Is there some sort of adaptor I can get that can combine HDMI output AND 5.1 audio out of the mini into my TV?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
pre HDMI mini .... is there a way to....
- Thread starter itsjustmeee
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Can't speak for the 5.1 part of the audio, but the video is as simple as a DVI to HDMI adapter (available for a couple bucks on eBay/Amazon/etc) and audio can be done via a standard 3.5mm to RCA cable. Not sure about the 5.1, though...
A converter like this one along with a TOSLINK optical cable (the older Minis have a combo TOSLink/3.5mm audio jack). I used one like this before Apple TV came out to connect my 2007 Mini to my home theater system, worked OK.
check the first review for this product. They seem to be doing the same thing as you want to. To get 5.1 audio you need to use a optical audio cable.
http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Dig...358971472&sr=8-2&keywords=dvi+toslink+to+hdmi
Which "pre" HDMI mini are you talking about? The Mini's with the Intel 950 or the mini's with the Nvidia 9400?
1. The Intel 950 Mini's (2006 and 2007) would need to use a DVI + Optical converter to HDMI.
2. The 2009 Nvidia 9400 mini's can use this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=1042802&p_id=6331&seq=1&format=1#largeimage
All of this will get audio and video over HDMI. Not sure if the audio is 5.1 though. Anyone know?
Edit: based on this thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/524938/ as long as using toslink (which both above do), then you would get 5.1 sound.
I have an early '11 mini and right now I'm splitting the audio and video. The audio is going out via the digital output and a toslink cable. I was wondering if I could bypass the optical and just get the video and 5.1 audio through the HDMI cable with something like this....
http://www.amazon.com/Tera-Grand-Di...d=1358969748&sr=8-2&keywords=hdmi+mac+adapter
According to the specifications of this adaptor, it should pass "multichannel audio (up to 8 channels)" ... their quote. I just got a Vizio E601-A3 and tech support claims that any device connected to it will pass through the 5.1. I was skeptical because of the copy protection limitations they have on TVs these days but they swear it will indeed pass the full digital audio from my mini through and onto my sony 5.1 system.
Any thoughts?
If it is a '11 mini why aren't you just using the hdmi port for audio and video?
I agree, if you have the 2011 this is not a PRE-HDMI mac and not sure why you wouldn't just use HDMI.
I fairly sure I got it in '11. It's a Macmini 1.1 intel core 2 Duo, 2.26 GHz. There's no HDMI port.
Ah, even the 2010 mini had HDMI so it looks like you have a 2009. The link that Paulbeers gave for the monoprice converter works well. I used it on my 2009 and had no complaints.
The amazon adapter you link to may pass the video but as there is no audio it won't work. You need to get the audio as well.
Now that I'm thinking about it, it is an early 2009. So the monoprice will send 5.1 digital the HDMI as well as 1080p video? It looks like it's a DVI input. Doesn't my mini have a mini dvi and won't I need a mini dvi to dvi in order to use this converter?
If you have the 2009 2.26 it has a Mini DisplayPort which you would use for video. USB or Optical for audio. The monoprice unit does its magic to combine them into HDMI to your TV. Are you going through a receiver as I can't imagine a TV alone doing 5.1 any service?
Here's the interesting thing. It's a Vizio E601-A3 and I've talked to two different people at tech support there and they both swear that the tv will pass through 5.1 with the toslink cable in the back. Right now I have my comcast cable box hooked up with HDMI out of the box and then audio out of the tv via TOSLINK directly into my sony 5.1 surround system. I know that from past threads the tv shouldn't be passing 5.1 though it but Vizio swears it does and it sure sounds like it to me. I have only one TOSLINK input on my sony 5.1 so it would be a heck of a lot easier if i could just plug my cable box and mini into it with HDMI cables and not have to buy a digital audio splitter like this......
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003C15798/ref=pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1
This is why I'm trying to figure out how to get the mini to output HD and 5.1 through an HDMI cable.
If your TV has a optical output, then it should pass through 5.1. You are correct, using HDMI's into your tv and only having an optical from TV to audio receiver would be preferable.
What I would do to test this is plug your optical cable from the TV to the audio receiver. Make sure that the cable box is outputting video+audio over HDMI. Then go into the TV onscreen menu and make sure that the audio is set to pass through the output, instead of playing through the TV speakers. If everything works you should be getting sound out your 5.1 system. Then you can know if your mini will work using the HDMI cable hookup