I found an HDCP stripper on eBay.

EDIT: I found a much cheaper (and smaller) one than the original one that I posted: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251165409775



For those of you who don't know, HDCP is a kind of DRM used with HDMI to encrypt the signal so only HDCP-licensed devices can decrypt it. It's the reason you can't connect a PS3 to a capture box, or a Motorola STB to a Slingbox. The protocol was cracked a while back, and Intel, the company in charge of licensing it, threatened to sue any devices that remove HDCP and reproduce an unprotected signal. It makes circumvention tools like this pretty illegal. Wikipedia has a really good article on it.

Basically, it works like this. Company A (e.g. Sony) wants to make an HDTV. They want their customers to be able to watch whatever HD content they want, so they call up Intel and ask to be granted HDCP licensing. Intel does two things: starts charging Company A an annual fee, and forces them to promise to not copy, reproduce, retransmit, etc. the video/audio signals. This means "you can show it, but you can't record it, transcode it, or anything else. Just show it." Company A agrees, and Intel gives them access to make HDCP keys.

Company B (e.g. Sling Media, makers of the Slingbox) wants to make a Slingbox. They call up Intel and ask to be granted HDCP licensing. They tell Intel that the Slingbox, by definition, both transcodes and retransmits video signal, so Intel tells them to piss off. Even though the HDCP protocol has been cracked, and any yahoo can generate valid HDCP credentials, Sling Media is a corporation that could get in big trouble for doing something like that.

Company C (e.g. wholesale counterfeit/illegitimate Chinese electronics manufacturers) doesn't give a shit what Intel does because the Chinese manufacturers seem to be able to get away with most forms of copyright infringement. They make counterfeit (albeit functioning) HDCP pseudo-compliant devices and sell them on eBay for cheap. At least I hope. I'll let you know when mine comes in the mail.

 

Actually, I'm finding some more as well.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251165409775

At first, it appears to be an ordinary HDMI splitter. But I emailed the seller, inquiring about the alleged "HDCP support" and whether or not that refers to circumvention.



This owns. I'm really shocked that products like HDfury, which claim to circumvent HDCP but actually just down-convert it to component, even exist when you can just find a $30 HDCP stripper on eBay

 

The item description says that it supports 1080p and 3D, both of which would be eliminated if down-conversion was involved in whatever magic happens inside the box.

Also, considering they have a rather lenient return policy for an eBay store AND the fact that I have a message from them saying what the device does, even if I buy it and it ends up not working like they said it should, I can either return it or file a SNAD with eBay.


EDIT: I just bought one. I'll let you know if/how well it works when I get it.

 

I got it in the mail the other day. I don't have any non-HDCP-compliant equipment right now (I took my new Slingbox back when I found out about this HDCP bullshit >:[ ) but I'm buying a Roxio Gamecap HD right now. Will report back with my findings. Fingers crossed.

 

The beautiful thing about eBay/PayPal is that they always take the buyers' side, so if this thing doesn't work, I'll be getting my money back. That's specifically why I asked the seller that question; I have his claims on record with eBay, so if they are false, PayPal can fully reimburse me.