27" iMac Video Input With Xbox 360?

[RealEvil]

Yes I agree with your 3 statements.

Fingers crossed my DP200 is faulty but that does seem very unlikely as it clearly 'works'. I don't think there is a firmware update available so that doesn't leave too many options.

As soon as I can later today I will jump onto the Live Chat system they have.

 

[orange.x]

If they claim that you need the scaler, you have to use it too in combination with the 24" ACD, because that one is 1920x1200. And they announced it first as it doesn't need the scaler right? So it doesn't make sense that it really needs the scaler because i believe it doesn't have to because without the scaler it would be possible to get the 1920x1200 resolution..

And you MBP also is capable of outputting a high resolution via DP. My MBP with Dual DVI can output 2560x1600. Is there in the specification of the mDP > DVI converter from Apple a resolution limit?? Let's search for that. Because if the mDP > DVI connector can't get higher than a certain resolution, that might be the problem than... but that wouldn't explain why the xbox isn't able to do that... because the xbox CAN output 1080p.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB571Z/A this is a mDP > DualLink DVI and can output 2560x1600. The normal mDP > DVI adapter can only be connected to the Apple 23" ACD which has a native resolution of 1920x1200.

The resolution of 1920x1200 is not supported by the iMac 27" and therefore I guess that you won't see the 1920x1080 output in the list when the Atlona is connected.

MBP with mDP > iMac is which reso max to use on iMac? 2560x1440?
MBP with mDP > DVI > DVI Monitor is which reso max? 1920x1200?

If the second setup from can only output max 1920x1200 it might be unable to output 1920x1080 because that is a 16:9 aspect ratio and not the 16:10 aspect ratio of the MBP. 2560x1600 == 16:10...

Just to make it complicated Hahah

 

[senc01a]

1) the DP-200 is advertised wrong.
2) the weird set up is causing a problem.
3) maybe we do actually need this up-scaler after all (but this is the least likely explanation in my opinion)

I suspect that it is due to 1.
2 might be, but feel strange.
3 should be discarded since up scaling 720p into 1080p is pointless, and otherwise upscaling 1080p into the same 1080p would be twice as pointless.
4. You adapter is deffective, also pretty unrealistic since it already works at 720p.

Let's see how this comes out.
I am about to order my 27 inch model i7

 

[unamused]

The reason why the screen looks fine 5-6 feet away even at 720 is because of your inability to notice the difference at certain viewing distances. It's the same reason why if your viewing area is far enough away from a tv, 1080P and 720p will look exactly the same.

Im very interested in what Atlona has to say about this. Because, as someone else already mentioned, the imac will be on my desk, and viewing distances are pretty close, i wont accept anything less then 1080p. Native resolution would be even sweeter but the ps3 only puts out 1080p, and based on my experience, upscaling looks kinda mushy since its making up pixels that arent there.

 

[SachaS]

If the second setup from can only output max 1920x1200 it might be unable to output 1920x1080 because that is a 16:9 aspect ratio and not the 16:10 aspect ratio of the MBP. 2560x1600 == 16:10...

I think you could possibly be right about this, but then again 1280x720 is 16:9, so how come that works if the MDP to DVI only supports 16:10?

The reason why the screen looks fine 5-6 feet away even at 720 is because of your inability to notice the difference at certain viewing distances. It's the same reason why if your viewing area is far enough away from a tv, 1080P and 720p will look exactly the same.

Im very interested in what Atlona has to say about this. Because, as someone else already mentioned, the imac will be on my desk, and viewing distances are pretty close, i wont accept anything less then 1080p. Native resolution would be even sweeter but the ps3 only puts out 1080p, and based on my experience, upscaling looks kinda mushy since its making up pixels that arent there.

I was a bit worried about the desk thing too, but after trying to picture it in my head the screen is way big any way. You won't be anywhere near as close as you are when using OSX. You'd have sit a good distance away any way to appreciate what's going on over the whole screen at 720p (unlike OSX where you need to sit right up close just to read the text at 1440p!)

RealEvil what is your opinion, is it worth the money? Will you be playing it at 720p if 1080p isn't possible?

I suspect that it is due to 1.
3 should be discarded since up scaling 720p into 1080p is pointless, and otherwise upscaling 1080p into the same 1080p would be twice as pointless.

Really good point. Though it would be upscaled to 2560x1440 not to 1080p, which doesn't really make much sense as unamused said seeing as the imagine takes up the whole screen any way. I could be wrong about this but wouldn't the up-scaler just be doing what's the Atlona DP-200 does automatically - is that what you are saying senc01a?

 

[orange.x]

I think you could possibly be right about this, but then again 1280x720 is 16:9, so how come that works if the MDP to DVI only supports 16:10?

