Best Way to Connect to Vizio TV

[g-dorsey]

I have an early 2008 iMac, MB324LL/A. I used to have it hooked up with a VGA/3.5mm combo cable to my Vizio and this was clunky but adequate. I have moved and am in the process of reinstalling new cables to wall outlets in the new apartment. I was hoping to upgrade to HDMI which seems smaller, cleaner and less expensive. I was heartened when I found the Kanex V2 only to have my hopes dashed; the V2 works only with later iMacs.

So, has anyone got an ingenious suggestion, or am I back to the VGA/3.5mm combo cable?

 

[dxr808s]

I use a mini-dvi to HDMI adapter and then run a long HDMI cable from my iMac to my TV.

My mid-2007 iMac does not support audio through HDMI (pretty sure the 2008 is the same) but it is easily solved by using a mini-toslink cable ran, again, from my iMac to my digital optical in on my receiver.

mini-dvi to hdmi: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10419&cs_id=1041912&p_id=4852&seq=1&format=2

25ft mini-toslink to optical: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10229&cs_id=1022902&p_id=2833&seq=1&format=2

25ft HDMI cable: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10240&cs_id=1024006&p_id=2841&seq=1&format=2

Obviously they are all available in different sizes for what you need.

 

[gdorsey]

Hi dxr,

Thanks for the advice and the links. Great prices! I have never used, and know nothing about mini-toslink. Where does it plug into the iMac, the audio port? I have been using the audio on the TV. We just watch our weekly Netflix on it and so far I haven't upgraded my sound system to keep up with the times. I am certainly open to being told what I am missing in the sound department and upgrading.

Anyway, if I use the mini-dvi to hdmi and run a separate audio (the 3.5mm direct to the TV if I don't upgrade) this sounds like a good solution.

When I was running the VGA it would reconfigure the iMac aspect ratio to match the TV whenever the dongle was plugged in. This meant connecting/disconnecting every time we watched a movie but we got used to it. Do you know any solution for this or is this something you have had with the HDMI?

Thanks for responding.