Possible at all to use a Tv as the screen for an iMac? : Othor Games

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:27 am

I have an imac, and I have a nice flatscreen TV that's like 3 times the size of my iMac screen.
Is it at all possible to use the TV as the screen? My iMac doesn't have an HDMI port, but my TV obviously does.

Is there any sort of apparatus that I can buy that lets me do this? Some sort of special wire or converter?

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:38 pm

First, is there any type of video-output from your iMac at all?

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 5:32 pm

Is an iMac like an iPhone

?

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:57 pm

Is an iMac like an iPhone

?

It's like a screen housing that has the entire computer inside as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 5:09 pm

I dont know if there is a video output outlet or not. There are a lot of usb slots, headphone jacks, and then two I dont know what are, but they arent hdmi. Theres also a slot for a hardwire for internet.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 11:14 am

It's like a screen housing that has the entire computer inside as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac

Soo... it's a touch-screen Mac computer?

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 1:52 pm

Soo... it's a touch-screen Mac computer?

No, but those may exist, I think. The case has the screen built in, but you still need a keyboard and mouse.

So, OP, what exactly do the outputs that you can't identify look like? Are any of them labeled?

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 2:03 pm

An iMac is an Apple PC with the entire system built in the screen, so there is no tower. The CPU, GPU, power supply, etc, its all behind the screen. It still requires a m/kb.

The outlets I cant tell what are look like squarish headphone jacks, but a little bigger. Its hard to describe. Its not square, but its not circular, and it has a picture of a square with lines to the side of it, and the lines are arced? Lol no clue what it is.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 11:59 am

As far as I know, the iMac comes with a mini-DVI port, so depending on what connections your TV has you might have to get a converter.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 2:14 pm

As far as I know, the iMac comes with a mini-DVI port, so depending on what connections your TV has you might have to get a converter.

You may have to convert it to normal DVI, then to HDMI.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:11 pm

Are those expensive?

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 11:52 am

Are those expensive?

Nope. Look at this and see if it looks like the type of sockets you have:

http://www.amazon.com/PTC-Mini-DVI-Adapter-6ft-Macintosh/dp/B001H0REVK

For comparison: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Kobushi-mini-dvi.jpg, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Dvi-cable.jpg, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/HDMI.jpg

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 5:09 pm

Nope. Look at this and see if it looks like the type of sockets you have:

http://www.amazon.com/PTC-Mini-DVI-Adapter-6ft-Macintosh/dp/B001H0REVK

For comparison: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Kobushi-mini-dvi.jpg, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Dvi-cable.jpg, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/HDMI.jpg

Nope. I don't have that.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 12:51 pm

Nope. I don't have that.

Have what on what? Can you be a little more specific?

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:03 pm

Have what on what? Can you be a little more specific?

I have none of those on my PC, but I do have HDMI on my TV.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 5:46 pm

I have none of those on my PC, but I do have HDMI on my TV.

Well then I have no idea. If you don't have any video outputs then There's not much you can do.

Maybe something involving Ethernet, but I imagine that it'd lag.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 6:39 pm

Apple's video output technology of choice is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort. This is what Mini and normal http://xtreview.com/images/DisplayPort%201.2%2003.jpg connectors look like

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 2:39 pm

Apple's video output technology of choice is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort. This is what Mini and normal http://xtreview.com/images/DisplayPort%201.2%2003.jpg connectors look like

Should I be surprised that Apple chose to use a type of output tech that I've never heard of?

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:09 am

Should I be surprised that Apple chose to use a type of output tech that I've never heard of?

DisplayPort is both superior and cheaper (it's a royalty-free open standard) than HDMI

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 6:42 pm

DisplayPort is both superior and cheaper (it's a royalty-free open standard) than HDMI

Then why does nobody use it? I am confused, DEFRON. CONFUSED!

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:40 am

Then why does nobody use it? I am confused, DEFRON. CONFUSED!

We're still using USB 2.0 even though eSATA and FireWire were both technically superior. Betamax was superior to VHS in many respects too. We almost never adopt the best options...

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:35 am

We're still using USB 2.0 even though eSATA and FireWire were both technically superior. Betamax was superior to VHS in many respects too. We almost never adopt the best options...

Hey, my computer has USB 3.0 thankyouverymuch. So it said when I bought the motherboard, anyway.

But I'd imagine that the reason this is is that most devices seem to use USB and it's damn hard to change someone's mind when the average person would see little tangible benefit from a switch. Plus the money. That's the main reason why the US never switched to metric: changing all the signs would cost a LOT.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:20 pm

Hey, my computer has USB 3.0 thankyouverymuch. So it said when I bought the motherboard, anyway.

But I'd imagine that the reason this is is that most devices seem to use USB and it's damn hard to change someone's mind when the average person would see little tangible benefit from a switch. Plus the money. That's the main reason why the US never switched to metric: changing all the signs would cost a LOT.

Don't forget that there are a TON of corporate and regulatory politics involved with establishment of standards. Lots of payola at stake. Not to mention that many people tend to like, "just plug 'er in" better than, "what sort of ports does your computer have? what kind of data throughput do you need? how many devices do you need on the bus? which..." You get the idea.

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 11:39 am

Anyway, here you are, OP. This should do it: http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-DP2HDMI-DisplayPort-Adapter-Converter/dp/B0017K6BDW

» Fri Sep 16, 2011 6:50 pm

Anyway, here you are, OP. This should do it: http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-DP2HDMI-DisplayPort-Adapter-Converter/dp/B0017K6BDW

Well, most Apple devices actually use mini DisplayPort instead of regular DisplayPort (just like a lot of video cards come with mini HDMI instead of regular HDMI)