Dr. Bott Digital Video Link with Xbox360 connected to iMac 27"

[oliverchaffe]

Video looks quite crunchy & pixallated. Going from Xbox to i-mac 27 inch. any suggestions?

[onderdegrond]

@oliverchaffe what did you expect when you show 720p on a 1440p screen. It does get pixelated. And besides that, there is compression on the video as well. Offcourse is does look a little pixellated in this movie. But you can game very good, but that's my opinion :)

[swiftcirrus]

Hi, i was wondering, with the audio being passed through in target display mode, can i still connect headphones, or will the sound only come from the imac speakers?

Prab

[onderdegrond]

@swiftcirrus That depends I guess. The sound will be transferred to the iMac. But I don't know if it's possible to use the "normal" XBOX 360 cable at the same time for the audio.... You can try this yourself by using the XBOX HDMI output on a TV for example and use the old cable and try to get audio from it :)

[swiftcirrus]

@onderdegrond Hi no no what i wanted to know was that if the audio goes through the imac speakers, can i plug my headphones into the back of the imac, and will it work as i currently have my pro logic amp rigged up from the headphones output of the imac

[onderdegrond]

@swiftcirrus Ah oke. Yes thats possible, I use the my speakers from the iMac output and it also works with headphones.

[Dimsca17]

great video, would this work on the 21.5 inch iMac?

[onderdegrond]

@Dimsca17 if the iMac has an mini-DP input only. Don;t know about the new models though. If they have a mini-DP port that is capable of being a monitor for a device: then probably yes :)

[DxStarzZ]

HAHAHA you thumbs up <3

[MrSJV318]

can u use this on a 13 inch mac laptop

[onderdegrond]

@MrSJV318 only if it has an mini-Displayport input i guess :) But as far as I know it only has an output to show the content of the macbook on another screen.

[ComeSeeYourPapa]

1:00 fail lol

[EdwardoisKing]

does this work with the 24" imac?

[onderdegrond]

@EdwardoisKing I think it doesn't have an input. If it does, it's probably not a mini-DP input. Therefore you can better find another adapter that will suite. As far as i know Dr Bott also made a special adapter for the 24" model, but that is the LED Cinema Display, and NOT the 24" iMac.

[rubenandpimslapping]

ik heb gehoord dat het alleen hd ready is dus 720p , ben jij tevreden met hoe het eruit ziet op 720p?

ik ben namelijk aan t twijfelen tussen kanex hd of dr bott

[onderdegrond]

@rubenandpimslapping Volgens mij maakt het niet uit welke adapter je gaat gebruiken omdat de input van de iMac alleen 720p en 1440p slikt. Ik ben er zeer tevreden over. Ongetwijfeld zal 1080p mooier zijn, maar het was goedkoper dan een LCD tv kopen :) Je hebt er nu ook een van Belkin, die is USB Powered. Succes er mee!

[MrGallopera]

Moet je perse de ingebouwde speaker gebruik of werkt de audio out ook gewoon?

[onderdegrond]

@MrGallopera: Voor de Dr Bott is het wel handig om de hdmi kabel te gebruiken, en daar zit ook audio op. Ik weet niet of je kan kiezen dat je hdmi wilt gebruiken voor beeld, zodat je dat op je iMac krijgt dus, en dan via de normale uitgang je audio kunt sturen.

[alexin226]

does it work if you own an imac 20 inch widescreen computer, because i have heard that it's only compatible with 27 inch screen

[onderdegrond]

@alexin226 Then they told the truth :) Only possible with 27" iMac because they have a mini-dp input, 20" doesn't have it.

[onderdegrond]

@alexin226 Then they told the truth :) Only possible with 27" iMac because they have a mini-dp input, 20" doesn't have it.

[alexin226]

does it work if you own an Imac 20-inch widescreen computer

[xuijing]

@theend32001

Seems when I disconnect my audio interface(s), hook up the xbox and start it all up, it does work. Crappy sound quality from the iMac speakers compared to what I'm used to, but atleast it works. :)

[theend32001]

I have the same thing(Dr. Bott) and recently, whenever I switch to my xbox, the sound for my xbox doesn't play. The video works but the sound doesn't. Have you ever had this problem?

[onderdegrond]

@theend32001 Nope, never had this problem. Did play yesterday. Maybe reconnect all the cables?

