How to connect iMac to HD 42 inch TV

What you'll need will depend on what connectors your TV has. If it has a VGA port then you'll need a miniDVI to VGA adapter and a VGA cable

You really have to tell us more about your HDTV. What kind of inputs does it have? HDMI? DVI? VGA?

The answer is most likely yes. Most likely, you'll get a converter for the mini-DVI that comes out of the iMac to DVI (1) and then DVI to HDMI (2). The first adapter (1) is available from Apple for about $20. The second is available from various sources. You will either need to use an HDMI cable that has an analog audio line in it or run the audio output of the iMac over to the TV as well, as DVI does not carry an audio signal.

ViperDesign said:

I apologize for not being specific:

42 Inch Plasma Panasonic tv.

I have 2 HDMI connections available so it would have to connect to one of those.

Also do they sell these at a local apple store?

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They'll sell the miniDVI to DVI adapter at the apple store, but probably not the DVI to HDMI adapter, nor the HDMI cable.

If you bought your TV locally, the store can probably help you with the HDMI cable part. You can get them online, but be careful to get the genders right and such!

Big issue with my HDMI and Mini DVI stuff, hope you can help.

I just went to the apple store and bought all the stuff I needed to connect the Mini DVI to HDMI, the HDMI Cable, and the Audio Component cables to go with it for sound.

However, whenever I plug my wires into my computer and / or my TV the screen goes to BLUE sort of like the hazey blue screen that is there at start up, and then immediately freezes.

If I have the cable plugged into the HDMI 2 port on my TV first, then plug in the mini dvi which is conencted to the HDMI cable into my mac, I get that blue screen, and when I connect the mini dvi into my computer first, then connect the HDMI into my tv, I get the blue screen.

I can still see my desktop and other boxes behind the blue screen, but everything is frozen, and the blue screen wont go away. On the slight occaision that it does go away, the screen is still frozen and I cant do anything but shut down.

On the slight chance that after I plug the wires in, my computer DOESNT freeze the second I begin to play a movie, or begin to play or switch my tv to the HDMI 2 channel, the computer freezes.

And... If I plug all the wires in, plug it into the computer, and plug it into the tv, with my computer shut down, and then try to turn it on, I get nothing but the BLUE screen. NO desktop, no icons, no nothing.

I have friends who work for Apple, and he just cant figure it out he said something about maybe my resolution is wrong, and thats whats doing in, but im just not sure. If it is, I dont know what res it should be on, Im on 1440 x 900 now, should it be smaller, or is that okay? is there a function on the TV that I need to change.

I have a 32" Polaroid Flat Screen, with 2 HDMI Ports 1) for my Cable box, the 2nd for the Computer, but I cant get the computer part to work for anything.

Any help you guys can give me would be absolutely great.

Thanks guys!

As the screen is only 32" it is most likely 720p, which means the resolution should be 1280x720. This is assuming it is a high definition screen of some sort.

Get a mini-dvi to dvi cable from apple. Tehn get a DVI to HDMI cable from monoprice.com. Connect. Rejoice.

No icons on desktop

I'm sorta having a similar problem. I have a iMac and a 40" Sony Bravia. I bought the mini dvi to hdmi and a hdmi and connected the tv to the computer. Turned them both off the turned on the tv, then the Mac. I can see my desktop/wallpaper, but no icons or anything else I have pulled up on my computer screen. Can anyone help me with this PLEASE!

@Princess your problem isn't actually a problem. By default when you connect your imac & tv together, the iMac extends its display onto the TV, making it like you have 2 individual screens. Try draging an icon across from the edge of the imac screen onto the tv either via the left or right hand side of the imac screen. it should appear on the TV.

If you want to have the same display on both the iMac & TV go to System Preferences > Displays then find the option to Mirror displays.

@ViperDesign

I have a similar set up to you. iMac / 42" Plasma Panasonic TV HDMI
There isn't any built in way with the iMac to have the display show ONLY on the TV. You can choose to Clone/Mirror the display so the TV shows what the iMac screen shows. But you cant actually turn the imac screen off with out shutting off the iMac itself.

The Cable I use is a Mini DisplayPort + USB 2 HDMI Adapter. Basically it uses the Mini DisplayPort & a USB cable and converts it to a HDMI Socket. You then simply plug a HDMI Cable into the Adapter and the TV. Easy as.

TV not detecting the signal

Is there some setting that has to be adjusted on my iMac?

No Sound?

I have a 3.2 Ghz Intel Core i3 Imac and I bought a Mini Displayport to HDMI Adapter to connect my computer to my Panasonic Plasma TV. My desktop shows on my TV but sound only comes from the computer, not the TV. Does anyone know what I have to do to get the sound to come from the TV? Do I need a different cable?

matt71 said:

I have a 3.2 Ghz Intel Core i3 Imac and I bought a Mini Displayport to HDMI Adapter to connect my computer to my Panasonic Plasma TV. My desktop shows on my TV but sound only comes from the computer, not the TV. Does anyone know what I have to do to get the sound to come from the TV? Do I need a different cable?

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you have to go into your sound settings in system preferences and go to the output tab and select the TV

Mirroring reduces the resolution

I have a brand new iMac and have connected a 50" TV by the thunderbolt port with a VGA adapter.
When using the extended display mode it is awesome, but when I go to mirrored mode the max resolution for both displays comes down to 800x600, clearly the TV will work on high resolution modes as demonstrated in the extended mode.

Does anyone have any clever ideas on how to fix this please?

connect mac to Hd tv

I have a 2.93 ghz intel core 2009 imac quad core I7
how can I connect my 42 in hd tv to my mac so I can use the monitor for pro tools

mini-Displayport to HDMI and you'll have audio over HDMI cable.

Not mini-DVI to HDMI, but ut will still carry the video signal.