Split Mini Displayport question

I just bought my first Mac, a 27-inch iMac refurb. I can't get over the display. It's the best I've ever seen, nevermind used. I love it.

I'm wondering now if I can split the Mini Displayport, perhaps with something like this.

Ultimately I want my HDTV connected to the Mini Displayport as an extended monitor for the iMac. I also want my Win 7 Thinkpad connected, so I can Command+F2 between Apple and Windows environments.

I don't know if standard splitter will work, because on one Mini Displayport I'd be pumping out to the TV and on the other I'd be pumping in from my PC.

Has anyone done this or something similar, perhaps with a Mac Book?

Thanks in advance.

Your iMac has two separate mdp ports. One is video in, one is video out. No, you're not going to plug one cable into the video out port and expect to get video in.

I have never yet seen a two way video port on any device; be it a TV, monitor, a/v receiver, or a computer.

Not to contradict . . but . . . I have the late 2009 27" iMac and it has a single Mini Display Port (combined in and out). As far as I can tell from the pics on the Apple site the 2010 model is the same. Not sure which the OP has.

However, I agree that it's very unlikely that adapter will work. Perhaps worth a go if you can return it if/when it doesn't work.

I think the difficulties will come because the adapter isn't smart enough (or maybe not even wired in the right way) to work out which device is an input and which is out and how to handle it when they are both present and on.

mrplow said:

I have the late 2009 27" iMac and it has a single Mini Display Port (combined in and out). As far as I can tell from the pics on the Apple site the 2010 model is the same.

Click to expand...

Correct. There's only one MDP on my June 2010 iMac.

I have never yet seen a two way video port on any device;

Click to expand...

Actually, that's exactly what MDP is, a two-way video port. It is self-regulating, on a hardware level, so it knows it's getting video in when a laptop is connected. (See this thread about it.) And it knows when it needs to pump out when a second display or television is connected.

The question is whether it will know to do this if a splitter is installed. Perhaps the first question, is has anyway ever split a MDP, period. Then if so, does input/output toggle with the Command+F2 function ...

Well, shiver me timbers. Guess I just "assumed" there were two separate ports. Learn somthin' new every day. Reckon I better do some studyin' up on this new fangled contraption.