3D on iMac?

If your IMac is 24 in then it is probably too old.

But if anyone has a new Mac, it can support 3D. You should use mini-display to HDMI converter ($29) to connect to the TV. Boot to windows, and install Stereocopic Player software in windows on the mac. It should work. My advice is based on the following experience using the Imac with an LG Passive 3D monitor:

I use my Imac to watch steroscopic 3D (S3D) using an LG monitor:

I have a 2011 imac. I dont think you can do this with an earlier model, because only the new ones have the new Radeon graphics chip with the 3DHD capility, as well as 4 core processors. Of course, I could be wrong, maybe it will work on a 2010 or 2009. All I can say is it works well on a 2011...BUT AT THIS TIME YOU CAN ONLY DO THIS IF YOU BOOT INTO WINDOWS. No doubt apple 3D software for the masses is on its way, but it doesnt exist yet (except for some really hard to figure out hacked together stuff that I dont know of anyone who has been able to make work). Parallels will not work, you have to boot directly into windows using BootCamp.

Anyway, a week ago I bought one of the new LG passive 3D monitors that have just come out. This monitor is functionally the same as a 3D television. So I can verify that the IMac is capable of generating a 3D signal to a television. The LG monitor comes with TriDef software that will allow you to view certain 3D files (including 3D YouTube videos). It works surprisingly well and I am happy with it... a couple caveats:

1. Tridef software (which is free with the monitor) is a bit crappy on some files, plays them for a while and then reports them as corrupt when they are not. If you are willing to pay the $50 for "stereoscopic Player", I think that works better, but I havent tried it yet for more than the free 5 minute trial period. "Stereoscopic Player" seems to be the most respected player. PowerDVD Ultra is also a big player, but it is expensive. Tri-Def will allow you to play many games, the only "game" I have used so far is google earth, which works well in 3D..kinda cool.

2. You must connect the computer to the monitor using the mini-display to DVI converter. The monitor has HDMI in but it is a limitation of the monitor that you can only use the HDMI input to the monitor from a non-pc source. I have a playstation, 3d works great on the monitor from the playstation over HDMI.

3. You will have to set the monitor as the ONLY display in Windows. Any attempt at dual display will not work with 3D.

I thought the 3-D fad was over?

I thought the bulletin board trolling fad was over.

But since that last comment nudged this to the top, I would like to add a quick update. It seems that it is possible to run some 3D apps in the apple environment using parallels (I have parallels 6, and am running OSX Lion). I created a parallels virtual machine and chose the option to use the bootcamp partition as it's drive. I was surprised to see that I can view 3D in the virtual machine using stereoscopic player. This would allow you to watch any 3d video file. My guess now is that it would also work with a parallels session that isnt running through bootcamp as well (although I have not tried that).

TriDef does not work, because it complains that the 3d monitor is not attached even though it is. So that probably excludes running any 3d games inside the apple environment, at least on my setup. Tri-Def is also how I am able to view 3d YouTube so I am not clear if there is a way to do that either without booting into bootcamp.

A couple final comments:

The 3D glasses that are used by the LG passive monitor (and their passive TVs) are identical to the ones used in the theatres for the "Real-3D" movies. However the imax 3d format movies seem to use a different system so those dont work. Just going to one movie with my son got me two extra pairs.

I dont watch a lot of tv or spend much time playing games, but when I do I still enjoy the 3d for it's emersion and yes for it's novelty. But as interesting as it is to mess around with 3d using the computer, the fact is that when I do want to watch a 3d movie or play a game in 3d, I generally end up using a playstation (which I bought just for this purpose). It works hooked up to a passive 3d monitor (or TV). There are an increasing number of 3d games you can download as demos, and movies. I generally use VUDU for 3d movies, which works well.

I recently purchased the LG 2542 25 inch 3D monitor. I have an old Mac mini with intel core duo cpu and nvidia geforce 9400. The 3D movies I downloaded works great through the HDMI input using a mini display to HDMI converter. 3D will not play through the DVI input.