27" iMac display controller boards

if you don't understand the point, you probably don't have the expertise needed to pull off the project that you are proposing.

If there was encryption to lock out people from reusing the LCD panel – as opposed to encryption for the purpose of appeasing Hollywood movie studios – hardware hackers who "brought their own controller boards" would have seen NO PICTURE AT ALL. Their controller boards wouldn't have known the encryption keys which the LCD panels were using to lock down EVERYTHING.

If they saw a picture, but "simply" couldn't control the brightness and contrast settings very well, that suggests that the LCD panels were unlocked, but that their home-brew controllers were only PARTIALLY compatible with the reused panels.

"I doubt it." >>> I don't think it's encrypted

"Encryption would likely be no go at all". >>> If it were encrypted you wouldn't be able to do anything. No Go mean "Not Going to happen.

"The fact you can use it in the manner you describe means no encryption I'm thinking." >>> The fact some people are successful with dim images means it's not encrypted.

Is that true?

First, you are not asking Apple here. We are end users like you.

This type of question is far beyond the scope of what Apple—their playground; their rules— wants discussed here by end users and may get zapped by the mods. If you want infor on this, your need ot search for Mac modding sites. They area abundant and most cover monitor mods.

I doubt it. Encryption would likely be no go at all. The fact you can use it in the manner you describe means no encryption I'm thinking.

What with the money and time you'd spend trying to do what you want to do it would be more cost effective to get an inexpensive monitor and use it. Just some food for thought.

There's nothing wrong with a project computer. I have a 2015 21.5" iMac I consider a "project". But what you're talking about is less of a user thing and more of a technician thing. I'd guess 99.99% of the users who come here are not in any way proficient at doing what you want to do. It's just not the focus of this community.

genikifor wrote:

I cant just put to the rubbish can, a great working display! Can you?

I still have all of the Macs that I ever owned – going back to a Mac Plus (that started life as a 128K Mac, before installation of the upgrade kit).

As far as I know, they're still (mostly) in working order, though by now, the ones that are in storage might need replacement of clock/PRAM batteries. But most would only still be worth turning on for games (which tend to get orphaned by their vendors) or as a matter of historical curiosity.

Given that your 27" 2010 iMac is dead – and that you can buy a good, modern, pre-assembled 27" 2560x1440 monitor for $315 to $350 – I'm not sure that it makes sense to spend a lot of time on an electronics project that you do not yet seem qualified to undertake.

The “some one who did this on YouTube” may be much more skilled with hardware than you are.