Until the time the iMacs start sporting an HDMI input, the Kanex XD is one of the easiest plug and play conversion solutions for using the 27″ iMac as a display for HD gaming systems and Blu-Ray playback. It features a single HDMI input and a Mini DisplayPort out. Simply connect your HDMI-enabled source of choice (xbox 360, playstation 3, second computer, blu-ray player, etc) to the Kanex box, the box to your iMac, and you’re set. The iMac keyboard is able to control sound and brightness of the source video, as well as toggle back and forth between the desktop and HD source. Unfortunately, due to the iMac not being able to recognize 1080p input resolutions, playback is confined to 720p. Although the manufacturer claims that once iMacs are able to support the 1080p resolution, the same unit will output at 1080p. Kanex is also solely compatible with the 27″ iMac, as it is the only model that accepts video input via MDP. The Kanex XD holds a best in show title from Macworld 2010 and is priced at $149.99.
