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Videogame consoles to iMac (late 2013)?

iRock1

iRock1

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 23, 2011
1,083
145
Hello,

I know that my current iMac (late 2009) can be used as an external display using the Mini DisplayPort. So for instance I could connect a PS3 or XBox 360 to it using some special HDMI to Mini DisplayPort adaptor (like Kanex XD or some other thing made by Belkin).

Now the question is, can I do the same with the recently announced late 2013 iMac? If so, is it possible both on the 21" and 27" models or only on the high-end 27" model? Also, which kind of adaptor should I look for?

Thanks in advance!
 
I think you could get an HDMI to mini displayport adapter and hook it up that ways.
 
AFAIK, things haven't changed between 2009 and the 2013 iMac in terms of display behavior. The 21" doesn't support display port input, but the 27" should.
 
NCWildcat said:
I think you could get an HDMI to mini displayport adapter and hook it up that ways.
Click to expand...


Takuro said:
AFAIK, things haven't changed between 2009 and the 2013 iMac in terms of display behavior. The 21" doesn't support display port input, but the 27" should.
Click to expand...

I know there were some issues with the previous generation (first "slim" iMacs) in that regard. Also ports have been replaced, so a few things seem to have changed.
 
iMacs with thunderbolt do not support display input,unless the input device has a thunderbolt port. So, no, you will not be able to do this and there are no adapters that can do it. The only way into do it is with a game capture device,but that is not a satisfactory experience.
 
Videogame consoles to iMac (late 2013)?

theSeb said:
iMacs with thunderbolt do not support display input,unless the input device has a thunderbolt port. So, no, you will not be able to do this and there are no adapters that can do it. The only way into do it is with a game capture device,but that is not a satisfactory experience.
Click to expand...

I remember that the company that makes Kanex XD said, a long time ago, that they were working on a version for Thunderbolt. How is that? :-s

Also, is what you say a limitation imposed by the Thunderbolt protocol? If that's the case it seems like a big step backwards from the Mini DisplayPort.
 
I received this response from Kanex:

Hello,Thank you for contacting us, currently there is no planning to release any Kanex XD that will be compatible with Thunderbolt. Due to Thunderbolt technology there has been no workarounds found. Thank You, Kanex Support
Click to expand...

Could anyone explain to me, how does this Thunderbolt restriction work? I still don't get it.
 
There's an additional layer between the port and the display that wasn't there before - the Thunderbolt controller. The older 2009 Macs simply had mini displayport, and could accept a signal on that port into the GPU as well as output (the iMac had to be powered on for it to work, it wasn't a passive link to the display).

The new ones pass the display data across the Thunderbolt bus (effectively PCI express). It works slightly differently, such that the port can't accept input now unless it is a thunderbolt signal, and there's no longer a direct ability to pass display data *into* the GPU in the way the iMac used to.

The adapter makers could make a device with a Thunderbolt controller in it and an HDMI input port on it, but you're still stuck because the iMac's internal setup is not designed to pass that input to the screen via the GPU.

It can do things like video capture (for editing, etc), but this is not capable of displaying in near realtime on the display (there is a noticable latency that would make it unsuitable for gaming when compared to the input from the controller).
 
simo1730 said:
Simply buy the Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter
Click to expand...

He is trying to bring video signal from a HDMI device to a Thunderbolt display, not the other way around. There are adapters to get from Thunderbolt to HDMI, but not HDMI to Thunderbolt.
 
simo1730 said:
Simply buy the Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter
Click to expand...

Which is not going to solve his problem. If you don't understand what the person is asking, then rather do not comment, because that only causes confusion.

----------
mrmarts said:
Hey guys is it possible to hook up a wii u to late 2013 Imac?
Click to expand...

Did you read this thread at all? Let me repeat what I have already said:

"
iMacs with thunderbolt do not support display input,unless the input device has a thunderbolt port. So, no, you will not be able to do this and there are no adapters that can do it. The only way into do it is with a game capture device,but that is not a satisfactory experience."
 
