With only a couple of high end Windows laptops.. (alienware etc) capable of true HDMI IN, will Apple ever make an iMac, or a portable with this capability?
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Will Apple Ever Make AN HDMI IN Capable Mac?
- Thread starter Macman45
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More than you might think....The alienware offering is very popular but I'm not in the market for a Windows machine, despite Apple dropping the 17" It's a feature that will become more commonplace with HDMI video now becoming the norm. I know there are ways around it, it use them myself, but plugging in and direct importing would be a great feature to have.
Direct importing video from what source? Doesn't appear to be a mainstream sort of thing.
Can you give an example of what a typical use would be?
Can you give an example of what a typical use would be?
Direct from an HDMI camera would be one...The Alienware boards are full of folks using the feature....I guess it's not mainstream enough yet, but would be nice to see it implemented soon.
The M. range of the Alienware laptops have this, but it comes at one hell of a price for a plastic laptop!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Alienw...07Q0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341728590&sr=8-1
The M. range of the Alienware laptops have this, but it comes at one hell of a price for a plastic laptop!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Alienw...07Q0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341728590&sr=8-1
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
EXACTLY!!!!!
Think of it this way: 27" iMac + HDMI IN = iTV
An HDMI IN would exponentially boost the flexibility of the iMac line. Suddenly, it's no longer just an all-in-one desktop, it's also a small HDTV you can use for game consoles, Blu-Ray players, a monitor for other computers, television, and digital cameras.
It would also make the iMac itself very useful years after its outdated by faster computers, because the HDMI port would let you still use the screen!
I honestly don't know why today's iMacs don't have HDMI IN ports. It seems like a great feature to advertise and a great addition to the computer.
Apple implemented this feature a while back.
Late-2009 and Mid-2010 27" iMacs feature Target Display mode through the Mini-Displayport. With a MDP to HDMI adaptor, you could connect up things such as games consoles and it worked without problems.
Unfortunately, these are the only two such models which will work with HDMI. More recent releases still have Target Display Mode, but will only utilise it through a Thunderbolt connection - i.e. you can only get Target Display Mode to work with another Thunderbolt equipped Mac.
Late-2009 and Mid-2010 27" iMacs feature Target Display mode through the Mini-Displayport. With a MDP to HDMI adaptor, you could connect up things such as games consoles and it worked without problems.
Unfortunately, these are the only two such models which will work with HDMI. More recent releases still have Target Display Mode, but will only utilise it through a Thunderbolt connection - i.e. you can only get Target Display Mode to work with another Thunderbolt equipped Mac.
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I don't think apple will do anything like that since they already have thunderbolt and a wide range of adaptors for plugging things into the thunderbolt ports. Plus as it's now the 9th and nothing new of any substance has been said I'm starting to doubt the possibility of an iMac in July
I do not see it as being useful and I do extensive work with video.
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Rumor has it Apple is working on an Apple TV so no need to turn the iMac into one.
I used to have one of those TV Tuner USB sticks for my iMac, used it for a month and realized turning my iMac into a TV was not a good idea. Gave that USB stick away and bought a real TV.
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It isn't a mainstream sort of thing and those who work on video for a living wouldn't go for it either.
Want an example of typical use?
That's about it ..... you could use your game console on it!
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Rumor has it Apple is working on an Apple TV so no need to turn the iMac into one.
I used to have one of those TV Tuner USB sticks for my iMac, used it for a month and realized turning my iMac into a TV was not a good idea. Gave that USB stick away and bought a real TV.
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It isn't a mainstream sort of thing and those who work on video for a living wouldn't go for it either.
Want an example of typical use?
That's about it ..... you could use your game console on it!
How is it more convenient to have two separate devices when an extra port on the iMac would save space and money? I know even 27" isn't a fantastic size for an HDTV, and there's something to be said about reducing a perfectly good iMac to the role of a screen to watch MythBusters on, but why would you not want the iMac to be able to do more?
In my previous post, I just listed off a plethora of devices that could use an HDMI port on an iMac. Are you trolling?That's about it ..... you could use your game console on it!
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Thunderbolt may be superior to HDMI, but right now, very few devices use Thunderbolt. And until the technology is adapted by the rest of the industry, having the only video-input port on the iMac be something as exclusive as Thunderbolt really limits the technology in my view.
But you could make this argument about a lot of different features that "should" be added to the iMac. Why should I have a special machine to make toast when with just a little upgrade of a toasting slot an iMac could do the job quite decently? Even if I didn't use the toasting slot, why wouldn't I want the iMac to be able to do more?
Each little function would be nice for a segment of the market, but in sum you would end up with a computer that had a whole slew of different features that it wasn't very good at fulfilling. Apple tends to cut out functions that the product is not going to do well.
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Apple is not one to "Advertise" small features and specs. They advertise what it will do for you.
I don't think the problem is a technical one but rather a usage one.
Importing video now is expected to be file based and on a card versus a digital connection that may or may not be limited by its ingest speed.
Next would be HDCP copy protection. At this point the ideal way to get HDMI video into the computer may be
The El Gato Game Capture
Importing video now is expected to be file based and on a card versus a digital connection that may or may not be limited by its ingest speed.
Next would be HDCP copy protection. At this point the ideal way to get HDMI video into the computer may be
The El Gato Game Capture
I detest reductum ad absurdum.
A toaster is a foolish idea. Not because few people would use it. Because adding a toaster to an iMac would incur drastically more bulk and weight to the machine. One would have to compensate for the additional electricity the machine would need to draw upon in order to cook the toast, and all those hot parts would have to be moved in positions where they wouldn't damage the circuitry of the internal components. And that's to say nothing about ruining the aesthetic of the computer, or the question of whether people desire bread crumbs to get all over their work station.
In an incredibly stark contrast, adding an HDMI IN port (or better yet, an HDMI IN/OUT port) to the iMac would be a simple matter of adding another hole in the back right next to the Thunderbolt ports. Sure, there's circuitry on the inside that needs working, but assuming they do it right, what's the absolute worst thing that could happen? Maybe the computer ends up costing a full $50 more at worst? Seems like a fine price to pay if it lets you use that lovely 27" inch screen for game consoles, Blu-Ray players, digital cameras, television, and you can re-purpose the machine as an extra monitor years after its outdated. What about all that don't you like?