According to this link (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139916/Apple_s_new_27_in._iMac_is_stunning_?taxonomyId=123&pageNumber=5),
According to Apple, it's possible to connect up an external Blu-Ray player -- but an adapter will be needed to convert the HDMI signal coming from the player to the MiniDisplay Port on the iMac. And a scaler would be needed because of the screen's high resolution. Apple doesn't sell those, though, so it'll be up to another company to come up with a solution.

Is this correct? That would be a major drag. If the iMac will only accept video input formatted at 2560 x 1440 and will not automatically upscale 1080p then it will be cost prohibitive to attach a blue ray player via an HDMI to Mini Display Port adapter. It will require an expensive scaler too? No internal blue ray -- okay. But no external blue ray without a scaler -- that is a buzz kill. I may need to cancel my November order for a quad core version.

Scaling doesn't necessarily have to be "expensive". Someone might build a cheap scaler that merely centers 1920x1080 within 2560x1440 and passes that to the iMac along with a black border on all 4 sides.

Of course, people will bitch because it won't be "full screen".

I may need to cancel my November order for a quad core version.

I came across this thread the other day, it has a nice summary of the 27" input situation and a collection of links:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2205633&start=30&tstart=0

For the near future, instead of spending hundreds on adaptors which won't work, or queuing up for intermediate devices which likely will remain vaporware for some time, it might be wiser to get a 27" iMac because 1) it's the right Mac for your needs, a consumer Mac that finally stretches into Pro territory--desktop CPU, quad-core, brilliant resolution, plenty of RAM--at the right price point, totally irrespective of the Blu-ray player input issue and 2) then spend $100 for an external BD drive and rip with MakeMKV until--or if--that other situation resolves itself.

The main reason to get the 27" iMac, is believe it or not, price. You are essentially paying for the monitor and getting a free quad-core computer thrown in. If you consider the price of a similarly resolutioned 30" LCD display (from Dell!!) being -$100 of the 27" iMac's price, (link to the Dell) (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Monitors/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=223-4890)you'll see the truth in these words. Note also that you are getting an LCD from Dell, but an LED from Apple. Big difference.

AFAIK you can't get an LED at that resolution from anyone, at any price. That hit in profit margins for Q1 Apple was talking about on their earnings conference call -- this is it.

If I'm not mistaken Apple came out with a formal announcement clearing up the issue of 'Video IN' on the iMac 27". Apple stated clearly that the connector would only proccess signals from DisplayPort compatible devices.

While I would have rather linked the actual source of the confirmation (iFixit (http://www.iFixit.com/)) I couldn't seem to find a page that AppleInsider was referencing and even AI failed to link back to this supposed information.

So for what its worth heres the AI link (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/10/26/tests_confirm_apples_27_imac_only_supports_displayport_input .html) anyway:

Dave

I'm going to keep the i5 iMac. I'm way over due for an up date. I'm using the original MacBook Core Duo as my house wide media hub and that lap top was not designed to be running all the time. I have it sitting up on a grill I borrowed from our warming oven to keep it cool and stop its fans from kicking on all the time. This new puppy will last me until Apple offers a mini that has an 8 core processor, and then I'll use this thing as its display! And I can alway rip with MakeMKV. I'm sure 4 cores will make that more bearable.

The Apple Insider (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/10/26/tests_confirm_apples_27_imac_only_supports_displayport_input .html)link seems to be definitive. The adapter will need to be able to not only convert HDMI video to DisplayPort Video, but will also have to convert 720p/1080i/1080p to 2560x1440. Belkin announced an adapter and even announced it on the website, but then realized how complicated it was and pulled down their website. Altona seems to be working on something, but may end up costing more than $200 (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=8711059&postcount=134).

I think the new iMac 27" is a near-perfect computer, but I wouldn't buy it just for the video input. Chances are it only works on Display-Port-devices. Even if it did not; the iMac would have to be powered on and running for another device to be connected to it so you couldn't just use it as a normal display.

I don't get the excitement over a video input anyway. To me the one most important feature that always separated the iMac from all the other All-In-Ones and rendered them simple living room PCs as opposed to full-fledged workstations was the video output! I have a Wacom Cintiq and therefore need a video output. Currently I own a MacBook which is connected to a 24" LCD via DVI and my Cintiq via DisplayLink; but the latter is merely a compromise solution and does not replace a full-featured DVI connection. So hopefully next year I will replace that 24" LCD with the iMac 27" and connect my Cintiq via DVI to it. The video input is a nice-to-have feature but nothing more.

It looks like the first solution for this problem will be available in April. It seems to imply that it will both convert and scale for $150.

Kanex XD for Apple 27" iMac (http://kanexlive.com/products/item.aspx?id=3662)

I was not aware of this situation when I bought the 27-inch iMac, mainly because for TV/movies we use our projector. But I can tell you that this iMac (nicknamed, The Beast) is a joy to work with. Most of the time I am using Final Cut and I am always blown away with how good the video looks, especially when the final edit is made and it's time to watch the finished edited production for the first time. This is the first iMac I've had since Apple first came out with the iMac DV 9 or 10 years ago (switched to a G5 about 5 years ago) and this 27-inch beast is a pleasure to use. Yea, I know a BD solution would have been nice but then that's what stand-alone players are for, at least for now.

Looking at the language on their site. I am suspicious:

Turn your Apple iMac 27 inch into a HDTV. Connect and play Blu-Ray DVD, PS3, Xbox games at HD format.

720p is an HD format (singular), and the 27" iMac can accept a 720p signal without scaling. So, this device might not scale 1080p to 2560 x 1440, but rather may require you to turn your BluRay or XBox or PS3 down to 720p. That is what the Altona product does. 1080p is what we are looking for...

Looking at the language on their site. I am suspicious:

I agree. Their site (and their announcement) does have a fair bit of 'Jenglish' in it. It is difficult to understand exactly what they are selling. The document was probably written in Asia. If it were written by a native English speaker, he/she should be fired for gross incompetence.

This is probably a Tiawanese or Chinese company with a very small sales office in Brea, CA. No address anywhere to be found on the site.

When they say "at HD format", it's possible they "windowbox" a 1920x1080 HD frame inside the iMac's 2560x1440 native resolution. Or they could be doing simple pixel doubling of 1280x720 in both dimensions to fill the screen.

At any rate, for $149 they should be doing a lot more than that.