Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
i really hope the adaptor solution isnt that expensive... honestly, what sold me on the imac was the display... if i cant plug in my ps3 or cable box... im probably going to end up building another pc... *sigh* i was actually getting excited about getting a mac. :(
 
...Surfing around several forums, it is rumoured that the Atlona Converter does NOT work with the iMac 27'', because all it does is adapting the signal from HDMI/DVI to MDP and thus passing through the original resolution...
Yes, it's been confirmed by one person who purchased the Atlona converter that it doesn't work with the new iMac's video input.
dr.strangelove said:
...1st: In order to find out whether the problem is the discrepancy between input resolution and native resolution only, someone should try the Atlona Converter with a native iMac resolution of 1920 x 1080...
I'm not certain what you are asking, but there is no "native iMac resolution of 1920x1080" for video input. It appears that the only input resolution that is supported is 2560x1440 and thus the input has to be at that resolution or it won't work. When you select to display or use a "resolution" that is different than the physical resolution of the LCD the video card just scales the source up to the full physical resolution of the LCD. However, on the iMac's video input there appears to be no internal mechanism that will scale the input and thus it has to be at the full physical resolution of the LCD.
dr.strangelove said:
...3rd: I'd like to toss out the question to you techies out there how the hell that target display mode works with a MacBook Pro running natively in - let's say 1080p? I guess it works because in the MBP's tech specs it says "Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors". So is the miracle just the ability of the MBP's graphic card to double output different resolutions? In this case: 1080p to the MBP's own display and 2560 x 1440 to the 27'' iMac?...
Again, I'm not completely certain what you are asking. However, with a typical display when you fill the screen completely you are still running at the full physical resolution on the LCD even though the image may be scaled up from a lower resolution source. Thus, when you mirror the 17" MacBook's display when it is set to 1920x1200 (or lower) the video card will scale the 1920x1200 image up to 2560x1440 before it sends it over to the iMac's video input. Thus, you have a scaled 1920x1200 image that is displayed at the full physical resolution of the iMac's display.
 
...

So I brought home a Dell Optiplex 760 from work for testing.... It has a Displayport out and we use Dp to DVI adapters, so i brought one of them home too... First off I went from the Dell to my Lg 24" 1080p monitor via Dp adapter to dvi and change the resolution up to 1920x1080 then disconnected from fp and plugged into Atlona to iMac... Sooo it's now Dell Dp>DVI>Atlona convertor>mini Dp>iMac it auto switched and worked right off the bat, but resolution dropped down to 800x600 with black border all around... So I turned it up to the highest 1600x1200 and it was stretched pass the screen where I had to move the cursor around to see the whole screen... So next I Cmd F2 back to OSx and then tried to go back into tdm and just went black and then back to OSx... So I unplugged mini Dp from back and then back in and it automatically switch to the dell but the res was back at 800x600... Didn't really solve much other than I found that the Atlona works with my 27's input but there's not a whole lot of hope lol ... Also, this makes me even more confused on its a scaling issue with the 360,PS3, Bluray, etc.
Let me hear everyones comments........
THANKS
 
So I brought home a Dell Optiplex 760 from work for testing.... It has a Displayport out and we use Dp to DVI adapters, so i brought one of them home too... First off I went from the Dell to my Lg 24" 1080p monitor via Dp adapter to dvi and change the resolution up to 1920x1080 then disconnected from fp and plugged into Atlona to iMac... Sooo it's now Dell Dp>DVI>Atlona convertor>mini Dp>iMac it auto switched and worked right off the bat, but resolution dropped down to 800x600 with black border all around... So I turned it up to the highest 1600x1200 and it was stretched pass the screen where I had to move the cursor around to see the whole screen... So next I Cmd F2 back to OSx and then tried to go back into tdm and just went black and then back to OSx... So I unplugged mini Dp from back and then back in and it automatically switch to the dell but the res was back at 800x600... Didn't really solve much other than I found that the Atlona works with my 27's input but there's not a whole lot of hope lol ... Also, this makes me even more confused on its a scaling issue with the 360,PS3, Bluray, etc.
Let me hear everyones comments........
THANKS
All of the scaling was coming from the video card in the Dell. I suspect that the reason it kind of worked in a few setups is that the Dell tried to auto-sense the display resolution and then output that resolution to the Atlona which then converted from DVI to MiniDisplayPort. However, single-link DVI tops out at 1920x1200 so I don't think there is any way for the Atlona converter to accept any resolution beyond that.

Too bad you couldn't try the Dell's native DisplayPort output when connected directly to the iMac (with a DisplayPort-to-Mini DisplayPort cable).
 
...

However, single-link DVI tops out at 1920x1200 so I don't think there is any way for the Atlona converter to accept any resolution beyond that.

Right, and the Atlona says up to "1920x1200 input" and isn't 1920x1080 the highest that we need to input...

Too bad you couldn't try the Dell's native DisplayPort output when connected directly to the iMac (with a DisplayPort-to-Mini DisplayPort cable).

I might be able to come up with that cable later, I'll let you know how it turns out...