[xuijing]

@theend32001

Same, brand new out the box. Have video, just no audio :(

[theend32001]

@xuijing

mine's off and on. Sometimes if I just unplug the power adapter, turn off my imac, turn off my xbox, then restart it and re-connect everything, it works. but sometimes it takes 2 or 3 tries for it to get audio... : /

[maximummovies]

Kan je ook tegelijkertijd spelen en een screen recordings app laten draaien die je scherm kan opnemen zonder lagg zodat je ook gameplay video's kan maken? Of moet je eerst je xbox splitten en hem via een soort mediabox of iets dergelijks op je iMac aansluiten zodat je het misschien met eyeTV zou kunnen opnemen? Krijg je ook alle kabels erbij die je nodig hebt? Dus een HDMI kabel en dergelijke?

[onderdegrond]

@maximummovies: joooow. Nee je kan zover ik weet niet tegelijkertijd recorden en spelen tegelijk omdat je beelden op een andere input binnenkomen. Wil je het recorden dan zal je ietds moeten doen zoals je zelf al aangaf. Alle kabels die benodigd zijn worden bijgeleverd. Reken niet op meterslange kabels trouwens :) Wel is aan te raden om, als je langere kabels wilt kopen, niet hele goedkope te nemen. Die van mij wil soms niet in 1x het beeld van de xbox herkennen. Gebeurd 1:10 keer ofzo. Ciao!

[dubya13207]

anyone know if it's possible to buy the 24" one and use it on a 27", and vise versa? i'd like to be able to use one for both...

[fergfergferg123]

does this come with all the cabels??

[onderdegrond]

@fergfergferg123 Yep

[techforlife]

how about the audio. Does that come through the imac's speakers.

P.S. Great video

[onderdegrond]

@techforlife Yep!

[techforlife]

@onderdegrond Does the audio come through the mini dvi connection or do you have to use another cable?

[onderdegrond]

@techforlife The cable that goes into the Dr Bott adapter is the HDMI from the Xbox which includes audio. The mini-DP cable that goes from the Dr Bott adapter to the iMac includes audio to, so you can play via the iMac speakers or another set that is connected to the Audio Out of the iMac itself. There is no lag or wat so ever in the audio.

[techforlife]

@onderdegrond How about lag in the video and resolution?

[onderdegrond]

@techforlife There is no lag for video as well. You can see me in the movie turn the character of Assassins Creed and that it responds directly. The input resolution has to be 720P @ max, or 1440P ( but that's not possible for xbox or ps3 or the dr bott adapter ). So 1280x720P is the max resolution you can play on, but that's not a problem if you'll ask me. Looks really great :)

[techforlife]

@onderdegrond thanks for the quick replys!! :)

[onderdegrond]

@techforlife no problem :P

[techforlife]

@onderdegrond Sorry, just got one last question. What was the other small cable coming out of the drbott converter?

[onderdegrond]

@techforlife That is for the poweradapter that comes with the Dr Bott adapter. It doesn't get powered by USB, that would be great offcourse, but I don't mind that much :) It just works and that is the most important thing :) Saves me buying a LCD TV that won't give me the qualty of the screen that the 27" iMac has :)

[pantechuser0815]

@onderdegrond hey, i bought that dr.bott displayport hdmi pro stuff, too, but i got some probs concerning that poweradapter. i never saw it before and just don't know how to do it. would be glad if s.o. replies here.

[onderdegrond]

@pantechuser0815 So, what is your question?? What is wrong with the poweradapter??

[pantechuser0815]

@onderdegrond i just figured out, that the "poweradapter" is an optical cable (audio). i think i bought a similar version to what you got right here. difference: the power comes from displayport and usb-port. but that led doesn't glow. is it broken?

[onderdegrond]

@pantechuser0815 So there's a new version that gets the power from a USB cable. That's possible, which brand is yours? Dr Bott also? I don't know for sure if it's broken because my setup is a little bit diffrent, but what I do know is that the led indicator is always on!

[pantechuser0815]

@onderdegrond @onderdegrond i bought this one right here: arktis.de/dr.bott-audio-und-mi­ni-displayport-auf-hdmi-adapte­r-pro/

there's a funny thing i've just noticed. always when the usb-cable gets in contact (first contact) with the usb-port, the led glows up for about a millisec. i think i'll have to send it back. tested with xbox360, westerndigitalvideobox, macbook.. nothing works.

