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Macbook + Xbox 360 + 23 inch ACD?

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dannewell15

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 17, 2007
203
0
OK. Here is the scenario. I don't do a lot of computer gaming which is why i bought the macbook (as well as wanting something more compact), not the pro. But now I'm thinking i want an Xbox 360. If i bought an xbox360 and a 23inch ACD, would I be able to run the 360 on the ACD at a High Definition resolution. I really want HD gaming! :) Also, would there be a good way to have my macbook and 360 simultaneously connected and just change which input is used? Thanks!

Am i right in thinking that the 20inch ACD isn't HD?
 
I believe the ACD only has one video input so you would have to switch cables.

Also, I'm not sure how you would get a DVI out from the xbox 360.

Your best bet might be a Dell monitor as these have multiple inputs including VGA, which you can output from the 360 at HD resolutions.

One thing you will also need to consider is audio, there are no speakers on the ACD
 
Best thing to do would probably be to buy the Dell 24 in. It has both VGA and Component inputs so you can easily do HD from the 360 with either of those. Plus you still have the DVI to use to connect to your computer.
 
But I'm shallow. . .

Thing is though I don't really want a dell because shallow and dumb though it seems, i do really like the look of the acds. To me the Dells just look cheap (no offense to anyone who has one) :)

Just another idea, would i be better buying a 23 inch hd tv? What resolution is HD?
 
dannewell15 said:
OK. Here is the scenario. I don't do a lot of computer gaming which is why i bought the macbook (as well as wanting something more compact), not the pro. But now I'm thinking i want an Xbox 360. If i bought an xbox360 and a 23inch ACD, would I be able to run the 360 on the ACD at a High Definition resolution. I really want HD gaming! :) Also, would there be a good way to have my macbook and 360 simultaneously connected and just change which input is used? Thanks!

Am i right in thinking that the 20inch ACD isn't HD?
Click to expand...

They make an interface box just for that. There's an add in one of the Macworld magazines. check www.gefen.com they make the interface.
 
Personally I think it's a huge waste of money.

I have a 23" ACD, which while great is horribly limited by the fact that it uses DVI only. The only possible connector I could find was a VGA adapter for the 360, but even then, you've got a lot of connection conversion to do, and if you don't like clunk which is probably why you're shallow enough to run it on the ACD, you probably don't want a billion converters running from your MB to your ACD.

Also keep in mind the ACD is at 1920x1200, which is above the standard resolution of a 1080p TV. So in other words, even if you get it onto your monitor, there's going to be back scaling of the resolutions to match the odd number of pixels and aspect ratio difference between standard HDTV resolutions and the resolution on the ACD - in other words, your picture will look a little strange as pixels get scaled according to the larger resolution of your monitor.

Best bet, IMO, is to do something like this:

1) Get the USB TV tuner from El Gato - runs about $150 IIRC.
2) Connect your X360 to the tuner, then to your computer.
3) Run the EyeTV software and have your MB scale up the resolution to your ACD.
4) Run your X360 and see how it is.

You should also keep in mind, however, that if you run THROUGH your MB to broadcast the image data, its the MB that's processing all those frames at a giant resolution. If you've read some of the issues with HDTV viewing on Macbooks currently, you'll notice that it takes up a LARGE portion of your CPU power, especially in the MBs which have no dedicated video card to bolster some of the processing. However, this is a more cost effective solution to your shallow problem.

My best advice is get the Dell and be happy.

Cheers.
 
dannewell15 said:
So if i got this, i could connect my macbook and xbox simultaneously and change the output to the acd? Would it act like a regular acd with it going trough the interface? could you please explain in lamens terms how it could work? :) Thanks v. much
Click to expand...

It seems a little overkill. It is an upscaler, upscaling inputs to a higher resolution.

Given that the Xbox360 outputs a HD signal anyways, it seems a little overkill. All you really need is a VGA to DVI converter, or a Component to DVI converter.
 
swiftaw said:
It seems a little overkill. It is an upscaler, upscaling inputs to a higher resolution.

Given that the Xbox360 outputs a HD signal anyways, it seems a little overkill. All you really need is a VGA to DVI converter, or a Component to DVI converter.
Click to expand...

yeah, I'd never get it myself either. It seems like a waste. Save yourself some cash and just get an HD LCD TV with an HDMI input. Then you can connect both your Xbox360 and your macbook (using an DVI to HDMI cable). plus you'll save yourself a LOT of money.
 
swiftaw said:
It seems a little overkill. It is an upscaler, upscaling inputs to a higher resolution.

