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27" iMac Video Input With Xbox 360?

soomld said:
Anyone brought the
Belkin AV360 HDMI-to-Mini DisplayPort Converter
from Apple Store?

Izzt as awesome as the altona one?

http://store.apple.com/sg/product/H0360PA/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MTg4NDU3MTk
Click to expand...

If you're buying new, Atlona makes a similar model to that Belkin that you can find cheaper (http://www.atlona.com/Atlona-HDMI-to-Mini-DisplayPort-Converter-and-Scaler.html), but it doesn't include a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable, and can't run on USB power without an additional cable that takes up 2 USB ports. Does include an HDMI cable, though.

I've read in earlier posts that the AT-HD620 produces better results than the Kanex in terms of image quality. Don't know that firsthand, or if that would mean any of the other 720p converter/scalers.

I'm pretty impressed with the AT-HD620 so far...good with both Blu-ray and SD DVDs. I would think that since the most obvious effect of the scaling is in modern graphics, it would best suit games that are in true 1080p. However, I'm seeing good results with both 480/576 sources. Drop-off might be more noticeable with games.
 
I'm also searching for an HDMI to (mini-) displayport adapter.

Since I'm from Europe, my options are limited so they are: Kanex XD, Belfan EA-HCHD and the Atlona AT-DP300.

I'm very interested in the DP300 because it's the only adapter which clarifies it can scale the signal (adapter can scale any incoming resolution to any required output resolution) and is not-iMac-or-Cinema-Display-only! I understand the iMac won't display 1080p (wherefore the Atlona HD620 must be bought which can scale it to 1440p) BUT if future iMacs WILL display 1080p this DP300 will be capable of doing so (nothing to be found on Kanex's, Belfan's,... sites). Another advantage is it accepts any input resolution (again, nothing to be found of on Kanex's, Belfan's,...). Advantage n°3: Atlona literally confirmes it works with ANY (mini-) displayport displays like HP's or Dell's or... (again Kanex's, Belfan's,... sites keep their mouth shut about this, and only mention the current iMac and Cinema Display's)

You must be thinking: "Why doubt then? Why ask us? Just buy the stupid thing!" :D Well... here's the problem: I said I'm from Europe, and I can get the Kanex and Belfan with an European power adapter. But I must buy the Atlona from the US. So here is the question to the DP300 owners: Is an European power adapter/plug included in the same package? Prices don't matter, for every adapter the same in my situation.

Or am I to paranoia and is the Kanex XD also capable of all these Atlona 'exclusives'?
 
If apple provided a hdmi in port .. all these products would go obsolete. just saying .. won't happen though .. i will buy the belfan one .. its the cheapest ... i dont want to spend £100+
 
iMac Refresh

Hi All,

Any changes with the iMac refreshes that just came out? Any chance for true 1080p from these machines? I'm considering a setup like this, the premium of purchasing a 27" iMac is justified by the fact that it's actually a rockin' cool display for my XBox.
 
Yes, they changed something: the fact you CAN'T use a HDMI-to-MiniDisplayport converter anymore.

So to everyone who still didn't know: don't get the Belfan, Belkin av360, Kanex xd, Atlona DP300, Atlona HD620,... It will not work with the 2011 iMacs

Why? Because the Thunderbolt-port(s) on the iMacs will only accept video-input from another Thunderbolt device, which today is only the 2011 Macbook Pro and the 2011 iMac itself. This means other MiniDisplayport output-devices like a 2010 Macbook Pro, or the HDMI converters, won't work anymore. MiniDisplayport video-output however is still supported within Thunderbolt. Which means any MiniDisplayport display, or adapter, will continue to work.

To keep it simple:
- iMac will accept video from a Thunderbolt-device like the 2011 Macbook Pro
- iMac will NOT accept video from a MiniDisplayport-device like the HDMI-to-MiniDisplayport converters
- iMac will output video to Thunderbolt devices like another 2011 iMac
- iMac will output video to MiniDisplayport devices like the 27" Cinema Display adapter.

