Apple Preparing to Add HDMI to Macs?

[Michael CM1]

Wouldn't it cost less money to just include a Mini-DP to HDMI adapter instead of adding HDMI? I'm all for easy HDMI connections, but this seems like wasted space.

I would also love either a cheaper mini, a slightly bigger one that uses a full-size FASTER HDD, a mini with Blu-ray Disc, or the death of Apple TV and the inclusion of a similar software set in Web-enabled TVs and BD players. I can stream Netflix and YouTube on my BD player, so why not an AppleTV app so I don't need a new box?

 

[doctoree]

Imho using a Mac mini as a TV hub is a terrible waste. It's a fast, reliable computer that could compute and excecute Mars missions. Hooking it up to a TV for watching some random clips is just not ok. Additionally, its almost as expensive as the TV itself.

 

[troop231]

What we need is a "Universal port" instead of having all kinds of adapters and garbage. VGA, DVI, HDMI, DP, FW, USB; it gets annoying quite frankly.

 

[notjustjay]

I wish Apple would make the Apple TV software available on all its' macs. I'm using my old Powerbook G4 as my home theater PC now, with FrontRow.FrontRow is nice but it doesn't have all the goodies that Apple TV has: No-movie/show renting or buying in the app, No Flickr integration, No YouTube integration.

Exactly.

I love the Apple TV concept. I already buy shows and music from iTunes, and I do the occasional movie rental. The Apple TV "living room experience" looks perfect for what I would want. I could see an Apple TV in every room in my house where there's a TV. However, I have not purchased a single one yet. Why? Because of reports that the hardware is underpowered, struggles with 720p content, doesn't even play 1080p content, and runs hot. I'm waiting for a hardware update before I pull the trigger. I'm getting a little tired of Apple's "well, it's just a hobby" attitude. It may be a hobby to them, but I've got money in my pocket waiting to buy something.

There is also the question of whether I want an Apple TV or a Mac Mini to fulfill the various usage scenarios I could see.

But what if Apple released the Apple TV software as an update to Front Row, and included it in every Mac? Then I could buy a Mac Mini, which solves the hardware issue, and gives me all kinds of other versatility as well. Apple has an excuse to kill the Apple TV if it needs to, continue working on the software as its "hobby". Everyone wins.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

Wouldn't it cost less money to just include a Mini-DP to HDMI adapter instead of adding HDMI? I'm all for easy HDMI connections, but this seems like wasted space./QUOTE]

A mini-dp to hdmi adapter doesn't include audio. There's no need to keep the mini-dvi port anymore since the mini-dp port can do everything the mini-dvi port can do + more with the necessary adapters. An HDMI adapter is preferable over a mini-dvi port since it can do more - i.e. audio over HDMI.

Imho using a Mac mini as a TV hub is a terrible waste. It's a fast, reliable computer that could compute and excecute Mars missions. Hooking it up to a TV for watching some random clips is just not ok. Additionally, its almost as expensive as the TV itself.

Not ok to you maybe. A $600 Mac Mini isn't almost as expensive as the TV itself if you've bought a $2000 TV is it? If you want to be able to play all kinds of 1080p content smoothly then you need a powerful enough system to do so. A Mac Mini running Plex connected to a datastore via gigabit ethernet is a truly wonderful setup.

 

[kingtj]

re: don't get Apple sometimes

Well, #1: I think Apple's primary goal for the Mac Mini is to give people an inexpensive introduction to OS X. It's not supposed to offer too much performance, because that would encourage people who were otherwise willing and able to spend more to stick with the cheapest product of theirs instead. (They certainly didn't plan on small offices/businesses outfitting their employees with Mac Minis, for example. They've traditionally sold those people iMacs for many years now.) The 2.5" HD in the Mini makes sense from the aspect of power draw and heat output, too. Desktop HD's tend to give off more heat, assuming the system they're going in has cooling fans blowing air over them.

I have no real disagreement with your #2 statement. Personally, the MB Air does little for me as a system I'd want to own and use regularly. I like the way it looks, and it's cool they made it so thin. But beyond that? It's meant to be a compromise, really. It's like a "satellite computer" to extend the capabilities of a desktop setup you use most of the time. Fine for some folks, but I'm more about getting a notebook that while reasonably thin and light, is still packed with as many features and options as can reasonably be crammed into it. Yeah, that costs more -- but that's ok. Since I have my own business, I can probably deduct it on taxes anyway.

I do not get apple sometimes. I love their products but:

1) If you are making low cost desktop computer so hobbyists, people with low budgets, ect ect can get a mac. Why would you be so obsessed with making it so small that you compromise speed and features. Making the mac mini with HDMI, 2.5inch HD, is silly IMO. Why not just make it a big bigger case and use a real HD? this would lower the price, make it faster and somewhat expandable.

2) HDMI would be more useful on the Mac Book Air. Where size is everything. When you have the space and you really can not move much (eg desktop computer). I think more ports, more speed, more features the better. They should consider putting eSATA, FW, USB 3, DVI or HDMI and making a mini a fun hobbyist computer.

HDMI for all laptops so you do not have to go aroudn carrying adapters with you.

 

[AidenShaw]

Additionally, its almost as expensive as the TV itself.

I wish that my 52" were in the same price range as a mini-mac!

 

[Kar98]

And it seems about blinking well time!! And one less adapter to purchase.

Or one more, for those with a monitor with DVI and VGA inputs.

 

[cube]

I want an mDP->VGA adapter that will do 1600x1200@100Hz.

The current one sucks. It maxes out at 60Hz.

 

[Rocketman]

1. A Mac-Mini with HDMI would be a good primary room server and display driver.

2. You can still use your Apple TV's for remote room TV's.

3. If they stacked 2 columns of 3 USB plugs, up higher closer to the audio plugs, that would provide room for another plug on the rear. 2nd Ethernet, Light Peak, whatever.

4. I hope they go with the i5 and Nvidia and tell the chipmakers to settle the money between themselves, put 20% of the payments in escrow or something, and tell them you will buy the chips at all if only they agree to those terms. That way their lawyers can stop annoying Apple's lawyers on this narrow subject. Better for everyone.

5. Apple could offer a mac-Mini compatible empty expansion box with such things as hubs, docks, drives, radios, even an old skewl modem as options. Ecosystem?

6. https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/9361063/

7. Your mac-Mini as a TV hub happens to also be your MacBookPro backup server and iPad server. Hmmm. Handy.

Rocketman

If only someone would come out with in-line battery backup for broadband modems, we would have effective, modern UPS.

 

[Jedi]

Things I do with a Mini hooked to my XBR !

Surf
Pay Bills
Write
Photo work
Play Chess
E-Mail
Research A/V stuff
Music editing ( notes & lyrics )
E-Bay

Just about what you would do with any computer !!

Later

Gary 

 

[RalfTheDog]

Just read through 4 pages of nonsense with people jumping up and down about HDMI or predicting Apple TV disappearing because of it.

Inclusion of HDMI on Macs is a non-event, people. There is NOTHING that HDMI-equipped Mac Mini will add functionally, that existing HDMI-less Macs can't do already. OK, you will save having to run a discrete TOSlink audio cable (a couple of bucks on Monoprice) to carry the same 5.1 sound.. wooppie!

The only real advantage could be support for native LPCM (TrueHD / DTS-HD) audio that HDMI 1.3 and above will offer. However, that won't be possible without full blown BluRay video decoding/processing support in MacOS.. Which will be coming.. oh about the time when the h3ll freezes over.

So again.. inclusion or non-inclusion of HDMI port by itself is a complete non-event.

Many of us don't connect directly to the TV. We connect our cable boxes, Blu-ray players, Apple TVs and stuff to our receivers. Many 7.1 Channel receivers will not accept S/PDIF output if you are connected by HDMI. If you are getting your video by HDMI, it will only accept audio by HDMI.

I understand that some adapters mix HDMI/display port. This will only give you 5.1 channel compressed audio. I am hoping the next generation Mac Mini will support high quality audio.

Right now I stream most of my movies/TV shows from my server in the main computer room. It takes lots of hard drives to store all this data and back it up. I am thinking about connecting the Mini directly to the receiver, then backing up to a NAS device in the cable room. Any ideas?

--------

Does anyone else think this roomer could be related to the iPad? I see Apple becoming much more of a video company.

 

[forgetaboutpro]

I bet you this doesn't happen

 

[TMay]

Wouldn't it cost less money to just include a Mini-DP to HDMI adapter instead of adding HDMI? I'm all for easy HDMI connections, but this seems like wasted space./QUOTE]

A mini-dp to hdmi adapter doesn't include audio. There's no need to keep the mini-dvi port anymore since the mini-dp port can do everything the mini-dvi port can do + more with the necessary adapters. An HDMI adapter is preferable over a mini-dvi port since it can do more - i.e. audio over HDMI.



Not ok to you maybe. A $600 Mac Mini isn't almost as expensive as the TV itself if you've bought a $2000 TV is it? If you want to be able to play all kinds of 1080p content smoothly then you need a powerful enough system to do so. A Mac Mini running Plex connected to a datastore via gigabit ethernet is a truly wonderful setup.

The mini DP spec supports audio. Mini DP to HDMI adaptors would by definition support audio if it was available from the device. Apple isn't using supporting audio out through mini DP, yet anyway.

Kanex, as others have pointed out, makes a hybrid adaptor that melds USB for power, mini DP for video, and toslink for audio to HDMI. It is an interim solution until Apple provides integrated audio support to mini DP.

 

[Furrybeagle]

Maybe because VGA was pretty much THE standard monitor connector for several years. Going from one standard to another doesn't come easily. Heck, look at all those people who got bent out of shape because Snow Leopard dropped PPC support.

But, I agree, companies should stop including VGA. Just include DVI & either HDMI or DisplayPort.

Ok well...just a quick note. A lot of projectors still use VGA, and projectors are "fairly important" in business use. My guess is that's at least one reason. I agree, for home use VGA is pretty outdated, but outside of the home there is still a lot of use for VGA, for better or worse.

Manufacturers are just giving users what they need. Novel concept, yeah?

Yeah, but DVI converts to VGA so gracefully. I mean, DVI essentially contains a VGA connection…*why couldn’t PC manufacturers just include a DVI-to-VGA adapter (which even Apple used to do)? It just seems like PC manufacturers’ stubbornness has led to VGA ports *still* being used in 2010, when they should’ve died off in 2002.

A mini-dp to hdmi adapter doesn't include audio. There's no need to keep the mini-dvi port anymore since the mini-dp port can do everything the mini-dvi port can do + more with the necessary adapters. An HDMI adapter is preferable over a mini-dvi port since it can do more - i.e. audio over HDMI.

But it does include audio? Apple’s implementation on current Macs just doesn’t have it enabled…

 

[RalfTheDog]

The mini DP spec supports audio. Mini DP to HDMI adaptors would by definition support audio if it was available from the device. Apple isn't using supporting audio out through mini DP, yet anyway.

Kanex, as others have pointed out, makes a hybrid adaptor that melds USB for power, mini DP for video, and toslink for audio to HDMI. It is an interim solution until Apple provides integrated audio support to mini DP.

I would hate to buy a new Mini today, connect it with a 5.1 channel adapter, then have them come out with a solution tomorrow that supports 7.1 uncompressed audio (or better). Remember, some of us may choose to rip our Blu-ray movies, then play them over the network. Other sources of quality networked audio may be coming in the not too distant future. Why lock yourself into Flintstone land?

 

[kiljoy616]

HDMI version

Forgive the ignorance, but what does HDMI enable one to do that can't be done already?

Depends on version but it allows video and 7.1 audio on one cable.

Maximum resolution over single link at 24-bit/px 1.2v 1920×1200p60 1.3v 2560×1600p75 1.4v 4096×2160p24

If they put 1.4 then not only full HD audio but you would also have 4Kx2K
So you could run if video card can handle some major line resolution.

 

[dernhelm]

It supports 2560x1600@120Hz so this is the only up-to-date technology. It can also carry 100 Mbps ethernet.

The link I provided claimed 720Mbs on the data channel. I don't know if they would restrict Ethernet to 100Mbps, and use the rest for USB or what.

 

[ChromeAce]

Pretty much all of you have missed the point entirely of HDMI possibly appearing on future Apple products.

The only reason this will be done is to support Blu-Ray HDCP-encrypted content from a Blu-Ray drive. DVI and DisplayPort do not support HDCP. A DisplayPort to HDMI cable won't fix that. HDCP is an internal hardware supported function.

Apple has been waiting for Blu-Ray to die off in the face of the increasing popularity and elegance of content downloads, which it would rather sell you from the iTunes Store.

Blu-Ray will only be implemented on Apple products, along with HDMI ports, when Apple decides there is significant market demand for such a feature.

Most people realize that the video quality advantage of Blu-Ray is negated by watching that content on a small display. If you've got a large display, you'll already have a PS3 or other hardware Blu-Ray player anyway... and Apple TV is good enough for everyone else... most of which can barely tell the difference between 720p and 1080p as it is.

As for DisplayPort to HDMI adapters, here are a couple from Konex. The first is for DisplayPort devices which support the audio feature, the second is for those (like Apple products) which don't.

Available at http://konexlive.com.

 

[dernhelm]

May the TV RIP.

It would take some major overhaul to make it more practical or ideal over using my home computer as my media center.

Who says a new Mac Mini with HDMI connector would not simply BECOME the next gen Apple TV?

Hey I can dream can't I?

Pretty much all of you have missed the point entirely of HDMI possibly appearing on future Apple products.

The only reason this will be done is to support Blu-Ray HDCP-encrypted content from a Blu-Ray drive. DVI and DisplayPort do not support HDCP. A DisplayPort to HDMI cable won't fix that. HDCP is an internal hardware supported function.

HDCP is supported over DisplayPort as of version 1.1.

 

[cube]

The link I provided claimed 720Mbs on the data channel. I don't know if they would restrict Ethernet to 100Mbps, and use the rest for USB or what.

USB also goes there.

 

[cmaier]

Pretty much all of you have missed the point entirely of HDMI possibly appearing on future Apple products.

The only reason this will be done is to support Blu-Ray HDCP-encrypted content from a Blu-Ray drive. DVI and DisplayPort do not support HDCP. A DisplayPort to HDMI cable won't fix that. HDCP is an internal hardware supported function.

Displayport 1.1 supports HDCP.

 

[ouimetnick]

Blue Ray!

It's Blu-ray. Also HDMI is a bag of hurt, and so is BR

 

[ChromeAce]

Displayport 1.1 supports HDCP.

Yes, but like audio, Apple doesn't implement it.

 

[anjonjp]

This is a good move in my opinion.

For countries such as Japan where iTunes content is limited, the MacMini provides a far more realistic satisfying experience than the AppleTV can offer. The AppleTV is of course far cheaper, but when considering the value for money factor, the MacMini wins hands down.

Also, many apartment dwellers here in Japan have opted to not buy a TV and put the computer in the living room and watch TV on that instead. Something the AppleTV (despite the name) can't even do. Coupled with the HDMI port, it would be good to see Apple offer a TV tuner that will work with the MacMini on an external display. The current two third party TV Tuner units on the Apple Japan Store do not support this.

It would be nice to see Apple either work with a third party vendor to make this happen or to offer a built in TV tuner as many (if not all) of the Windows based manufacturers do here (Japan). Realistically, I don't have any high expectations that this will happen though as Japanese regulations regarding the copying of materials is strict and this is really what is behind the MacMini not being able to show TV on external displays. To be fair to Apple, creating something specifically for one foreign market is also not something they should perhaps be doing. As for other Media, well the MacMini is already more than capable of doing what AppleTV can do. I.e., in Japan Apple TV equates to nothing more than Front Row + YouTube on a device. (No movies/shows rentals or purchase)

As an aside, I would like to see Apple create a Mini Display port to VGA/DVI one cable adapter. Using the MacMini, the dongle is far too short and the weight of the connection between the two cables is putting a strain on the ports themselves. Especially when the cables are going at an angle or don't have a surface to lie on.