In the mean time, I've got a couple other ideas I want to try out, as I will also post on how they goes
 
Update

So brought home another Dell with a DVI output... First, I went DVI with Dell to my Lg changed the res to 1920x1080 then pulled it out and plugged it into the Atlona ... So Dell DVI > Atlona > mini Dp to iMac... It auto switched, went black for a bit, then finally change to the Dell output ... Looked at the res and it was was changed 1280x720... If I Cmd F2 back to OSx and then back, it won't recognize the Dell... But if I unplug the mini Dp from imac then back in, the Dell pops back on...
I tried one other thing with this Dell. I output from the Dell's VGA, connected a VGA to DVI adapter to the Atlona then mini Dp to iMac ... No luck there...
 
If you had a displayport why were you messing with a scaler.

A display port to mini display port adapter should have you at native resolution

Many have claimed to have this running from the ati 5870 but no photos yet.


So I brought home a Dell Optiplex 760 from work for testing.... It has a Displayport out and we use Dp to DVI adapters, so i brought one of them home too... First off I went from the Dell to my Lg 24" 1080p monitor via Dp adapter to dvi and change the resolution up to 1920x1080 then disconnected from fp and plugged into Atlona to iMac... Sooo it's now Dell Dp>DVI>Atlona convertor>mini Dp>iMac it auto switched and worked right off the bat, but resolution dropped down to 800x600 with black border all around... So I turned it up to the highest 1600x1200 and it was stretched pass the screen where I had to move the cursor around to see the whole screen... So next I Cmd F2 back to OSx and then tried to go back into tdm and just went black and then back to OSx... So I unplugged mini Dp from back and then back in and it automatically switch to the dell but the res was back at 800x600... Didn't really solve much other than I found that the Atlona works with my 27's input but there's not a whole lot of hope lol ... Also, this makes me even more confused on its a scaling issue with the 360,PS3, Bluray, etc.
Let me hear everyones comments........
THANKS
 
If you had a displayport why were you messing with a scaler.

A display port to mini display port adapter should have you at native resolution

Many have claimed to have this running from the ati 5870 but no photos yet.

1st, it's not a scaler , it's a convertor (dvi to mini dp)
2nd, I don't have dp to mini dp cable and yes others have already confirmed that
Last, my main objective isn't putting a pc into the imac, it's displaying gaming systems via the convertor
 
1st, it's not a scaler , it's a convertor (dvi to mini dp)
2nd, I don't have dp to mini dp cable and yes others have already confirmed that
Last, my main objective isn't putting a pc into the imac, it's displaying gaming systems via the convertor



My only point in posting that is that no one has posted an image of a display port equipped pc working on the imac yet.
 
Hi, I'm new in this forum, congratulations for this amazing community :)

I wondered if there's something new about hook up ps3 or xbox360 in new imacs...there isn't it?

regards from spain:apple:
 
My only point in posting that is that no one has posted an image of a display port equipped pc working on the imac yet.


I think are many of us waiting to see gleaming pic all connected and working... time will tell, but by hope it's in this thread. Work is obviously being put in.
 
Unless Belkin comes out with that adapter, I don't really see any reasons or clues that indicate that Apple is going to come out with any kind of cable / adapter anytime soon.
As many of you I really need an HDMI input (for PS3 & Xbox) so that I can get rid of my old 24 inch screen and just rely on the amazing 27", nothing else.

Let's just be patient and hope that some company exploits this business opportunity.
 
I went into a local Best Buy tonight and started chatting with the mac rep... I mentioned I wanted to see if the 27" would be able to play back an xbox 360.
I ended up going home and grabbed my 360 w/hdmi port, mini dp -> dual link dvi, and a dvi -> hdmi cable... Went back to the store and..

We got everything connected and turned on, to no xbox 360 video sadly...

It was worth a shot! Any other ideas to make this work??
 
I went into a local Best Buy tonight and started chatting with the mac rep... I mentioned I wanted to see if the 27" would be able to play back an xbox 360.
I ended up going home and grabbed my 360 w/hdmi port, mini dp -> dual link dvi, and a dvi -> hdmi cable... Went back to the store and..

We got everything connected and turned on, to no xbox 360 video sadly...

It was worth a shot! Any other ideas to make this work??

Wow, way to really try it out, thanks!

It's obviously going to need an active converter, simple adapters and cables just aren't going to work. The article mentioned earlier in this thread explains why.

Hopefully once the rest of the systems start shipping later this month, and a little time passes, we'll start seeing more 3rd parties create peripherals to make this work.
 
Wow, way to really try it out, thanks!

Hopefully once the rest of the systems start shipping later this month, and a little time passes, we'll start seeing more 3rd parties create peripherals to make this work.

And hopefully those peripherals are not $200 - $300 like the existing active converters. Probably they will be though, cause they not only have to convert HDMI - minidisplay port, they also have to upscale 1080p to the iMac's resolution. :(
 
what about atlona, xbox360 and APD 24' ?