BUT don't cry: Kanex confirmed it's working on a successor for the Kanex XD, a HDMI-to-Thunderbolt converter! It'll be announced soon, but the actual release date, 1080p support or price is still unknown
-Source:http://www.kanexlive.com/forums/showthread.php/215-Kanex-XD-and-NEW-iMac-Thunderbolt
 
The 2011 iMacs can only be used as external displays through a Thunderbolt source. This means an actual Thunderbolt source like the 2011 MBPs using a real Thunderbolt cable (not a mini displayport one). From what I heard there isn't any such cables available yet, but it doesnt matter since your XBox cannot supply a Thunderbolt signal.

The only way the 2011 iMacs can be used with an XBox in the future is if some manufacturer comes up with an active HDMI/DVI/DisplayPort to THunderbolt converter/switch, which is highly unlikely to come before 2012 if at all. A simple HDMI->DisplayPort adapter will not work even if the cable is mechanically and electrically compatible to THunderbolt.

Also no one can know if this form of video in is Apple proprietary, so even if for example one day regular PC graphics card get a THunderbolt-out it might not work.

Short Answer:
2011 iMacs can not be used as an external Monitor for anything other then Apple products with ThunderBolt (which only are the 2011 MBPs and iMacs). And this will probably never change, so if thats a criteria for your purchase I'd get my hand on a refurbished 2010 27" iMac where it will at least work with the correct adapters.
 
I HAVE TRIED IT.

It did not work.

iMac, 27", hdmi to MD port. <- I do not have the thunderbolt iMac, I have the previous version.

Could not get the machine to get into Target Display mode. Command F2 does not work worth ****. Nothing seems to be appearing in settings. Nothing.

Taking back the adapter tomorrow.
 
The 2010 iMac only allows 720p as hdmi input, even when using a hdmi->displayport adapter. You need to set your PS3/Xbox to 720p output in order for it to work (which sucks). Maybe you didn't set it to 720p yet?
 
I have a pc and i wanna to connect to iMac monitor.
For Play at 1440p shoul i wait for some adaptara first?
 
We're obviously waiting for an update to the Kanex XD, for use on the new iMac's; is there anything else that works for PS3 -> iMac 2011.
 
The cable is not available yet, but soon by Kanex. Just be patient. I got this from this website. The link is below. It has also been discussed in a couple of posts. The is the quote from the website.

"Accessory maker Kanex said Thursday afternoon that it was developing a new version of the Kanex XD to support the new Thunderbolt-equipped iMacs. Video-in would work on the new ports, Kanex said, but changes were needed. A new version of the HDMI-to-MiniDP adapter was coming "soon."...

http://fr.zicos.com/mac/i25767905-Kanex-XD-to-need-remake-to-work-with-Thunderbolt-iMacs.html
 
Hey guys, - just tracked down this thread!

Figured I'd mention that since updating to 10.6.8 on my iMac, I've lost the ability to adjust the brightness with my Atlona AT-HD620. Not sure why... it worked perfectly earlier today, prior to 10.6.8.

I made a thread on it here, and nobody seems to have noticed yet, it seems. :)

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=12818035#post12818035

Anyway, any of you updated to 10.6.8 and noticed the same thing? Thanks!
 
Hi guys. I'm looking to buy one either the Belfan converter or the Dr Bott converter, as these two seem pretty reasonably priced compared the the Kanex XD.

Is there any difference, at all, between the three of those visually? I can't seem to find a clear answer anywhere.

I can purchase the Belfan off eBay from the US, however, I hate dealing with shipping times etc, and it comes with a US power adapter which is of no use to me, and I'd have to find a solution. Total Price: £36 including shipping.

Or, I can buy the Dr Bott, from Amazon. Much simpler purchase, more expensive price. But ships from the UK with a UK power adapter. Total Price: £65. I don't mind spending the extra for the convenience, providing the quality is the same.

Can someone point me in the right direction? I have a Mid 2010 27" iMac, so that fits the profile.

Also, has upgrading to Lion had any effect on these converters? I can't imagine they would but you never know.

Your advice is invaluable, thanks.
 
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Bear in mind in 10.6.8 and 10.7, brightness adjustment is broken with Target Display mode. Your brightness is locked to max with no adjustment possible. I started a thread on it here, and there's a thread on the Apple discussion boards about it. That's why I'm back on 10.6.7 still.

The Kanex/Dr Bott are good. Also look into the Atlona 620 since it can do 1080p. The Kanex/Dr Bott do 720p.
 
