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Computer with HDTV instead of apple TV

B

ben5959

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 15, 2007
132
0
Is it possible to connect a computer to a HDTV and if so wouldnt this do the same things Apple TV would, plus give you a huge freakin computer monitor? if this is at all possible could someone please help as I am lost!
 
ben5959 said:
Is it possible to connect a computer to a HDTV and if so wouldnt this do the same things Apple TV would, plus give you a huge freakin computer monitor? if this is at all possible could someone please help as I am lost!
Click to expand...

no
 
Sure it will work. DVI-> HDMI. I used a 37" 1080p LCD TV as my monitor for 6 months and games were amazing. However, you won't be able to rent movies in HD.
 
Plenty of people have done exactly that with Mac Minis.

But you don't get the on-demand rentals, 'cept through iTunes.
 
In addition to the comments above, one of the bigger wildcards in using an HDTV with a Mac is Overscan.

Some TVs don't allow for zero-overscan, so the desktop will be missing the edges. Not such a big deal with movies and TV shows, but on a computer desktop, it's a huge issue. You can play around with different settings and applications, but sometimes it just doesn't work.

If your TV has a zero-overscan mode (1:1 pixel mapping, dot-by-dot, etc.), then it may not be an issue.

ft
 
thank you guys so much for all of the help I really appreciate it, I do have one questions still, someone above mentioned that I wont be able to rent HD movies, can someone confirm this as this was one of the main reasons that I was going to set it up this way?? Thanks in advance!!!!!
 
ben5959 said:
thank you guys so much for all of the help I really appreciate it, I do have one questions still, someone above mentioned that I wont be able to rent HD movies, can someone confirm this as this was one of the main reasons that I was going to set it up this way?? Thanks in advance!!!!!
Click to expand...

Correct, HD Movies are only available for ATV.

Kevin
 
ben5959 said:
thank you guys so much for all of the help I really appreciate it, I do have one questions still, someone above mentioned that I wont be able to rent HD movies, can someone confirm this as this was one of the main reasons that I was going to set it up this way?? Thanks in advance!!!!!
Click to expand...

Yeah, the idea with AppleTV 2 is that it's a kind of portal for movie rentals, right down to the interface, HD etc..

As i say, the old Apple TV could easily be replaced by a Mac Mini, but this new beast is different.
 
All of the computer stores around me are selling the HDMI-DVI cables for 60-80-120 bucks!!!!!! but ive found multiple cables that claim to be the same thing all over AMAZON.com for 10-20 bucks, should i bite the bullet and go for the more expensive cables or should I save my money, especially since I obviously wont be renting any HD movies due to the lack of me having :apple:TV
 
ben5959 said:
All of the computer stores around me are selling the HDMI-DVI cables for 60-80-120 bucks!!!!!! but ive found multiple cables that claim to be the same thing all over AMAZON.com for 10-20 bucks, should i bite the bullet and go for the more expensive cables or should I save my money, especially since I obviously wont be renting any HD movies due to the lack of me having :apple:TV
Click to expand...

Save your money and get the cheaper ones.

Kevin
 
imlucid said:
Save your money and get the cheaper ones.

Kevin
Click to expand...

Get the best of both worlds. When I bought my 56" Toshiba DLP, I bought one of the hugely overpriced HDMI-to-DVI cables (to go from DVI on my satellite box to the HDMI on my TV) without looking into alternatives at all. I think it was priced at $140 and the salesguy gave me a "deal" for $100. Anyways, I stumbled on a StarTech (generic) HDMI-DVI cable for $30. Needless to say, I returned the expensive cable after picking up the Generic one.

Then a couple months later, I needed a new HD cable for my old Xbox and I picked up a gold plated component video/optical audio cable off eBay for about $40. I decided, after seeing the difference over the Chinese knockoff that I had before, that i wanted the same quality for my satellite box.

So back to eBay I went, and sure enough found an authentic Monster HDMI-DVI cable for about $25 shipped (retails for $119). It didn't make a huge difference, but it was noticeable over the StarTech, and was actually cheaper.

If you buy from sellers based in north america, with a 99%+ seller feedback rating, you can get a steal of a deal on the brand name cables.
 
