I have a 1366x768 50" plasma screen with DVI, VGA, and Component connections but it doesn't have hdcp.

I figure there is a Monitor or TV out there that has a reusable circuit board in it that I can salvage in order to receive an HDCP signal and output DVI or a high quality analog signal.

Maybe I'm completely wrong. I tinker but don't fully understand this level of electronics.

Is this possible and where should I start looking?

Thanks

The only separate component that will handle HDCP is called the HDFury. This basically takes a digital/HDCP protected signal, performs the necessary HDCP protocol mumbo jumbo, and then converts the digital signal to analog to be output over a VGA connection. With your current plasma screen, you could pipe HDCP content into your VGA input using the HDFury.

I don't know of any way to properly handle the HDCP mumbo jumbo and maintain the digital signal for your display.

This is why people hate DRM.

Those that want to circumvent it for illegal reasons will do so easily, simply by downloading HD content on a bittorrent network or ripping out the DRM and watching it on whatever they want. Those that want to play by the rules get screwed because they can only watch approved media on approved hardware, and sometimes have to spend $300 on connectors, or thousands replacing parts of their home theatre just to get it to play. I hope nobody here is still under the illusion that when sony put HDCP into BluRay they were doing it to prevent criminal activity, and not just to sell everyone a new HDCP enabled TV.

Bottom line: DRM hurts normal people and provides only minor inconvenience to criminals.

I'm totally with you on this guys but I still wonder about the screen manufacturers approach to implementing decryption in their screens.

Whats the chance that there's a TV or monitor out there with a relatively poor implementation that provides a useable signal after it's been decrypted??

I prefer to fashion things Macgyver style rather than buying something off the shelf. Failing this I'll pick up a HDFury2.