Jofamo said:
Hi guys. I'm looking to buy one either the Belfan converter or the Dr Bott converter, as these two seem pretty reasonably priced compared the the Kanex XD.
Click to expand...

Jofamo I'd be interested to know what you finally go with as I was looking around at the Kanex XD, AV360 and the Dr Bott. I don't really mind the cost of the Kanex XD but the things that kept coming up as issues was it breaking within a few weeks / months, the heat issues and having to connect in a certain order each time that you wanted to use it. The AV360 I just couldn't find in the UK or somewhere that would directly ship over and then came across the Dr Bott which seemed alright and a decent price.

If anyone has any personal experience with any of the products I'd be interested to know your opinions :)
Thanks.
 
WilliamG said:
Bear in mind in 10.6.8 and 10.7, brightness adjustment is broken with Target Display mode. Your brightness is locked to max with no adjustment possible. I started a thread on it here, and there's a thread on the Apple discussion boards about it. That's why I'm back on 10.6.7 still.

The Kanex/Dr Bott are good. Also look into the Atlona 620 since it can do 1080p. The Kanex/Dr Bott do 720p.
Click to expand...

Is this true even when using mini-dp to mini-dp cable with not box in between?

Cheers,
 
Man, so glad I didn't pull the trigger on a Thunderbolt iMac. Would like one and will buy one as soon as HDMI input is possible. Then I can get rid of my TV and save space. Ideally I'd prefer HDMI input for a 40" or 50" Apple display.
 
So Today I received my Dr.Bott Digital Video Link, which I bought off Amazon at the above link in my previous post.

And I don't regret it at all.

I did a lot (and I mean a lot) of research before jumping the gun on this. Loads of online reviews, loads of Youtube videos on every type of converter out there.

My main reservation was artefacts, sorta like JPEG compression that might result from the conversion process. Youtube videos would not show these kind of defects and I couldn't find any confirmation otherwise.

I'm happy to say that the quality of video is 1:1. It is astounding and there is absolutely no loss at all. No lag either.

The only complaint some may have is the 720p restriction, but seeing as I'm using this with a 360, this is negligible. There are about 10 games max out currently for the 360 which output at 1080, everything else is 720 or less. So there is no loss in quality at all. Coupled with the fact that my 27" iMac sports a resolution of 2560x1440, which is exactly double the 1280x720 resolution, all it results in is a pixel doubling effect. Each pixel of the game is double that on the iMacs screen. From 2 foot away you won't even notice.

So yes, glorious review from me here, no problems at all. (The max brightness issue will be solved in 10.7.2 next month).

AZTEkmpCQAATUS9.jpg:large
 
Jofamo said:
So Today I received my Dr.Bott Digital Video Link, which I bought off Amazon at the above link in my previous post.

And I don't regret it at all.

I did a lot (and I mean a lot) of research before jumping the gun on this. Loads of online reviews, loads of Youtube videos on every type of converter out there.

My main reservation was artefacts, sorta like JPEG compression that might result from the conversion process. Youtube videos would not show these kind of defects and I couldn't find any confirmation otherwise.

I'm happy to say that the quality of video is 1:1. It is astounding and there is absolutely no loss at all. No lag either.

The only complaint some may have is the 720p restriction, but seeing as I'm using this with a 360, this is negligible. There are about 10 games max out currently for the 360 which output at 1080, everything else is 720 or less. So there is no loss in quality at all. Coupled with the fact that my 27" iMac sports a resolution of 2560x1440, which is exactly double the 1280x720 resolution, all it results in is a pixel doubling effect. Each pixel of the game is double that on the iMacs screen. From 2 foot away you won't even notice.

So yes, glorious review from me here, no problems at all. (The max brightness issue will be solved in 10.7.2 next month).

Image
Click to expand...

So jealous... stupid thunderbolt holding me back...
 
SkippyScud said:
So jealous... stupid thunderbolt holding me back...
Click to expand...

I'm actually a little concerned on that very subject. My iMac appears to be developing a very slight shadowing along the top edge. I'm covered by Apple Care, so it's a simple trip to the store to get replaced should it get worse and unsightly. But you sometimes hear offers of Apple Store offering slight upgrades to repairs, and if they offered to upgrade my (not ever a year old top-end iMac) to a thunderbolt equipped one, I'd have to turn it down :confused:
 
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