[onderdegrond]

@pantechuser0815 I'm sorry mate, you bought the wrong adapter. The right one is this: arktis.de/dr.-bott-digital-vid­eo-link-fuer-27-imac/ That adapter you bought can be used to combine the sound and video from the imac TO another device, like a TV. It doesn't use the HDMI as an input but an output. The adapter in the link I gave here does the thing around. That one changes the HDMI signal to a mini-Displayport signal ( including audio ).

[pantechuser0815]

@onderdegrond ouch. then i'll send it back tomorrow..

[dubya13207]

some people complain that the dr bott (and other adapters) don't support 1080p. do you miss it at all with just 720p?

[onderdegrond]

@dubya13207 It's not a big problem. I'm playing Red Dead Redemption now and the quality of the game and screen is just awesome. I will take a few pictures this weekend and place a link in the comments so you can see for yourself. But you would notice it if you have a 1080P screen next to it, but hey, it's the best you can get at the market right now. 1080P on the iMac 27" Will never happen because that input resolution isn't supported by it.Or you have to pay much to get 1440P. I'm happy with it

[MyNikeKicks]

great video man!thx

[onderdegrond]

@MyNikeKicks Thanks :)

[kapoegiti]

ik weet dat je nedelands bent kun je me vertellen waar je die kabel hebt gekocht want ik heb ook imac 27 inch

[onderdegrond]

@kapoegiti echt 4 vragen hieronder staat het volgens mij ook al atstore punt nl.

[Killaphobic]

Can u record gameplay with like a HD PVR Hauppauge?

[onderdegrond]

@Killaphobic I really don't know that.... Sorry.

[Killaphobic]

@onderdegrond k np

[muisrafael]

ik weet dat je nederlands ben ahhah waar heb je die kabel gekocht btw ik heb ook een mac 27 ich

[onderdegrond]

@muisrafael Je moet even zoeken op atstore punt nl, daar heb ik em vandaan :) Works like a charm! Waar je eve op moet letten is dat je HDMI kabel die je gaat gebruiken niet te lang is. Die van mij is 5m lang nu, en het switchten gaat soms niet in een keer goed. Een kortere / betere kabel werkte bij het maken van het filmpje directer. Succes! En zou ook werken op de PS3 hoor. HDMI is HDMI :)

[52daveg]

is there any lag?

[onderdegrond]

@52daveg Nope!

[pousow1]

I am assuming there is no way to record you game play.

[onderdegrond]

@pousow1 Guess not, because it's not some window-mode.

[ironman127b]

how did you get sound??

the HDMI only give video

[onderdegrond]

@ironman127b HDMI also transports sound. So you should check your cable, or maybe you got a failure in your adapter?

[TronicMedia]

this works on imac 21.5" right?

[onderdegrond]

@TronicMedia Nope, the iMac 21,5" doesn't have a mini-DP input.

[TronicMedia]

@onderdegrond that sucks

[junglas]

Hi onderdegrond! I have a question for you:

Dr. Bott Digital video link works perfectly for introducing a video signal into the 27" imac, but does it works on the other way? I mean could I use this SAME Videolink to watch my imac's desktop in a projector with hdmi input for instance? or in an HDTV? (obviously with the desktop set up on the correct resolution, 1080 for instance). Could you test it for me? It could be a great issue!

Thank you very much!

[onderdegrond]

Hi there. The iMac has an output possibility, but you can use a standard mini-DVI > HDMI cable. But I don't know 100% sure, I don't have the equipment to test it for you.

[junglas]

@junglas I agree... the imac has can send an output video signal, and I already used a friend's Minidisplayport>HDMI adapter an it worked and y saw my desktop on a TV (HD) but... my question is if I could do the same with my Dr. Bott Video link, I mean, does it work in both directions input & output from the mac?

If you could check it, it would be great!

I could just buy this adapter instead of two... thank you very much!!

[jos4]

Hey, onderdegrond I've got 2 questions for you!!

I don't have any HDTV or screen with HDMI input, so I can't connect my 360 via HDMI and set it to 720p.

So...

1) If I set the output resolution of the 360 at 1280x720 (via VGA), and then plug it to the iMac via HDMI, will I be able to see anything?

2) Or maybe I could plug it via HDMI to my iMac, and then blindly set it to 720p, couldn't I? I mean, the screen will be black, but the Xbox dashboard will be running, right?