Sol said:
The PS3 has HDCP in its HDMI output so that solution will probably not work.
Click to expand...

I am about to start hitting my head against the wall. You cannot use an HDMI to Thunderbolt adapter to input a video signal into a computer, regardless of whether the output device has HDCP, or not. What is so difficult to understand about this? The Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter is for OUTPUT TO AN HDMI DEVICE, like a Television, from a Thunderbolt device, like an iMac. Not for input into a Thunderbolt device.

iMac --> Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter --> HDMI cable --> TV or projector (good)

It does not work the other way.
 
theSeb said:
I am about to start hitting my head against the wall. You cannot use an HDMI to Thunderbolt adapter to input a video signal into a computer, regardless of whether the output device has HDCP, or not. What is so difficult to understand about this? The Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter is for OUTPUT TO AN HDMI DEVICE, like a Television, from a Thunderbolt device, like an iMac. Not for input into a Thunderbolt device.

iMac --> Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter --> HDMI cable --> TV or projector (good)

It does not work the other way.
Click to expand...

I think people are not reading the responses and just jumping to answering the OPs question... incorrectly.
 
theSeb said:
I am about to start hitting my head against the wall. You cannot use an HDMI to Thunderbolt adapter to input a video signal into a computer, regardless of whether the output device has HDCP, or not. What is so difficult to understand about this? The Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter is for OUTPUT TO AN HDMI DEVICE, like a Television, from a Thunderbolt device, like an iMac. Not for input into a Thunderbolt device.

iMac --> Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter --> HDMI cable --> TV or projector (good)

It does not work the other way.
Click to expand...

Will that carry audio as well as video from iMac to television?
 
redout said:
Will that carry audio as well as video from iMac to television?
Click to expand...

Yes, depending on your Mac, but you need one that specifically mentions that it can carry audio. You are actually looking for a miniDP to HDMI with audio passthrough, even though it's being referred to as Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter in this thread. Best to follow this article from the horse's mouth...

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4241?viewlocale=en_US
 
theSeb said:
I am about to start hitting my head against the wall. You cannot use an HDMI to Thunderbolt adapter to input a video signal into a computer, regardless of whether the output device has HDCP, or not. What is so difficult to understand about this? The Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter is for OUTPUT TO AN HDMI DEVICE, like a Television, from a Thunderbolt device, like an iMac. Not for input into a Thunderbolt device.

iMac --> Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter --> HDMI cable --> TV or projector (good)

It does not work the other way.
Click to expand...

Go ahead and hit your head if that proves a point. When others mentioned HDMI adaptors I thought they were talking about something like the BlackMagic Intensity, that captures from HDMI signals and connects to any Mac with a Thunderbolt port.
 
There's no way to use iMac for input signal of any source other than Thunderbolt (other iMac, Macbook Pro) because of Thunderbolt restrictions.
 
Sol said:
Go ahead and hit your head if that proves a point. When others mentioned HDMI adaptors I thought they were talking about something like the BlackMagic Intensity, that captures from HDMI signals and connects to any Mac with a Thunderbolt port.
Click to expand...

I have already mentioned those devices in my first post. I have a black magic intensity thingie with thunderbolt. You cannot use it to play games, unless you like input lag.
 
Even I feel like banging my head looking at how people conveniently ignore any response and ask their question....

However I post this reply because when I went to the store (3rd party store who has in house apple counter)
To check out the iMac the thing is the apple employee sitting there told me I can connect any HDMI based gaming console to the iMac now..I showed him this forum thread looking at this he said thay was 2013, apple has fixed this issue in 2014 models...

Can someone tell me if this is true or he's just bs- ing me?


Anyways I don't think I'll be buying the iMac due to the fact that I can accomplish what I want by buying a nice looking TV for my office and just connect my macbook pro whenever I need to use the computer on a big screen...this option works out much cheaper for me...I know I'm comparing apple and orange but anyways this is irrelevant..

Thanks and regards,
 
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