Connect Macbook to TV- How

it depends what inputs your TV has...

if all it has is standard RCA (red/yellow/white) or S-Video inputs, you just need a Mini-DVI to Video adapter from Apple. Then you need a RCA-minijack adapter for the audio. Then you need a male-male RCA cable.

these are what you need:

I've used the mini-DVI to VGA adapter (costs about $20) and connect to my Sony Bravia 40" and even classroom projectors for movies, keynote, powerpoint, just about anything on the big screen really. Go to Displays and check the box for Mirrored Displays, and you should be good to go. Also, plug in some speakers to the MB, since the sound is coming from the MB and not the television. Enjoy.

Okay, I have a slight problem/confusing with the adapters. I got the Mini-DVI to Video Adapter:


and I also got an adapter that looks like this:


It has a 3.5mm Male Audio Connector along with a 4-Pin Male S-Video Connector. I read that the Mini-DVI uses a 3.5mm Male connector, which I learned from:
http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache...e+mini+dvi+rca+3.5mm&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us
(I supplied the cached link to make it easier to see what I was looking at)

The connector, however, doesn't fit into the Mini-DVI. I thought it was the wrong size, so I tried putting it into my macbook and ipod headphone jacks. It fit perfectly, so that means the connector is indeed 3.5mm.

The Mini-DVI is able to connect to a male-male RCA connector, which I used to see if the Mini-DVI's size was weird.

I am really confused right now and really can't understand what is going on. If I can't get the RCA adapter to work, I'm guessing I'm stuck with a picture on the TV with sound coming out of my macbook.

Also, I looked up the RCA-minijack adapter size. It is also 3.5mm and I'm not even sure if the sizes go any lower. So what is going on??

Any help would be awesome!! And thanks to any advice!!!

Oh, and also I tried connecting the S-Video to the Mini-DVI and the 3.5mm connector to my macbook's headphone jack, but no sound came out of the TV. Is it even able to work that way?

zoinkers said:

Oh, and also I tried connecting the S-Video to the Mini-DVI and the 3.5mm connector to my macbook's headphone jack, but no sound came out of the TV. Is it even able to work that way?

Click to expand...

The 3.5mm jack then has to be plugged into the TV on the other end via the red/white RCA cables to the audio-in plugs on the same "input" as the s-video (video 1, 2, etc)

Yeah...I had that all connected...

you can get the DVI/HDMI adapter and connect via HDMI to TV

That's what I do

(assuming you have the HDMI in/out on TV)

I don't think sound is transported from the DVI - I usually have to connect to my surround sound or have sound coming right from my MacBook.

That's why I'm looking into Apple TV

Chris Rogers said:

you can get the DVI/HDMI adapter and connect via HDMI to TV

That's what I do

(assuming you have the HDMI in/out on TV)

Click to expand...

That would require me to buy another adapter and then more pieces...

I just don't understand how it is that other people use these connections and have had success...plus my tv only has rca connections.

Have you considered Apple TV? eBay or something

Chris Rogers said:

Have you considered Apple TV? eBay or something

Click to expand...

i don't really want to purchase a brand new tv when i already have a working one...i mean...this is just a matter of finding the right connections. and there has to be a way otherwise why would apple sell this adapter and how have other people done this?

.

zoinkers said:

i don't really want to purchase a brand new tv when i already have a working one...i mean...this is just a matter of finding the right connections. and there has to be a way otherwise why would apple sell this adapter and how have other people done this?

Click to expand...

No, Apple TV is a peripherral (spelled correctly? no spell check on iPhone) that connects to your tv just like a DVD player or VCR would. It's not an actual TV check out apple's online store. It's awesome, I'm picking one up for the holidays. eBay had them for between 150-200 for 40GB plus 25% off through live.com

If I just want to run a slide show from my Macbook to television, what do I need?

zoinkers said:

i don't really want to purchase a brand new tv when i already have a working one...i mean...this is just a matter of finding the right connections. and there has to be a way otherwise why would apple sell this adapter and how have other people done this?

Click to expand...

I had problems with the sound when i was connecting my MacBook to the my T.V, which is a Philips 42".

I used: Mini DVI>DVI adapter; DVI > HDMI that was for the display connection
For sound i just used a Jack 3.55m > Jack 3.55

If your display works fine and the only problem is with the sound, just get the Jack to Jack cable and I'm pretty sure it'll work cos I had the same problem, where the display worked but not the sound and after buying the different types of cable all I needed was the Jack adapter!

I hope i helped

freeloader said:

I had problems with the sound when i was connecting my MacBook to the my T.V, which is a Philips 42".

