when we want to use Netflix, but I’d like to find a small 7″-8″ display to use permanently.