I've asked someone of Atlone to give me more details about the diffrent resolutions the DP200 is capable of outputting, of perhaps input...

What if the input can't handle 1920x1080? On the website it says:

Note: HDMI source such as PS3 or Apple TV could also be used; however since output resolutions of the sources don`t match with the display you would also need to add an HDMI to HDMI scaler AT-HD560 between source and AT-DP200

But then again it CAN handle 1920x1200 .... and it also says "True pixel to pixel".... So it might be that the input isn't capable of 1080p. That's even more stupid if you'll ask me.

Does somebody else on the net tried a desktop pc with videocard and DP200 the resolution of 1920x1080? Maybe to a Dell monitor or something? Because that would be impossible to if the information of Atlona is right...

 

[SachaS]

^ Yeah, exactly. If the input can't handle 1080p, this up-scaler (which clearly is only needed for the 24 inch LCD) would be up-scaling 720p!

That's rubbish!

I mean we all thought the up-scaler would take the image and up-scale it so that it would display over the whole iMac screen, but the Atlona AT DP-200 does that automatically with the 27inch iMac.

It probably is the Atlona that doesn't go up to 1080! All it says on that quote of yours is 'HDMI source', which could mean 720p not 1080p!

You're bloody right Orange. 'Supports High Resolutions up to 1920x1200!!!' It's not DVI>MDP cable it's the bloody Atlona that doesn't support 1080!

 

[RealEvil]

RealEvil what is your opinion, is it worth the money? Will you be playing it at 720p if 1080p isn't possible?

To be honest I need to play with it a bit more... The quality of the screen is way superior to the Samsung 24" I dragged into the room BUT I have a fairly small Office so I need to move my chair back almost into the doorway to not see the pixelation. The colours etc are phenomenal but up close the quality of test especially is very jaggy.

If there is no 1080p solution I am tempted to either return the product as defective or sell it on EBay. But I am not sure... I will try again over the weekend. I do most of my gaming on a 42" Plasma - this is only so that I can game when my Wife and daughter want to watch the TV in the lounge so it doesn't have to be perfect but 720p is not ideal at all.

 

[orange.x]

^ Yeah, exactly. If the input can't handle 1080p, this up-scaler (which clearly is only needed for the 24 inch LCD) would be up-scaling 720p!

That's rubbish!

I mean we all thought the up-scaler would take the image and up-scale it so that it would display over the whole iMac screen, but the Atlona AT DP-200 does that automatically with the 27inch iMac.

It probably is the Atlona that doesn't go up to 1080! All it says on that quote of yours is 'HDMI source', which could mean 720p not 1080p!

Precisely... But why would it accept an input of 1920x1200 without problem then? That doesn't make any sense... I mean, it's even 120 more lines to output. If they claim "True pixel to pixel" and it can output 1920x1200 itself without a scaler the input should be capable of transmitting a 1920x1200 signal... They should fix that with a firmware upgrade or something..

And what is the product that people talk about that's coming next year then? Something that DOES accept 1080p?

 

[SachaS]

^ 1200 is completely different to 1080 isn't it? Just because the number is higher doesn't mean it can display at any resolution below that many pixels, I imagine they already set the resolutions, and for whatever reason they haven't included 1080p!

Isn't the DP-200 product only a few weeks old? Maybe the iMac 27 inch compatibility was an afterthought because it was released just about the same time they were releasing the DP-200 for the 24 inch LCD, thought: ok let's get a few 16:9 resolutions as well so it'll be compatible but failed to include 1080p for technical (or sales) reason.

This is the only logical explanation.

Yeah I bet the new Atlona 'all in one' ******** that costs 'half as much as the scaler and the DP-200 together' probably will support 1080p.

Any way all we can do now is wait for Atlona to verify this.

 

[orange.x]

^ 1200 is completely different to 1080 isn't it? Just because the number is higher doesn't mean it can display at any resolution below that many pixels, I imagine they already set the resolutions, and for whatever reason they haven't included 1080p!

Isn't the DP-200 product only a few weeks old? Maybe the iMac 27 inch compatibility was an afterthought because it was released just about the same time they were releasing the DP-200 for the 24 inch LCD, thought: ok let's get a few 16:9 resolutions as well so it'll be compatible but failed to include 1080p for technical (or sales) reason.

This is the only logical explanation.

Yeah I bet the new Atlona 'all in one' ******** that costs 'half as much as the scaler and the DP-200 together' probably will support 1080p.

Any way all we can do now is wait for Atlona to verify this.

Well, at least we, probably, did find out why it doesn't work. Now the waiting begins

 

[SachaS]

Just to confuse us even more though O,

if that's right...

Why...

...is 1920x1200 not listed here? MBP is 16:10 screen so it definitely should be!