Thank you very much!

[onderdegrond]

@jos4 Hi there! If you can set the output resolution to 1280x720 it would work. And also you could try to do it blindly :P But that is a challeging task :) Good luck with that :) You could try to find out if it is possible to reset the resolution of the xbox via some workaround so it will also work with the iMac and you can return the resolution back to 1280x720.

[applecare2009]

does it support audio also

[manunited910]

the website lists this as a 27" iMac product, but the specs show the compatibility works for older models which are 20" iMac's like mine. If i bought this do you think it would work the same or would it lessen the quality?

[onderdegrond]

If your 20" does have an input possibility then it could work. But a friend of my has a 20" white iMac with an input, but when he connected his Wii to it, the screen showed the action with something like half a second to a second lag. It was very noticeble. So I guess that you'll get the same problems.

[manunited910]

well mine is not one of the white macs, mine has a faster processor and is a newer model. So i don't know, it seams odd that they would make a product for only certain sized screens but not others. I mean my imac can run 1080 not just 720 so i will have to see...

[onderdegrond]

The resolution won't be the problem. The input can be a problem. But that is something you'll have to find out. On the white iMac of that friend is a composite input er something similar, and because the signal has to be changed from analog tot digital the delay comes in. Therefore I'm saying that I don't know for sure what will happen, I just wanted you to warn that it might not show the result you wanted. What kind of input do you have?

[manunited910]

I have an optical digital audio input and a DVI video output...

[jaimevlogs]

Hey, I got the dr bott thing so i can plug my xbox into my mac.. here's the problem I'm having, maybe you've heard of a fix.

I have my xbox running into it with HDMI, then into my HDMI port.. the audio and everything works, perfectly in sync, then 5 minutes later, the audio lags, and the sound lags, out of sync with what is happening on the screen. when i press cmd+f2 x 2, the audio works fine for another 5 minutes then it goes out of sync again. I don't know what to do :(

[onderdegrond]

Hi there, 2 posts earlier mathiasparks also mentioned those problems. Maybe you can message him to ask what he did about it because I'm not encountering those problems. And I don't know a solution on this one. You tried contacting Dr. Bott?

[jaimevlogs]

after i wrote my previous comment, I sent a message to support asking them the same thing. if i get something back i'll let you know incase anyone has the same problems again.. :S

[killerkatfilms]

@jaimevlogs I would really like to know, could you please update us? I plan to get something as well for my 360. Thanks!!

[jaimevlogs]

I havent gotten a response back from Dr Bott, but what I did, was buy a set of Bose Companion 3 series II speakers, and plugged my xbox audio and computer audio into it.. then, when i switch to the xbox display, i mute the computer so the sound goes directly from the xbox to the speakers, instead of thru the HDMI... no lag.

[jaimevlogs]

@killerkatfilms got a cheapie hdmi cable, completely fixed it.

[ewokcwalk]

another plus would be to share the internet connection to get on Live wirelessly!!!

[onderdegrond]

Meh, I don't think that's a really good idea. The more depency comes from one or another device the more you'll have to miss when something happens. And besides that, you don't want wireless when you're gaming right :) Nothing beats the cable! Except for a simple notebook.

[mathiasparks]

Hello, i also have this set up and was wandering if after some playing time your audio starts becoming delayed? I play mw2 a lot and after 5 to 10 minutes of playing all sounds are delayed a good second from whats showing on the screen. Let me know if you've experienced this so I know if its just my product or in general. Thanks!

[onderdegrond]

Hi there, I sofar haven't found any problems and my sessions are mostly more than one hour. No delays or what so ever. I think you should contact Dr Bott to see if they know something.

[iainad]

@mathiasparks I have the same problem. Dr Bott support are looking at it and they think it's related to the os x energy saver.

[iainad]

@mathiasparks I have the same problem. Dr Bott support are looking at it and they think it's related to the os x energy saver.

[petrockmedia]

Is this adapter passing audio through the mini display port? So would my iMac speakers be where the sound comes from? or would i need separate speakers plugged into the Dr. Bott?

[onderdegrond]

Well, if you'd watch the movie you would know :) But it does!

[kokosky87]

Can you connect a PS3 to a MacBook 13.3'' with a resolution of 720p?

