HDCP Error

I am getting an HDCP error when trying to play Blu Ray disks on my newly built HTPC. I have searched the forums, but can't find anything quite like this problem. I hope this is the right area for this question. Here is my situation:

I am building my first Home Theater system. I built my HTPC from scratch, with an internal Blu-Ray player. In the lab, connected directly to my JVC LCD TV via HDMI, I can play Blu-Ray movies just fine. So I moved the HTPC into the Home Theater and hooked everything up as follows:
HTPC >> HDMI >> AVR >> HDMI >> TV

The details are as follows:

• HTPC: Win 7 Pro, ASRock motherboard, Intel i5 processor, integrated graphics, XBMC, Lite-On BluRay Burner, Cyberlink BD software
• AVR: Yamaha RX-V671
• TV: Samsung 55" LED/LCD UN55ES6100

In this configuration, the Blu Ray refuses to play, indicating an HDCP error. I downloaded and ran the Cyberlink BD Adviser software. It indicated that everything in the HTPC "passed" with the exception of the HDMI interface, which is not HDCP compliant. This is where the problem started.

The additional trouble shooting I have done was as follows:

• Took the HTPC back to the lab and hooked it back up directly to the JVC TV via HDMI. Blu Ray movies play just fine. Cyberlink BD Adviser indicates everything is fine, all tests passed. Conclusion: HDCP is working on the HTPC HDMI interface.
• Took the HTPC back to the Home Theater and hooked it up directly to the Samsung TV without the RX-V671 AVR in the mix. Blu Ray movies play just fine. Cyberlink BD Adviser indicates everything is fine, all tests passed. Conclusion: HDCP is working on the Samsung TV HDMI interface. HTPC HDMI interface is working fine when connected directly to either the Samsung TV or the JVC TV, but not when connected to the AVR.
• Hooked up a Samsung Blu Ray disk player to the RX-V671 in place of the HTPC in the original configuration. Blu Ray movies play just fine. Conclusion: HDCP is working on the RX-V671 when connected to a dedicated BD player, but not when connected to the HTPC.

So, HDCP seems to be operational on each of my Home Theater components (HTPC, AVR and TV), but is NOT working between the HTPC and the RX-V671 combination specifically. If I have missed any other possible conclusions in my troubleshooting logic, please let me know what else I can check.

This leaves me thinking that there is something in the HDCP protocol handshaking between the HTPC and the AVR that is failing, even though each of these devices can establish the connection with other devices. The AVR is running the current firmware v1.18. This leaves me with the HTPC. What controls the HDCP protocol on the HDMI interface on the HTPC? Is it the Cyberlink BD playback software? Is it the system motherboard BIOS? Is it the Blu Ray player device itself? Is it the Windows OS? I am thinking that there might be some driver or firmware that needs to be updated (even though everything is brand new) or configured in order to recognize the HDCP handshake with the RX-V671, but I'm stumped as to how to proceed. Can anyone give me a clue as to what to check next?

I do apologize if this forum is the wrong place for this question. Any suggestions for other more appropriate forum topic areas would be greatly appreciated.

I tried plugging the HTPC into another HDMI port on the AVR and got the same error. I used the same cables when I connected the Samsung Blu Ray disk player to the AVR and it worked with those cables. I have read that the Intel Graphics controller has had trouble negotiating HDCP through a repeater device, which is what the AVR would be in this configuration. I have also read that the HTPC can lose the EDID handshake when the HTPC goes to sleep, or if the TV or AVR are turned off or switched to other device inputs. There is a device called HDMI Detective Plus from Gefen that is supposed to be able to connect between the HTPC and the AVR to maintain the HDMI HDCP EDID info (wow, can I get another acronym into that sentence?). It looks like AnyDVD-HD actually removes the HDCP restrictions from the data stream, which may accomplish the same thing. It looks like they have a free trial, so I might check that out.
Nothing else is connected to the AVR (yet), just the HTPC and the TV. They (the HTPC and the TV) are HDCP compliant when connected directly together, but when the AVR is inserted, HDCP breaks. But with the dedicated Samsung Blu Ray player in place of the HTPC, HDCP works through the AVR to the TV just fine.

I haven't tried a discrete video card yet. That may be next. Since the Intel integrated graphics works fine when connected directly to the TV, it just seems like there must be some way to get it to work properly through the AVR to the TV. With all the HTPC enthusiasts here, I was hoping that someone else might have already experienced this problem and might have a solution for it.

I tried using the HDMI Detective Plus from Gefen between the HTPC and the AVR. After programming it while connected directly to the TV, it is supposed to "remember" the HDCP and EDID settings and give them to the HTPC. Sadly, that didn't fix the problem. The HTPC still shows the HDMI connection to the AVR (through the HDMI Detective Plus) is not HDCP compliant, according to the Cyberlink BD Adviser software.

I downloaded the AnyDVD HD software and installed it on the HTPC. Cyberlink BD Adviser still shows the HDMI interface is not HDCP compliant, but I have not tried to actually play a Blu-Ray disk yet. That is the next test.

If anyone has seen this problem and found a fix, I am looking for some guidance here. Any hints you can give me are much appreciated!

<<<< Clay >>>>

The AnyDVD HD software does in fact give me a solution that allows me to play the Blu-Ray disks on my HTPC, so I guess this question is mostly resolved for now. I have another closely related question that I will post in a new thread. Thanks for the suggestions!

<<<< Clay >>>>