Redirect TV output from iTunes?

[macstatic]

I've got my iMac (iMac 8.1) running MacOS 10.6.8 connected to a TV and would like to know if it's possible to redirect video output on an application basis? Basically something like re-routing audio with Soundflower, but with video instead.

For instance, I would like to watch a movie from iTunes on the TV while someone else in the family checks mail etc. on the Mac at the same time. Is there a solution for this?

 

[forty2j]

Apple TV?

 

[macstatic]

I had no problem with this on a Windows PC almost 10 years ago. Its NVIDIA video card had an S-video connector which I connected to my TV, and whenever I watched any videoclip etc. on the PC it would simultaneously output that to the S-video connector. No fumbling around with settings or configurations.

Please tell me that this iMac (2008 model) and MacOSX Snow Leopard isn't so lame that I can't do that?
I know Apple would love for me to fork out some extra $$$ for an Apple TV, but seriously.....!

PS: I found another thread which explains how to make QuickTime Player show videos selected as "Full screen" to output automatically to an external screen (such as a TV). But since I have all my videos organized in iTunes it's not a very practical solution. It also doesn't solved the issue of playing Youtube, streaming etc. videos from a web browser on to the TV.

 

[forty2j]

Well, sorry, but this is exactly the problem that Apple TV is designed to solve, and you know Apple won't solve anything with a cable that it's already solved without one.

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I'm wondering if your previous solution was something specific in the nVidia software. Seems odd that it specifically output only video (regardless of the source). 10 years ago I had a Gateway Destination, and it just gave me the whole blipping computer screen on the TV.

 

[macstatic]

The Apple video output cable isn't the issue, but software is.
Since Quicktime Player 7 and VLC can be configured to output full screen video to an external display it just shows that it can be done. That's why I was hoping for a "redirect" type application that could help those apps (iTunes among others) that don't have this option built in.