HDMI ports on MacBook that would allow data input, instead of only output

When will HDMI ports on MacBooks allow for data input, instead of only output?


Being able to receive data would be great. MacBooks would be a great substitute for those who game, especially on the go or away from home, instead of hauling along a monitor or even portable displays. Of course, I imagine this would be a feature given primarily to MacBook Pros because of their ports being built into the computer, but seeing the feature on MacBook Airs would be great with the use of adapters. More so, This would be a great feature for business professionals who require a display on the go or in a hurry.



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MacBook Air 13″

Posted on Oct 6, 2023 10:52 AM

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Posted on Oct 6, 2023 12:05 PM

If you look on sites like the B&H Photo Video site, you can find external USB 3.0 and USB-C HDMI capture cards.


Presumably you would need a non-DRMed video source, and some sort of software to play the input. Since we're talking a software connection from the external capture card to the Mac screen, it's possible there could be lag.


These things range enormously in price – I see one for $19.99 and another for $479.00. Looking down further on the page, I see a couple for over $1,000 that are probably meant for use in professional video production.


https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=usb%20hdmi%20capture&sts=ma


I'm not going to dig through all of the descriptions and all of the reviews to find a USB-C capture card which would be perfect for your MacBook Air and your X-Box (?) or PlayStation (?), but now that you know such cards may exist, if you want to do the research, have at it …


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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 6, 2023 12:05 PM in response to DawsonG2001

If you look on sites like the B&H Photo Video site, you can find external USB 3.0 and USB-C HDMI capture cards.


Presumably you would need a non-DRMed video source, and some sort of software to play the input. Since we're talking a software connection from the external capture card to the Mac screen, it's possible there could be lag.


These things range enormously in price – I see one for $19.99 and another for $479.00. Looking down further on the page, I see a couple for over $1,000 that are probably meant for use in professional video production.


https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=usb%20hdmi%20capture&sts=ma


I'm not going to dig through all of the descriptions and all of the reviews to find a USB-C capture card which would be perfect for your MacBook Air and your X-Box (?) or PlayStation (?), but now that you know such cards may exist, if you want to do the research, have at it …


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HDMI ports on MacBook that would allow data input, instead of only output

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