Given that the Xbox360 outputs a HD signal anyways, it seems a little overkill. All you really need is a VGA to DVI converter, or a Component to DVI converter.
Click to expand...

You'd need a converter box, not simply an adapter. You need to change it from the analog of the VGA or Component to a digital signal to run on the DVI.
 
The ACDs seem like overpriced garbage to me.

You can get monitors with better/equal specs for cheaper. I'm running my Macbook on an Acer 22" right now and it looks fantastic. Plus, I only paid $300 CAN for it.
 
vraxtus said:
You don't get it. The resolution of the input is different from that of the output. You need a converter box to tell the image how to scale.
Click to expand...

oh.. I misread what I quoted on the last post. I read as if there was a need to convert from component to dvi or vga, so I replied with the vga solution..

thanks for replying with a very nice attitude "you dont get it" sounds really nice
 
Oh my god ... do NOT go the TV tuner route. Slowest, laggiest, ugliest, worst way to do that I have ever heard of.

Get an Xbox360 Elite (has an HDMI output), and an HDMI>DVI cable. Then get a DVI KVM switch and you're all set.
 
The General said:
Oh my god ... do NOT go the TV tuner route. Slowest, laggiest way ever.

Get an Xbox360 Elite, and an HDMI>DVI cable. Then get a DVI KVM switch and you're all set.
Click to expand...

Don't know if you've ever used them, but yes, the old FW based tuners were terrible. There was horrible lag time between inputs and actually what came out.

You tried the new El Gato tuners? 100% fidelity between input and response, guaranteed.
 
vraxtus said:
Don't know if you've ever used them, but yes, the old FW based tuners were terrible. There was horrible lag time between inputs and actually what came out.

You tried the new El Gato tuners? 100% fidelity between input and response, guaranteed.
Click to expand...

Do you understand latency? Even if the quality was 100% exactly the same, it still lags and makes games unplayable.

Besides, the Xbox360 Elite is out now, it has an HDMI out put. So go buy it, get yourself a $5 HDMI to DVI cable and a $59 DVI KVM switch and you're good to go.
 
Heres what I do. I have a 22inch monitor with DVI and VGA inputs. XBOX uses the VGA, Macbook uses the DVI. I have a cable going to the line in on my Macbook so I can hear the XBOX through my computer
 
The 360 Elite is your ONLY reasonable option if you expect to use an ACD thanks to HDMI being basically the same thing as DVI.

Cleanest and most convienient way is to still get a Dell or other monitor with multiple inputs. You can connect the 360 to the Dell via VGA or component at the same time as the mac, switching signals is simply a matter of pressing a button on the monitor. AND.... you can do picture-in-picture or split screen with the Dell (try doing that with a converter box). I think a clean professional look is a lot more attractive than a metal display with abunch of cables and converters all over the place. Having abunch of ugly extra stuff defeats the whole purpose of the simplicity of an ACD.
 
The General said:
Do you understand latency? Even if the quality was 100% exactly the same, it still lags and makes games unplayable.

Besides, the Xbox360 Elite is out now, it has an HDMI out put. So go buy it, get yourself a $5 HDMI to DVI cable and a $59 DVI KVM switch and you're good to go.
Click to expand...

There IS NO LATENCY in the new tuners. Try it out if you don't believe me. I've been playing my box on it for months with no problem.

I will stress: The General has no idea what he's talking about with regards to these TV tuners. Maybe about 3-4 years ago there was a terrible latency making most games impossible to play, but he obviously has no experience with the new tuners that are available on the market. Please don't comment if you have no idea what you're talking about.

Thanks.
 
vraxtus said:
There IS NO LATENCY in the new tuners. Try it out if you don't believe me. I've been playing my box on it for months with no problem.

I will stress: The General has no idea what he's talking about with regards to these TV tuners. Maybe about 3-4 years ago there was a terrible latency making most games impossible to play, but he obviously has no experience with the new tuners that are available on the market. Please don't comment if you have no idea what you're talking about.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
And with the tuners you are talking about the image will look like crap since it will only be 480i, while with the Xbox Elite, you'd be able to get 1080P out of the xbox.

Please don't comment if you don't know a thing about HDTV :rolleyes:
 
23" ACD + 360 Elite + (HDMI to DVI + DVI Cable + DVI switch) + Macbook + mini-dvi to dvi + DVI cable = works.

Any other 24" with multiple inputs (Dell for example) + Xbox 360 (any model) + 360 VGA cable + Macbook + mini-dvi to dvi + DVI cable. (Dell comes with a DVI cable) = works.
 
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