I used: Mini DVI>DVI adapter; DVI > HDMI that was for the display connection
For sound i just used a Jack 3.55m > Jack 3.55

If your display works fine and the only problem is with the sound, just get the Jack to Jack cable and I'm pretty sure it'll work cos I had the same problem, where the display worked but not the sound and after buying the different types of cable all I needed was the Jack adapter!

I hope i helped

Click to expand...

Okay, I tried that and it worked! Thanks so much!

zoinkers said:

Okay, I tried that and it worked! Thanks so much!

Click to expand...

Your Welcome!

Please take a look here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/292175/ for further questions/answers.

Thanks

Help

Okay i have a ten year old Sony Trinitron TV. I am trying to connect my Macbook witch has a mini Dvi port to my TV that only has the S-video and RCA inputs. I have the DVi to VGA adapter and a VGA to S-video/RCA adapter. when i plug everything in i get nothing on the tv and my computer does not seem to detect the Tv What do i do? i have been looking and cant seem to find a answer. Anyone?

jsalazar2007tx said:

Okay i have a ten year old Sony Trinitron TV. I am trying to connect my Macbook witch has a mini Dvi port to my TV that only has the S-video and RCA inputs. I have the DVi to VGA adapter and a VGA to S-video/RCA adapter. when i plug everything in i get nothing on the tv and my computer does not seem to detect the Tv What do i do? i have been looking and cant seem to find a answer. Anyone?

Click to expand...

We've answered your issue in the thread you made: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/780989/ . You cannot use the adapters the way you did, you need the adapter shown above.

Chris Rogers said:

No, Apple TV is a peripherral (spelled correctly? no spell check on iPhone) that connects to your tv just like a DVD player or VCR would. It's not an actual TV check out apple's online store. It's awesome, I'm picking one up for the holidays. eBay had them for between 150-200 for 40GB plus 25% off through live.com

Click to expand...

Useless junk, op just needs a simple cable and he can do waaaay more with his macbook then an expensive Apple TV.

connecting 2008 mac book pro to tv with either s video or rgb

How do i connect my mac book pro to tv that has s video, rgb connection or the red, white yellow rca connections

I don't see my MacBook Pro screen on the TV

I have a MacBook Pro and I'm trying to connect it to a flatscreen TV. I'm using a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter and an HDMI cord to connect to the TV. I connected the cord to the TV and MacBook Pro, turned the TV on first, made sure it was displaying the HDMI port I had plugged my cord into, and then turned on the MacBook Pro. At first I see a blue screen on the TV and my MacBookPro, then on the TV I see what looks like an outerspace graphic, but it is not my MacBookPro screen.

Any ideas on why I'm not seeing my MacBookPro screen?

Update: I solved my screen issue. By using the Mirror Display option I'm now able to see my MacBook Pro screen on my TV, but I only get audio through my laptop. I thought the HDMI would allow the output to come from the TV. How do I get the audio to play from the TV. I also tried using an audio cable from my laptop to the TV, with no luck. Can anyone help me?

Scottrinka said:

I have a MacBook Pro and I'm trying to connect it to a flatscreen TV. I'm using a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter and an HDMI cord to connect to the TV. I connected the cord to the TV and MacBook Pro, turned the TV on first, made sure it was displaying the HDMI port I had plugged my cord into, and then turned on the MacBook Pro. At first I see a blue screen on the TV and my MacBookPro, then on the TV I see what looks like an outerspace graphic, but it is not my MacBookPro screen.

Any ideas on why I'm not seeing my MacBookPro screen?

Update: I solved my screen issue. By using the Mirror Display option I'm now able to see my MacBook Pro screen on my TV, but I only get audio through my laptop. I thought the HDMI would allow the output to come from the TV. How do I get the audio to play from the TV. I also tried using an audio cable from my laptop to the TV, with no luck. Can anyone help me?

Click to expand...

if your macbook pro was purchased before april 2010 you will need to run the audio through the audio jack, or get a Mini Displayport Male and USB Male Audio to HDMI Female Converting Adapter. The mini display port does not support audio on older macbook pros, it only supports audio on the new mid 2010 macbook pros.

freeloader said:

I had problems with the sound when i was connecting my MacBook to the my T.V, which is a Philips 42".

I used: Mini DVI>DVI adapter; DVI > HDMI that was for the display connection
For sound i just used a Jack 3.55m > Jack 3.55

If your display works fine and the only problem is with the sound, just get the Jack to Jack cable and I'm pretty sure it'll work cos I had the same problem, where the display worked but not the sound and after buying the different types of cable all I needed was the Jack adapter!

I hope i helped

Click to expand...

this is is the best way to go!