BigYellow said:
Get the best of both worlds. When I bought my 56" Toshiba DLP, I bought one of the hugely overpriced HDMI-to-DVI cables (to go from DVI on my satellite box to the HDMI on my TV) without looking into alternatives at all. I think it was priced at $140 and the salesguy gave me a "deal" for $100. Anyways, I stumbled on a StarTech (generic) HDMI-DVI cable for $30. Needless to say, I returned the expensive cable after picking up the Generic one.

Then a couple months later, I needed a new HD cable for my old Xbox and I picked up a gold plated component video/optical audio cable off eBay for about $40. I decided, after seeing the difference over the Chinese knockoff that I had before, that i wanted the same quality for my satellite box.

So back to eBay I went, and sure enough found an authentic Monster HDMI-DVI cable for about $25 shipped (retails for $119). It didn't make a huge difference, but it was noticeable over the StarTech, and was actually cheaper.

If you buy from sellers based in north america, with a 99%+ seller feedback rating, you can get a steal of a deal on the brand name cables.
Click to expand...
There is no reason to go through all this effort. If you buy a cheap HDMI cable and hook it up, and see no glaring, obvious, HORRIBLE picture problems, the picture is as good as it will ever get. It's digital. It works or it doesn't. The difference you thought you saw between the expensive and cheap HDMI cables was imagined.

Analog cables are a different matter.
 
Many HDTVs have a DVI input.

Stores such as Best Buy make their greatest profit margin on cables. Markup can be several hundred percent over cost.
 
thanks for the help guys yall really helped me make my decisions!!!!!!
 
Monoprice.com sells an HDMI to DVI adaptor for less than $4.

Their HDMI cables, and HDMI to DVI cables, are similarly cheap, and they work well.

As for the OP's original question, I'm still debating whether I want a Mac mini, or an Apple TV, driving the LCD I plan to mount in my kitchen.

Apple TV advantages:
- thinner (easier to hide behind TV)
- seamless UI
- cheaper
- no power block to hide
- direct HD rentals

Mac mini advantages:
- can play DVDs
- can play any video/audio format
- can display custom screen savers or widgets: weather, headline news, etc
- can run other programs (e.g. recipe collection, PowerPoint shows)
- can set to auto-sleep after idle inactivity

Hmm, hmmm.
 
I've done it with my 24" iMac and yeah it works .... BUT ....

I really do not want my computer where my TV resides so.....

It's Apple TV for ME !!!
 
Yah, I wouldnt want my computer in my livingroom either, but...... since i have a new Imac, and my old G5 is just sitting there collecting dust, i thought i'd hook it up to the big screen and have an appleTVesque experience, even though i dont have the cool UI. It would Be AWESOME if someone figured out a way to get this interface onto a computer, id deffinately be interested!!!!!!

What do you guys think the odds are that Apple will bring HD rentals to regular Itunes in the Future??????

BTW, I bought a HDMI-DVI cable on Amazon for $20 including s/h. It arrives today, Ill let you know how great it is/isnt!!!!!
 
ben5959 said:
It would Be AWESOME if someone figured out a way to get this interface onto a computer, id deffinately be interested!!!!!!
Click to expand...

I thought that FrontRow was an included part of Leopard. You might want to check to see if that's the case. You'll probably want a remote to control the interface as well.

ft
 
Regarding the purchase of cables... there is only ONE place to go: www.monoprice.com

They are amazing. Been using them for a few years. Really good quality stuff, dirt cheap, and FAST (and cheap) shipping.

Also, the truth about digital: it will either work or it won't. Don't get sucked in by the whole monster cable difference. It's marketing hype.
 
Hells Yes!!!!!!!

So my HDMI-DVI cable came yesterday, I hooked everything up, and HELLLS YES! It worked perfectly. There was no overscan, the desktop filled the entire screen and looked beautiful. Surfing on 50' is amazing. I rented my first itunes movie, The Invasion, it wasnt HD, but it was so seamless, and easy. A Huge THANK YOU to you all!!!!
Now i just need to get some sort of lap desk to so i can more effectively use my wireless mouse and keyboard. Anyone have any knowledge on such a product?

if anyone cares, I can post pics, ITS SO PRETTY
 
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