 

[orange.x]

Just to confuse us even more though O,

if that's right...

Why is 1920x1200 not listed here? MBP is 16:10 screen so it definitely should be!

The iMac itself is 16:9, and since that is the screen that has to show everything... The iMac 27" can't display 16:10. But.. 640x480 is also not 16:9

Interesting to know would be if the iMac can change the resolution to 1920x1200. Or What happens when you connect a MBP with mDP to the iMac, can it display than 1920x1200? I'm off to home, I'll check this thread a little later again I asked a friend of my, who can think very technical, what it could be in the diffrent resolution compatibility. Laters!

 

[SachaS]

I checked the iMac's System Preferences and it can display 1920x1200 so there is no reason why the Atlona won't display the MBP at that resolution...

Very confusing.

 

[RealEvil]

I think I mentioned this earlier but the MBP displaying on the DP200 is very flaky. I have to hit CMD F2 a lot of times back and forth until it works - but the display resolutions never change.

This could have been due to the MDP to DVI adaptor.

If I could get my hands on a DVI machine I could do more testing... :-( Maybe this weekend I can get a friend to come over with a DVI laptop.

 

[RealEvil]

STOP!

Do not purchase the DP200 at the moment. I am Live Chatting with their Support Team. They acknowledge it doesnt work properly with the iMac 27" and that it needs a NON USER UPGRADABLE firmware update to get the higher resolutions. The firmware upgrade is not yet available... everyone (including non residents) need to send it back to the US for the update to be applied and it to be re-tested - no ETA yet.

Epic fail.

 

[cosmicc]

No way! T.T

 

[unamused]

sounds good... im glad they are working on it...

Im in no financial position to buy the imac anymore anyway... at least for the current time being.

 

[SachaS]

That sucks RealEvil.

Well at least they'll be fixing the problem. How will they notify us when it's fixed?

 

[senc01a]

That epic fail makes perfect sense....
Has anyone tried the one available at the apple store?

 

[orange.x]

It's a bit strange when you summ up all the findings on the DP200. I mailed Atlona and asked which resolutions the DP200 can pass through. This is there answer:

HI Mark,

The way, our converter works is it takes EDID (Digital Data File) from the display (iMac 27) and passes it over to the computer (Mac or PC). After computer has received the information it will know what is the native resolution of the display and will let you select it in your computer resolutions settings. The converter is able to pass any resolution up to 1920x1200 which does include 1920x1080 and 1280x1024

Thank you

So it has to be able to work when the input is 1920x1080... very weird. The above posts will clear things up. I'm glad they're working on it
I asked 'em why it then doesn't work with the xbox360. Probably they will tell me the same they told RealEvil. Too bad that the upgrade can't be done by the owner itself.

You could try to convince them to be some sort of test user for them You basicly have all the equipment

Hi Mark,

The Apple 24” only supports 1920x1200, 1280x800 or 1024x640; The Xbox is only able to output 720p and 1080p which is not matching the supported resolutions.
In regards of iMac, you should be able to get 720p, 1080i (not sure if 1080i is supported by Xbox) and 1080p to work without a scaler. I will try to check why it is not working with Xbox, I think it might be a pixel mismatch between the LED Display and Xbox.

Thank you

 

[g3nius20]

That epic fail makes perfect sense....
Has anyone tried the one available at the apple store?

I'm thinking about bringing my 360 to the flagship apple store on 5th Ave in NYC and testing the Gefen converter. When I spoke to one of the "geniuses" the night before I posted the find, they said if I had the box on me they'd rock it out - so I may just call their bluff and see what's up =P

It won't be until the weekend, but I'll be sure to post my results (maybe with some video from the jesusPhone =)).

 

[orange.x]

I'm thinking about bringing my 360 to the flagship apple store on 5th Ave in NYC and testing the Gefen converter. When I spoke to one of the "geniuses" the night before I posted the find, they said if I had the box on me they'd rock it out - so I may just call their bluff and see what's up =P

It won't be until the weekend, but I'll be sure to post my results (maybe with some video from the jesusPhone =)).

For someone with that nickname it would be "genius" to do right? Every input about tests etc will be very appriciated at the moment since everybody wants to know what we can expect from the iMac as a briljant gaming monitor!

 

[unamused]

hopefully by the time atlona gets their act together, i can find a refurbed i7, or maybe theyll have some free ipod promotion (though that seems to only happen before school starts)

 

[g3nius20]

For someone with that nickname it would be "genius" to do right? Every input about tests etc will be very appriciated at the moment since everybody wants to know what we can expect from the iMac as a briljant gaming monitor!

Indeed.. and so shall it be! I'm thinking like saturday night I'll do it, so hopefully they aren't busy - even though at 3am on ANY night theres still like 50 people in there usually =P