Hi guys,

I know the case with this thread is whether we can hook an xbox 360 with a new imac 27', but I am also interested in whether we can use our console with an Apple Cinema Display 24' as well?
So since some of you have already the atlona active converter is there anyone by any chance tested an xbox360 or PS3 with this converter on an APD 24' ?

Thanks
 
Just raising your hopes/spreading rumours by quoting from Macworld's Roman Loyola (05/11/2009):

"The 27-inch iMac’s Mini DisplayPort has an very interesting new feature. It has video-in capability, so you can connect a external video source like a MacBook, Blu-ray player, or even a Playstation 3, and use the 27-inch iMac as a monitor. According to Apple, the computer is still on when in this mode, and you can press Command-F2 on your keyboard to switch between the computer and the external video source. Apple also said that you can connect a video source while the iMac is
on, so there’s no need to shut down. To use the 27-inch iMac’s video in, you need to have either a DisplayPort-compliant source like a MacBook, or you can use an adapter for a non-DisplayPort device, such as an HDMI-to-Mini DisplayPort video-in adapter. However, Apple said it has no plans to produce such adapters, leaving it up to third-party manufacturers."


After all, I don't think he is as aware of the problem of upscaling to the iMac's resolution as we all are in this forum ;).

BTW: Belkin has now dismissed the search result for its HDMI adapter as well...

Well, not that much hope-raising, huh...?
Cheers!
 
Not sure if this was posted yet, following the thread only loosely, but I am interested in this..

Here's an item listed in the 10.6.2 update:

Graphics fixes provided for:

* an issue when connecting monitors to DVI and Mini DisplayPort adapters

I wonder if this relates at all? Over time I'm sure we'll see this issues resolved or at least explained fully...
 
Does anybody know what happens when you connect an MBP with max output of 1920x1200 to the new 27" iMac? Does it scale? Does it show black borders around the 1920x1200?

When it streches the input to the screen, it possibly would also work with future videocamera's that would have a mDP output right? When 1080P will be stretched to the 27" screen.

If you keep that in mind, would the 1080P that comes from the Xbox work on the 27" iMac but then stretched???

If so, than the Altena adapter would already work with the Xbox as input and the iMac 27" as sreen for the Xbox.
 
Not resolution issue

Honestly I believe that when I was testing my Atlona, it had nothing to do with scaling and had everything to do with the beginning source. I tried 3 different HDMI sources, 2 DVI sources, 1 DP source and 1 VGA source. All with the right adapters going into the Atlona out w/ mini DP to the iMac. I tried MANY different resolutions with each of the sources. And no matter what the DVI and DP sources would always get recognized by the iMac. The iMac would display them at there native res no matter what and just put a black frame. Sometimes it would try to stretch resolutions bigger than 1024x768. None of the other sources would come close...
THANKS
 
Honestly I believe that when I was testing my Atlona, it had nothing to do with scaling and had everything to do with the beginning source. I tried 3 different HDMI sources, 2 DVI sources, 1 DP source and 1 VGA source. All with the right adapters going into the Atlona out w/ mini DP to the iMac. I tried MANY different resolutions with each of the sources. And no matter what the DVI and DP sources would always get recognized by the iMac. The iMac would display them at there native res no matter what and just put a black frame. Sometimes it would try to stretch resolutions bigger than 1024x768. None of the other sources would come close...
THANKS
You're saying that with the Atlona you can put your xbox onto the imac screen but than with black borders?
 
You're saying that with the Atlona you can put your xbox onto the imac screen but than with black borders?

No, the DVI and DP sources have black borders if the resolution isn't high enough... The xbox is one of the HDMI sources I referred to not working..

So my conclusion is that it is for sure an electirical issue of conversion that the Atlona can't do for the iMac to recognize...

THANKS
ZR
 
ahhhhh this is seriously the ONLY thing holding me back from converting from PC to mac. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE work!!!
 
ahhhhh this is seriously the ONLY thing holding me back from converting from PC to mac. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE work!!!

Not sure if it's already been suggested, as I don't have the time to read all of the posts. The Elgato EyeTV Hybrid should be able to do it. It plugs into the USB port. The device has a breakaway cable that has the Red Yellow and White inputs. So you can plug your xBox or whatever else uses those cables into it. Also has the ability to plug into your houses cable.

It costs about $180. I'm going to be buying one next paycheck.

Hope this helps!:rolleyes:
 
Not sure if it's already been suggested, as I don't have the time to read all of the posts. The Elgato EyeTV Hybrid should be able to do it. It plugs into the USB port. The device has a breakaway cable that has the Red Yellow and White inputs. So you can plug your xBox or whatever else uses those cables into it. Also has the ability to plug into your houses cable.

It costs about $180. I'm going to be buying one next paycheck.

Hope this helps!:rolleyes:

thanks for the tip!

just checked it out and it doesnt look like it accepts HDMI inputs, and it said there is a slight delay which for gaming/bluray is unacceptable to me.... one of my biggest pet peeves is audio/vido sync issues.

hope someone comes out with a solution that is affordable asap!!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.