iMac Question

[caligula357]

hi,

i am considering purchasing an imac towards the end of year/xmas, as hopefully the 20" model will replace the 17" as the budget model (maybe HD too), and should come bundled with leopard

can you connect other devices into the imac to use the monitor (eg xbox 360, digital tv box)?
the fact you 'have all your eggs in one basket' with the imac could mean if the screen goes, then you have a computer you can't really use

any thoughts on this?

thanks

 

[Cave Man]

You cannot currently use the iMac display as an external display. It only sends signals to another display device.

 

[kalisphoenix]

can you connect other devices into the imac to use the monitor (eg xbox 360, digital tv box)?

Yes... if you buy an Elgato device to control inputs. Otherwise no, as the previous poster said.

the fact you 'have all your eggs in one basket' with the imac could mean if the screen goes, then you have a computer you can't really use

Sorta. Buy Applecare, for one, which will ensure that the computer stays usable for at least three years unless you do something stupid.

Also buy the external video cable (mini-DVI or whatever is appropriate to VGA or DVI). Set the video mode to mirroring, take out the cable, and toss it in a drawer. That way, if the display ever goes, all you have to do is plug in an external monitor.

But this is all rather pointless. With very very few exceptions, the monitor won't fail. And if your computer survives three years, it'll likely survive ten (with the exception of things like hard drives that have moving parts).

 

[neven]

It's very unlikely that the screen will break in some spectacular fashion in the next few years. If it does, follow the above poster's instructions for using an external display - same as you would if the display broke on any other computer (only using a different, better cable). Keep in mind that even an iMac with a broken display is smaller than most Windows PCs without screens

 

[kixsand]

I have the eyetv hybrid from Elgato and use it to run my xbox on my computer -- works beautifully...absolutely no latency. You do need a solution for the audio out of the xbox though...as that cannot run through your computer. I have a 5.1 receiver hooked up to my computer and so I run the audio into it.

You could also run video out of an stb to your computer -- sd only.

The added benefit to having the Eye tv is that you can also use it to pick up over the air hd content depending on where you live.

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

kixsand

 

[vvebsta]

how do you connect eyetv

how did you connect your eyetv to your xbox? what cables? do you get hd signal?

xbox 360 w/Imac

 

[kixsand]

You can only connect from the X-Box to the EyeTV with a 4 pin S-Video Cable -- so no HDTV.

Sorry.

darren