Virtual Windows running iTunes to watch a movie (HDCP)

[zettt]

Hello forum,

I was trying to watch a movie on iTunes in a virtual Windows installation. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working. iTunes gives this error message:

The "movie" cannot be played in HD.

To play the movie in HD, you must have a computer with a built-in display or have it connected to a display that supports HDCP.

I'm aware this is a known issue but is it n not possible to just set the display of the virtual windows to HD resolution, and make it work?

Thank you.

[ColoradoMarmot · Accepted solution]

It's about more than just the display resolution - HDCP is an encryption protocol designed to prevent theft, and requires hardware display device.

[RDPetruska]

Silly question, but why don't you just watch it via iTunes on your Mac host?

[zettt]

Thank you. I was not hoping that would be the answer. Guess I have to boot my machine into Windows then. Bummer. I downloaded the video in the virtual Windows already and was hoping it wouldn't be necessary.

[ColoradoMarmot]

To follow up on the other comment, iTunes in windows, well, sucks.  Why not just watch them from iTunes on the host?

/

[ColoradoMarmot]

You can't - iTunes content has FairPlay DRM in addition to HDMI/HDCP encryption requirements.

[Kathleenstewart]

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, it wasn't the answer I was hoping for. It seems I'll have to go through the hassle of booting up my machine into Windows to address this issue. The video I needed is already downloaded in my virtual Windows environment, and I was really hoping to avoid this extra step. It's a bit disappointing, to be honest, but I'll make do with what I have. It's frustrating that I'll have to switch to Windows, but I'll manage. The video is already in my virtual Windows, so it's not a total loss. Sometimes, these technical inconveniences can be a bit of a downer, but I'll make it work. Thanks for your help, and I'll get it sorted out one way or another.

[Technogeezer]

Why complicate things with iTunes on Windows? Why not just download the video and run it natively in macOS? It’ll run better there and you can still use your Windows VM.