You just hit on probably the major reason that a high resolution computer display will never make a good tv replacement. No matter how you try to upconvert a 1080p signal it is never going to look great on a monitor at that resolution, and displaying 1080p material at 1080p resolution will be blocky and/or fuzzy because it is not the display's native resolution. I still say that unless you are desperate for a display for your ps3/xbox or unless you just want to waste your money then a tv of the correct resolution is a much better bet.
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27" iMac Video Input With Xbox 360?
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You must not have kids. My PS3 and WII are attached to a Sony 60" in the living room. I would like to play with them in my office, but don't have the room to dedicate to another big screen.
D.
actually the atlona converter/scaler combo is said to work with the new 27" imacs. I chatted with a couple of employees there via email and their live chat on their website. the problem is the entire setup costs close to 400 dollars. Supposedly they are making an all in one converter/scaler that will be approximately half the price but thats still a 200 dollar setup.
Belkin had at one point a to be released product that was an hdmi-mini displayport adapter of some sort but it has vanished off their website... i sent them an email this morning so hopefully we will get word soon what the status is of the device.
I was hoping the solution would cost no more then 50 or so dollars but it looks like its just not gonna happen. with the amount of money i was willing to spend on the iMac, i could now build a killer PC and and nice HDTV (still probably not as sharp looking as the imac) but its just ridiculous.
I use to think the iMac was actually a decent deal compared to other overpriced Mac products since the display is so amazing but now that we have discovered that the display is pretty much only compatible with other minidisplay port products (mostly mac products) the value to me has dropped significantly.
To be honest, i still am considering getting the mac, but im just apprehensive about spending so much money just to hook up my ps3... i mean the atlona setup is going to cost more then a brand new ps3 by itself.
A lot of console gamers actually use monitors for gaming as the contrast ratio is superior and the refresh rate is a lot better. Would it be that noticeable a difference if the resolution was downgraded? Would it be noticeably blockier or only negligibly so?
exactly... i mean it really makes no sense to skip on adding another input... apple would have everything to gain if they allowed you to plug in other devices to use the imac as a display.
i seriously cant think of 1 negative from including an hdmi/dvi input on the back of the imac.
Other than the fact that Apple wants you to get your video content through iTunes?
too bad their video content pales in comparison to blu-ray.
I understand how they want you to buy their content but seriously? im willing to bet by including other input device options, there wouldnt be any significant change in their sales of their "HD" content. I would much rather spend the 400 dollars for the atlona setup then buy 400 dollars worth of crappy pseudo-HD movies.
Thing is, the 360 and PS3 are direct competitors of iTunes. Both have Netflix streaming and PS3 has its own video store with purchasing and rentals. Blu-ray is an indirect competitor. As is VOD from cable/sat.
I agree about iTunes/Netflix quality being poor vs. blu-ray. But sadly, most people still think DVD quality is superlative, so the point is somewhat moot.
yeah... sometimes i wish i wasnt so picky with things but once ive experienced something better... i just cant settle.
i literally cant roll my eyes enough when a friend tells me they cant tell the difference between watching a blu-ray movie and standard DVD.
I guess cause I've never seen a blu-ray movie that's why I'm still happy with my dvd collection
maybe I shouldn't get that blu-ray drive for my iMac i had my eye on
Here's some information on MDP and HDMI I found on wiki:
"In the interest of interoperability, the display port connection is capable of supporting HDMI/DVI signals.[8] DisplayPort has issued guidelines on the construction of active DisplayPort-to-VGA, DisplayPort-to-SVIDEO/Composite/Other, DisplayPort-to-Dual-Link-DVI/HDMI, and Dual-Link-DVI/HDMI-to-DisplayPort Converters. In addition to active converters, the same guideline document also describes a way for devices supporting both DisplayPort and DVI 1.0 or HDMI to use a single DisplayPort connector for both, using a relatively simple adapter that adjusts for the lower voltages required by the DisplayPort connector. A Notable limitation is that this is limited to Single Link DVI/HDMI, and that an active Converter is needed for Dual-Link communication."
