Quick answer: The display path you're using can't do HDCP handshaking, so Windows blocks protected video — swap the cable or plug directly into the monitor and it'll work.
This error shows up when a DRM-protected video tries to play and the graphics driver can't confirm the monitor supports HDCP. HDCP is the copy-protection handshake used by Netflix, Disney+, Blu-ray apps, and anything from the Microsoft Store that streams licensed content. When the driver reports STATUS_GRAPHICS_OPM_OUTPUT_DOES_NOT_SUPPORT_HDCP, the app throws up a black screen or a "your display doesn't support protected content" message. I've seen this most often on a second monitor chained through a cheap HDMI splitter, or when someone's using a 10-year-old VGA-to-HDMI converter on a laptop. The monitor itself might be HDCP-capable — the problem is whatever sits between the GPU and the panel.
What's actually happening
Windows uses the Output Protection Manager (OPM) to ask the GPU, "hey, is HDCP active on this output?" If the GPU says no, the app refuses to render protected frames. The GPU says no for one of three reasons: the display genuinely doesn't support HDCP, the cable/adapter doesn't pass HDCP (super common with cheap adapters), or the driver is buggy. Older Intel iGPUs on Windows 10 builds before 1903 also had a nasty habit of failing the handshake on DisplayPort MST daisy chains.
Fix it step by step
- Unplug everything between the PC and the monitor. Any KVM, HDMI splitter, capture card, or AV receiver in the chain is the #1 suspect. Plug the monitor straight into the GPU and try the video again. If it plays, you found your culprit — replace the middle device with one that advertises HDCP 2.2 passthrough.
- Swap the cable. Yes, really. A $4 HDMI cable from a gas station will pass HDCP about 60% of the time. Use a cable rated for HDMI 2.0 or higher, ideally under 6 feet. For DisplayPort, make sure it's a real DP 1.2+ cable and not a DP-to-HDMI passive adapter — those almost never pass HDCP.
- Check the monitor's HDCP setting. Some Dell, LG, and BenQ monitors have an on-screen menu option like HDCP: On/Off or HDCP 2.2: Enable. Dig through Input Settings. If it's off, protected content won't play even on a perfect cable.
- Update the graphics driver. Grab the latest from NVIDIA (551.xx or newer), AMD Adrenalin (24.x), or Intel Arc/Iris. Windows Update is usually 6+ months behind and this exact error is a known driver bug on several Intel UHD 620 builds. Install the vendor driver and reboot.
- Test on a different output. If you've got an HDMI and a DisplayPort on the GPU, try the other one. Sometimes a single port's HDCP keys get corrupted and a cold boot clears it. Power off the PC, unplug the power cord for 30 seconds, plug back in.
- Run the Windows HDCP diagnostic. Open PowerShell as admin and run:
Get-CimInstance -Namespace root\wmi -ClassName WmiMonitorBasicDisplayParams | Select-Object InstanceName, MaxHorizontalImageSize, MaxVerticalImageSizeThis won't confirm HDCP directly, but if a monitor doesn't even report basic display params, the EDID is busted and Windows won't trust it for protected output. A powered HDMI splitter that re-writes EDID fixes those cases.
If none of that works
Try a different monitor entirely — borrow one from a coworker if you have to. If protected video plays on that monitor but not yours, your monitor's HDCP chip is the problem and it's usually not worth repairing. If the video still fails on a known-good monitor, the GPU's HDCP keys are corrupted. On desktop cards you can sometimes reflash the VBIOS; on laptops you're looking at a motherboard swap, so in that case just watch the content on a phone or another device.
One more thing: some virtual machines and Remote Desktop sessions report the output as HDCP-incapable on purpose. If you're RDP'd into the machine, that's why. Log in at the console and try again.
Prevention
Buy cables and adapters that explicitly say "HDCP 2.2 compliant" on the listing. Skip cheap unpowered splitters and passive DP-to-HDMI dongles — they cost $8 and you'll spend two hours debugging them. And keep your GPU driver on the vendor's latest release, not whatever Windows Update pushed six months ago. That one habit kills this error before it ever starts.