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Need Help Mac Mini to hook up to HDTV

C

cah87

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 7, 2007
170
0
Hey all, I'm sure some of you have done this so i want some opinions and answers.
Okay so i have $400 in Gift certificates and i want a mac mini to hook up to my tv. My tv has 2 HDMI ports on the back. The screen is 50" and supports 1080p. So my question is how should i hook up the mac mini. With DVI to HDMI? Also i want sound to go through the tv speakers. Also what Resolution can i get from the mac mini to the tv and will it support High Def Images?

Thanks
-Chris
 
mkrishnan

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
1) Yes, most likely you want DVI -> HDMI. Although they may exist, I haven't been able to find cables so far that allow you to take either the analog or digital aspect of the Mini's audio out and send it into an HDMI port. Most TVs have audio ports that pair with their HDMI, though -- like my TV has an SPDIF port and an analog audio port (that's shared, I think, between VGA and HDMI). So, you can get a separate 3.5mm to 3.5mm analog cable....

2) 1920x1080, generally. It may be beneficial to find some other resolutions depending on the content -- for instance, with my 720p TV, I keep a 4:3 resolution available too, because my TV will stretch it to fill the screen, so I can watch 4:3 content in stretched mode if I want. I'll defer on just how robust the Mini is for playing 1080p content....
 
J

je1ani

macrumors 6502
Sep 19, 2007
455
1
I am having the same problem except I want my C2D iMac to hook up to my TV also
 
P

peeaanuut

macrumors 65816
Sep 10, 2007
1,048
1
Southern California
DVI to HDMI works really well for the video. Since the sound from tv speakers sucks anyways, you might as well just get a 1/8" stereo to rca stereo adapter for about a buck at radio shack. if you insist on digital audio to the tv, you will need to get the TOSLINK to optical plug. I know monster and a few other companies make them.
 
S

StothaD37

macrumors newbie
Jan 27, 2007
2
0
mkrishnan said:
1) Yes, most likely you want DVI -> HDMI. Although they may exist, I haven't been able to find cables so far that allow you to take either the analog or digital aspect of the Mini's audio out and send it into an HDMI port. Most TVs have audio ports that pair with their HDMI, though -- like my TV has an SPDIF port and an analog audio port (that's shared, I think, between VGA and HDMI). So, you can get a separate 3.5mm to 3.5mm analog cable....

2) 1920x1080, generally. It may be beneficial to find some other resolutions depending on the content -- for instance, with my 720p TV, I keep a 4:3 resolution available too, because my TV will stretch it to fill the screen, so I can watch 4:3 content in stretched mode if I want. I'll defer on just how robust the Mini is for playing 1080p content....
Click to expand...

Good point on the S/PDIF port. I was going to say get a mini-stereo split to RCA adapter, but if your TV has S/PDIF, def. do that.

Also, you should install DisplayConfigX - a shareware app that accesses more configurations than the standard OSX display system preferences allows. This will help for a better corner-to-corner fix and also provide a better resolution, depending on the refresh rate that your TV can support. Check it out...
 
Leon Kowalski

Leon Kowalski

macrumors 6502a
Sep 20, 2007
708
0
Gondwanaland Reunification Front HQ
mkrishnan said:
How expensive is the converter to SPDIF? Do you have a recommendation of one?
Click to expand...
Best place I've seen for audio and video cables/converters/adapters/stuff is:

http://www.monoprice.com

GREAT prices, and highly recommended for quality & service by many of the HDTV addicts at avsforum.com.

http://www.beachaudio.com is also worth a look. Last time I checked, they had excellent prices on Belkin's "PureAudio" cables and other reputable products.

Unfortunately, no one seems to sell anything that directly mates with Apple's mini-DVI. So, we're stuck with Stevie's drain-bamaged adaptors for that one. Only a certified moron would use a crippled DVI-D connector -- when the mini-DVI end of the wire would support a fully-functional DVI-I interface.

...BTW, avoid MonsterCable products like the plague. 120% pure snakeoil.

LK
 
T

Tara Davis

macrumors regular
Mar 29, 2007
130
0
StothaD37 said:
Good point on the S/PDIF port. I was going to say get a mini-stereo split to RCA adapter, but if your TV has S/PDIF, def. do that.

Also, you should install DisplayConfigX - a shareware app that accesses more configurations than the standard OSX display system preferences allows. This will help for a better corner-to-corner fix and also provide a better resolution, depending on the refresh rate that your TV can support. Check it out...
Click to expand...

My experiences with DisplayConfigX have been nothing short of miserable. The "right" setting is often impossible to find, settings get lost on sleep and/or reboot, and it's painfully easy to shut off or even damage your display with an incorrect setting. It's awkward, buggy, and not particularly well-supported when it comes to use with HD systems.

The Mac should detect most HDTVs and give you choices of 720p & 1080i resolutions by default. There are some quirks with the screen geometry & overscan sometimes, but I've found that you're better off just living with it and taking advantage of proper 1:1 pixel resolutions than selecting some goofy alternate setting and relying on scaling.

YMMV, obviously.
 
Leon Kowalski

Leon Kowalski

macrumors 6502a
Sep 20, 2007
708
0
Gondwanaland Reunification Front HQ
shu82 said:
Would this work to hook up a mini via HDMI?
Click to expand...
Yep, that one looks OK -- because it doesn't have the four analog VGA pins.

This one should also work. Under $4, plus a regular HDMI cable in any length you wish:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10419&cs_id=1041902&p_id=2029&seq=1&format=2

BTW, it should be fairly easy to (partially) "fix" Apple's adapter by drilling four small holes in the plastic where the VGA pins are supposed to go. That would allow you to plug-in a "proper" DVI-I connector, without resorting to a pin-ectomy.

BTW2, does anyone know of a source for "bare" mini-DVI male connectors?

Looby
 
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