"In the interest of interoperability, the display port connection is capable of supporting HDMI/DVI signals.[8] DisplayPort has issued guidelines on the construction of active DisplayPort-to-VGA, DisplayPort-to-SVIDEO/Composite/Other, DisplayPort-to-Dual-Link-DVI/HDMI, and Dual-Link-DVI/HDMI-to-DisplayPort Converters. In addition to active converters, the same guideline document also describes a way for devices supporting both DisplayPort and DVI 1.0 or HDMI to use a single DisplayPort connector for both, using a relatively simple adapter that adjusts for the lower voltages required by the DisplayPort connector. A Notable limitation is that this is limited to Single Link DVI/HDMI, and that an active Converter is needed for Dual-Link communication."
So if the resolution dropped to 800x600 that negates the claim that the outputting device needs to be displaying content at the iMac's native resolution for it to work...
okay... after countless emails to atlona, as well as a few live chats with other support staff members... I bit the bullet and purchased both components.
sadly the dp200 is backordered right now since they are rolling out the new ones that support the 27" imac.
Anyway, i still have to order the imac but once i get everything together, i will post up my findings...
Im definitely keeping all my email streams with atlona in case something happens and i need to get a refund.
sadly the dp200 is backordered right now since they are rolling out the new ones that support the 27" imac.
Anyway, i still have to order the imac but once i get everything together, i will post up my findings...
Im definitely keeping all my email streams with atlona in case something happens and i need to get a refund.
I still haven't enough money for new 27"imac, I think I`ll have one in 2010, Q1.
Unamused, your test would be very usefull for all people in my situation, I wait impatiently your news...
I think that the problem could be output resolution of atlona scaler, maybe it can't bring enough upscale to reach imac native resolution, isn't it?
Unamused, your test would be very usefull for all people in my situation, I wait impatiently your news...
I think that the problem could be output resolution of atlona scaler, maybe it can't bring enough upscale to reach imac native resolution, isn't it?
atlona said that it will work with the new imac's. I specifically sent emails saying i wanted to hook up the ps3 to the new 2560X1440 27" imac and was told that the new dp200 will scale to that resolution.
So does this Atlona converter work? Anyone tried it yet? Is a scaler needed for 1080p or 720p sources? Or those resolutions are supported and scaled/stretched by the iMac 27" itself?
http://www.atlona.com/Atlona-DVI-to-Mini-DisplayPort-Converter-p-17859.html
http://www.atlona.com/Atlona-DVI-to-Mini-DisplayPort-Converter-p-17859.html
QUOTES from the Atlona page linked above:
So it sounds to me like a DVI output would work, although at 1080p resolution so maybe with black bars around the edge of the iMac's screen, but HDMI needs scaling.
Not sure why there is such a difference between the two...
Anyone know anything further?
It's not possible that there is such difference between DVI and HDMI sources. HDMI and DVI, regarding video, are the same. (the proof: it only takes a passive cable to convert HDMI to DVI)
I think that disclaimer is about Apple Cinema Display 24" (which is 16:10) and not iMac 27" (which is 16:9, like 1080p HDTVs). At least I hope that.
Look at this thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/801855/
Possibly, but the model is described and marketed and a DVI to mini-displayport converter.
There is no mention of HDMI converting anywhere. Perhaps thats why a HDMI source requires a scaler...
Speaking of DVI or speaking of HDMI is the same, they are the same, only difference is that DVI doesn't get audio and resolutions beyond 1920x1200.
If you want to hook an HDMI source to that converter you just need this:
The only reason to use a scaler is that some resolutions might not be supported by the target display.
For example, ACD 24" Led apparently doesn't support 720p and 1080p, so to hook a ps3 you also need a scaler, as showed in this thread.
But iMac 27"? What resolutions does it support? Are we sure a scaler is needed as well? Or that disclaimer is just about the 24" ACD, like in the previous iterations of that converter?
i have the converters on the way and have spoken to atlona several times. the dp200 on their website now is a new version that DOES support the new imacs. you still need the hd560 though but they have ensured that it will work.
i still have yet to order my imac but i will probably order it the first week of december.
i still have yet to order my imac but i will probably order it the first week of december.
It's still a mistery for me why a scaler is needed.
Actually it was a mystery also for the ACD Led.
so how much does it cost all up with the converter and the scaler?
Pretty pricey solution in the end i'd imagine?
Probably as much again as a decent 27" 1080p screen with HDMI input would cost, meaning its a pretty useless way of doing it...
Let us know the cost AND as soon as you confirm that it works (please test with and without the scaler just in case).
Thanks!
Ben