PlayReady failure with specific OS version of Windows 8.1 Update

Question

Hello,
I'm observing a failure in my app during Smooth Streaming video playback using PlayReady DRM. The app is a WinJS Universal App solution for Windows Store and Windows Phone, using the latest updates for Visual Studio 2013, Update 4.
So far, the failure is limited to one specific version of the Windows 8.1 Update. I have two identical devices, both retail versions of the phone, that demonstrate this issue. Note, these same phones that fail with PlayReady can successfully
stream unprotected Smooth Streaming content.
My other five Windows Phone devices, with different OS version numbers, do not demonstrate the failure with the identical app installed. Therefore, I suspect the OS version may be the cause.
Failure description:
When I attempt to stream PlayReady protected Smooth Streaming video, the player initializes the media player and the MediaProtectionManager, but then displays the error state (The video failed to play. Try again.) immediately, and the following message is
displayed in Visual Studio:
MEDIA12899: AUDIO/VIDEO: Unknown MIME type.
--- Message: MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED (0x887A0004)
Summary of tested OS versions:
Windows Phone 8.1 Update
8.10.14141.167, untested
8.10.14147.180, untested
8.10.14157.200, untested
8.10.14176.243, NOKIA Lumia 830, fails to stream, tested with two devices
8.10.14192.280, untested
8.10.14203.206, HTC HTC6995LVW, streams successfully
8.10.14219.341, NOKIA Lumia 920, streams successfully
8.10.14226.359, BLU WIN HD W510u, streams successfully
Windows Phone 8.1
8.10.12359.845, untested
8.10.12382.878, untested
8.10.12393.890, NOKIA Lumia 920, streams successfully
8.10.12397.895, untested
8.10.12400.899, NOKIA Lumia 530, streams successfully
Note, one of OS versions I've tested fails to stream the PlayReady protected Smooth Streaming content, and five other OS versions I've tested successfully stream the same video content.
Is this a known issue with a specific version(s) of Windows Phone 8.1?
Regards,
Andrew

Answer 1

Hello,
0x887A0004 equates to DXGI_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED. This error is usually generated when you are trying to use Direct3D features that are not supported. Different devices support different D3D features since they contain different video hardware. It is possible
that a hardware feature that is required by the license is not supported in the hardware / driver of the device. I would recommend that you check the license and make sure that it does not contain any hardware specific requirements such as HDCP.
In other words try playing content with the least restrictive license and see if it works for you.
I hope this helps,
James
Windows SDK Technologies - Microsoft Developer Services - http://blogs.msdn.com/mediasdkstuff/