[onderdegrond]

I guess not because the screen of the MacBook isn't capable of input. As far as I know the MacBook is only capable of giving output to another monitor/TV. So in that case: No.

[jeanskt2]

How is it connected in the back of the 27"imac? Mini display port or usb?

[onderdegrond]

Mini displayport.

[hylliebee]

Great review of the Dr. Bott Digital Video Link! Thx Onderdegrond (klinkt echt Nederlands). I ordered one today by AtStore. Greetings BeebomNL

[onderdegrond]

Ja mooi he :) Toch leuk om te zien dat de Nederlands zich ook beetje bezig houden met internationale belangstelling naar een oplossing voor het probleem met de xbox > iMac. Maargoed, gelukkig zijn er fabrikanten die hier markt in zien :) En hoe! Veel plezier met gamen!

[bigecanada]

Is the lag noticeable? Would the lag possibly effect gameplay? Do you still get 40fps?

[onderdegrond]

There is no lag at all. Or it is so little that it isn't noticeble. If games will get to 40fps they will also get it when you're connected to your iMac. No stuttering or what so ever! And I guess that when you play on 1280x720 you might get 1fps more because the xbox doesn't have to upscale the images to a higher resolution :) But I don't know that for sure!

[Scottio200]

Great video, got a few questions.

1) Does the input fill the entire screen or is there a border around the image?

2) Can apps run in the background when using this (listen to itunes music or use iChat/Skype for Audio chats?

[onderdegrond]

1) Fullscreen images as you can see in the movie.

2) Apps run in the background on the mac itself, it has to be powered on or else displaymode doesn't work. Sound from iTunes doesn't work but YouTube sound DOES play through the xbox sound. I didn't test Skype/iChat while gaming.

[ziptieTV]

So while in display mode can you still turn the brightness down (on imac) using keyboard or do you have to do that before going in to display mode? thanks

[onderdegrond]

Yes, and sound can be enabled / disabled or you can change the volume if you want. Really works nice :)

[ziptieTV]

What happens when you set the xbox output to 1080p instead of 720p? is it the wrong size on 1080p THANKS

[onderdegrond]

The iMac doesn't work with a 1080p input. So nothing happens.

[ezcompane]

This is probably a dumb question, but will this work with the 30" display?? I'm thinking about buying one and I use a PS3 as my main video/audio machine.

[onderdegrond]

Does it has displayport as an input and can it have a 1280x720 resolution as an input? Then yes. Otherwise I don't know. My overall guess is that is won't work! the 30" ACD has 2560x1600 and is not a 16:9 screen but a 16:10 screen...

And as far as I know the 30" ACD has a duallink DVI as an input and not displayport.

[ziptieTV]

if mw2 is not in true 1080p anyways i guess 720p would not look too bad idk

[onderdegrond]

I sit about 80cm from the screen when leaning forward and 110cm from the screen when sitting backwards. As far as I can tell the quality looks good. And the further away the better it gets, or less worse :-) depending on your opinion :P

[Flagel88]

May i ask you the exact link on the dr.bott website to buy this in europe? Thanks in advance!

[persisting1]

Have you tested input lag between the xbox 360 and the iMac using Dr. Bott?

[onderdegrond]

You can see that test from 2:50 from the movie. No noticeble lag.

[olvrfshr]

what resolution is it running at?

[onderdegrond]

The iMac input resolutions are 640x480, 1280x720 and 2560x1440. The adapter is capable of putting through 1080p, but since the iMac input doesn't work with 1080p (because of blu-ray or some other reason.. but I believe they did it on purpous) this is running at 720p. Which is excellent if you're asking me :) I'm all happy about it!

[olvrfshr]

oh ok. do you think they will make an adapter capable of 1440p?

[onderdegrond]

I don't know. But what will be the advantage of a 1440p adapter if the most xbox games are rendered by the xbox in 720p. If they will make one it will be very expensive I guess and everything it will do is upscale the rendered output from the xbox. So I don't see why they would or should at this moment.

[Eggyrocks1]

@onderdegrond There is a company working on an adapter that will support dual link resolutions, such as the 2560x1440 native of the iMac. I don't know what it's called, but it isn't Dr. Bott.

[olvrfshr]

so cool! thanks a lot, i really appreciate it.

[bobfitzgerald14]

that is pure sex.

[idanceinclownshoes]

that is amazing. you are actually such a big help.