Video input for New iMac 27"

Question

Level 1

0 points

Video input for New iMac 27"

I Recently have bought a the new 27" iMac. On the tech specs page http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html it says that you can input video through the mini display port. i have tried this with the mini display port to DVI adapter http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB570Z/A but it doesn't work and after searching round i found it is only one way ( doesn't support DVI to mini display port and visa-versa ), i found the expensive product by Kanex and because of the price i am not very inclined to buy it. i also found the Target Display Mode page http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3924 which says that to 'activate' target display mode you need a mini displayport to mini displayport adapter ( this mode is simply and annoyingly designed for you to be able to use your lovely 27" iMac which you spent a fortune on as another display for another Mac computer).

so apart from spending yet MORE money on the Kanex adapter everyone has been pointed towards. is there any other possible solution, perhaps a DVI (female) to mini displayport (female) and then the mini displayport (male) to mini displayport (male).

I forgot to mention i am trying to do this so a can play my Xbox 360 on the iMac. and since the 27" amazing display of the iMac basically fills up my desk i have to laboriously move the iMac to temporary stable position and then move my relatively tiny TV back onto my desk so i can play on my Xbox. the previous setup i tried before i found this problem is;

Xbox 360 => HDMI to DVI => DVI to mini displayport => iMac

the people on the apple support phone line offered no support apart from that they have no idea how to solve the problem apart from getting a 'live' converter ( i.e.. the Kanex adapter)

When i bought the iMac (in person at the Apple Store) i was told that this setup should work... it didn't.

I am aware that this is the first time that an iMac supports video input throughout the mini displayport and i know that this is an issue other people are having and i know that this is a new issue.

Since it is new i am sure/hopeful that someone/Apple will release support/software/a cable to solve this ( maybe a two way cable (DVI to mini displayport and visa versa) or a software update to allow the video input ) and i a prepared to wait for something cheaper to be released. i already spent 1.5+ grand on the iMac, i don't think i should spend any more ( let alone another £100+ just for an adapter)

please if anyone has any advice or in formation on how to solve this please reply

Thank you

iMac Intel-Based 27" late 2009, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Apr 4, 2010 7:07 AM

Reply

Answer 1

babowa

Level 9

78,562 points

Apr 4, 2010 3:51 PM in response to CastFire

Although I do not have a fix for your situation, I thought it might be worth your while to send feedback to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

They do read those, so if they detect enough interest from customers, it may be something that can be incorporated or added in the future..

Reply

Answer 2

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,493 points

Apr 5, 2010 12:07 AM in response to CastFire

Unfortunately, anything that Apple or any other 3rd party developer could come up with will be the same thing that Kanex has developed, and will most likely be just as costly.

The issue is converting one type of video signal to something else completely different. Kanex originally developed this converter so folks with other types of video output could use the new Apple Cinema Displays, which have mini-DisplayPorts and requires a DisplayPort video signal. This allowed Macs, or third party devices, that had DVI video output to use these new Displays.

If you go look through the Apple online store, or any 3rd party cable developer's online store, there are plenty of mini-DVI to VGA adapters, mini-DVI to HDMI adapters, even miniDisplayPort to VGA adapters and mini-Displayport to HDMI adapters and they are usually US$20 to US$30. Those are the easy signals to convert. But you will notice no one has a mini-DVI to mini-DisplayPort adapter because that is the difficult one. It is complicated and requires a converter, not a crossover cable or a simple adapter.

To be honest, the new 27" iMac was given the 2-way mini-DisplayPort so that newer Mac laptops with mini-DisplayPorts could use the iMac's display with a simple m-DP to m-DP cable. The fact that folks would like to connect other devices is a side issue. If they want or need it badly enough then they will seek out a solution such as the Kanex converter, but that is really inconsequential to Apple, they did not do it for those other devices.

Dah•veed

Reply

Answer 3

CastFire Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 5, 2010 3:33 AM in response to babowa

thank you Barbara, i have sent apple feedback and i hope they act quickly

Reply

Answer 4

CastFire Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 5, 2010 3:41 AM in response to Dah•veed

"If you go look through the Apple online store, or any 3rd party cable developer's online store, there are plenty of mini-DVI to VGA adapters, mini-DVI to HDMI adapters, even miniDisplayPort to VGA adapters and mini-Displayport to HDMI adapters and they are usually US$20 to US$30. Those are the easy signals to convert. But you will notice no one has a mini-DVI to mini-DisplayPort adapter because that is the difficult one. It is complicated and requires a converter, not a crossover cable or a simple adapter."

well HDMI to DVI is easy to convert, and i'm just using the DVI because there wasn't a HDMI to m-DP in store, but its one-way and it wouldn't work anyway.

Reply

Answer 5

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,493 points

Apr 5, 2010 6:23 AM in response to CastFire

I'm just using the DVI because there wasn't a HDMI to m-DP in store

And there never will be. There is no simple way with an inexpensive adapter or two to do what you want to do. An HDMI to m-DP device would be just as complicated and expensive as the DVI to m-DP converter, so it would be a product from a specialty developer like Kanex, who will get premium dollars for their solutions. The only other company of which I have heard to have a solution is Atlona and theirs is about US$200.

In addition to converting the video signal, the device would also need to maintain all of the parameters for the display resolution AND HDCP copy protection or the video will not show. And you may be unhappy with what the solutions can offer for Xbox because they are limited to 720p because of the 27" iMac's display limitations.

Whomever in the Apple Store told you that you could do it that was was completely wrong and you should take the adapters back to the Apple Store for a refund and an apology.

Reply