Video Capture Input for G4 Macs?

indigo_k

indigo_k

New Tinkerer
Oct 13, 2023
58
8
8
Hey gang!
Here's what I'm trying to accomplish: I've got a retro gaming handheld that has miniHDMI out so you can plug it into a tv and use it as a game console. I'd like to also be able to plug it into the iMac G4 I've got next to my bed and use that screen to play the games on. I'm trying to figure out the best way to accomplish that.
I'm imagining a miniHDMI to USB video capture device, and then some software solution to either use the iMac just as a monitor, or to take the video capture and just go full-screen with it.
Any tips or suggestions?
 
phunguss

phunguss

Tinkerer
Dec 24, 2023
233
221
43
Stillwater, MN
I am not sure you will find a USB or FireWire device that was made to capture HDMI. Most things in that era were Composite (yellow) or coax (tv antenna or cable tuner). I have a USB based EyeTV Hybrid that is USB, but only takes coax. The PPC 8500 had AV inputs but at a very limited resolution. Best thing I can think of is to utilize an old camcorder... I know i have used a SONY MiniDV camcorder that had composite input to convert to FireWire into iMovie to capture old VHS tapes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Certificate of Excellence and indigo_k
indigo_k

indigo_k

New Tinkerer
Oct 13, 2023
58
8
8
Yeah, okay - so I'll probably be looking for a series of adapters to get true video capture: MiniHDMI -> HDMI -> ?? -> ?? -> FireWire

But is there a way I can just tap directly into the screen of this iMac and use it as an external monitor? The handheld runs Linux, so there might possibly be a way to share the screen over wifi.
 
phunguss

phunguss

Tinkerer
Dec 24, 2023
233
221
43
Stillwater, MN
indigo_k said:
But is there a way I can just tap directly into the screen of this iMac and use it as an external monitor? The handheld runs Linux, so there might possibly be a way to share the screen over wifi.
Click to expand...
Maybe VNC or Remote Desktop? Depends on what you can install/share from your linux device. What version of MacOS are you running on the G4? Leopard has screen sharing in core services.
 
indigo_k

indigo_k

New Tinkerer
Oct 13, 2023
58
8
8
Right now I have it dual booting into OS 9.2.2 and OS X Tiger. I'd be happy to downgrade the X side to Leopard, I think it'd run better on this hardware anyway.

I'll have to do some research and find out what options there are for sharing the screen from the Linux side. Ideally it'd just be running in the background, and probably would be a USB-C interface there.
 
indigo_k

indigo_k

New Tinkerer
Oct 13, 2023
58
8
8
davewongillies said:
Click to expand...
Ha! I came across this exact video earlier today when I was trying to find a solution. Unfortunately my iMac works perfectly and I don't want to sacrifice it in order to use it *only* as a monitor, I was just hoping there was a way to have it just switch over to 'monitor mode' when I wanted it to.
While watching that video though I did wonder if it'd be possible to add an HDMI bypass to the internal monitor cable, like just splicing an HDMI port onto the back of the machine (or running the cable out of the unused DisplayPort opening), and maybe adding a physical switch to select between the two different incoming video signals. Probably more of a hack than I want to do on a perfectly functional iMac G4.
 
S. Pupp

S. Pupp

New Tinkerer
Apr 2, 2023
60
21
8
I have a C&E HDMI to S-video and composite device from Amazon (this specific one is no longer available). Connect this to a Canopus ADVC-100 Firewire D/A converter or Firewire camcorder’s analog input (as mentioned above) and connect to Firewire. Use something like Strata Videoshop v4 in full screen mode to display the video from Firewire source.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom