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Connecting MacBook Retina to tv screen

A

AnrBjotk

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 4, 2010
132
3
I've never done this, so I have no idea how it works. But I'm wondering if I can connect my MacBook retina to a tv screen via a hdmi-cable and a hdmi-to-usb, via usb-c-to-usb to my USB-C connection?

Or is there a hdmi-to-usb-c? (I alreayd have a usb-to-usb-c and a hdmi cable so thinking cost-wise. Or is that too many degrees of separation, as it were.)
 
Yes, you can connect it using a USB-C to HDMI cable directly (meaning the system would run off of battery power, which is fine for shorter periods) or a USB-C multi-port hub that has both charging + an HDMI out (or, alternatively, a USB-C or DisplayPort out, where you would just use the applicable cable).
 
ZapNZs said:
Yes, you can connect it using a USB-C to HDMI cable directly (meaning the system would run off of battery power, which is fine for shorter periods) or a USB-C multi-port hub that has both charging + an HDMI out (or, alternatively, a USB-C or DisplayPort out, where you would just use the applicable cable).
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maerz001 said:
USB to usbc doesn't work. U need usbc to hdmi dongle or cable
Click to expand...

Thanks. Why doesnt usb-c-to-usb-to-hdmi work btw?
 
Well there are some workarounds for USB-A and video. But it was never designed for that. It's for data and not video and doesn't have enough throughput for modern displays.

That's why we had before VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI and now USB-C. With that we finally got power, data, audio and video in one cable!
 
maerz001 said:
Well there are some workarounds for USB-A and video. But it was never designed for that. It's for data and not video and doesn't have enough throughput for modern displays.

That's why we had before VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI and now USB-C. With that we finally got power, data, audio and video in one cable!
Click to expand...

Makes sense. But I have a MacBook Retina, my partner has a MacBook Air, does that mean we need two cables?
 
What also works without cables is use of AirPlay mirroring to connect tv to MacBook with an Apple TV.
 
Frosties said:
What also works without cables is use of AirPlay mirroring to connect tv to MacBook with an Apple TV.
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ABSOLUTELY! I was going to suggest an Apple TV. It's the most flawless and superb way to stream anything from your MacBook's and iPhones along with iTunes to your TV plus the fact that the ATV will upscale very nicely to 4K. PLUS the auto frame rate switching performs beautifully!
 
BODYBUILDERPAUL said:
ABSOLUTELY! I was going to suggest an Apple TV. It's the most flawless and superb way to stream anything from your MacBook's and iPhones along with iTunes to your TV plus the fact that the ATV will upscale very nicely to 4K. PLUS the auto frame rate switching performs beautifully!
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I had a lot of flaws and switched back to good old wire.
Especially while streaming in safari the audio doesn't sync with the video on Air and MB to Atv3.
 
AnrBjotk said:
Well, I'm not buying an apple tv for the moment anyway. Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

That's a shame dude i'd say that it's a great investment - for me in 2011, it replaced a BluRay player, satellite box the lot!!! I's the only device that I use and it's a real pleasure to use. Do take into cost cable prices for your Macs and a ATV may not be any more in terms of cost. I really would not recommend connecting laptops to TVs - they never seem to work flawlessly that way.
 
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