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help connecting macbook to samsung hdtv

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packercheezhead

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 26, 2009
6
0
hello hello. so i have this samsung tv, a 42 inch plasma found here:
http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/...ions&subtype=plasmatv&model_cd=PN42A450P1DXZA

i also have a macbook purchased about a year and a half ago. I have a mini-dvi to vga adapter along with a vga to hdmi cable. I have plugged it all in and nothing shows up. The tv and the macbook detect that there is a connection but I can't seem to figure out how to make anything show up on the TV, so I'm pretty sure it's just an issue with computer or tv settings. I've played with each dimensional setting in random combinations and whatnot, but I just cannot figure it out. Any help would be magnificent.
 
Okay, I'll give that a shot. Just curious, did you try the VGA adapter as well? I don't get why that wouldn't work.
 
Ok, I have an older Samsung HDTV from about 4 years ago. It has an HDMI connection on the back and everything...here is my situation:

I connected my MBP to the HDMI through a standard DVI-HDMI cable. I (finally) figured out I needed to set the mode to STB on my TV to get a signal from my MBP. The problem is, when my MBP screen shrinks down to allow for the HDTV resolution, my Samsung is only showing MOST of my desktop. There is no menu bar at the top and it's only showing half of my dock.

Is this a 16:9/16:10 issue? I've tried different resolutions and no dice on fixing it. I've even tried matching the two up, mirroring, etc.

Any ideas?
 
I have a Macbook Pro, Core 2 Duo, and I was wondering how I would get HD out of it? I already have my Samsung 5 series TV running through PC connection but I didn't know my Mac would support HD. Anyone? Help me!?
 
Trajectory said:
Try using a mini-DVI to DVI adapter, then a DVI to HDMI adapter instead. This is what I used with success. The VGA adapter is causing the problem with your setup. I haven't been able to find a single mini-DVI to HDMI adapter yet.
Click to expand...

You can't have looked very hard :

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

48521.jpg


Not to mention this solution is much cheaper.
 
maddog, I also have a similar situation where it shows about half of my menu bar and most of my dock. I haven't found a solution yet...

yoshiking, what kind of cable are you using? I think you need to be using some sort of an HDMI cable to get true HD out of your computer.

And as for you Knight, you fail to realize that cable you have provided has a female end on the end. Last i checked, female/female doesn't compute. It'd be like plugging two power outlets into each other.
 
packercheezhead said:
And as for you Knight, you fail to realize that cable you have provided has a female end on the end. Last i checked, female/female doesn't compute. It'd be like plugging two power outlets into each other.
Click to expand...

The adapter is only made to convert the mini-DVI to an HDMI port. You then use a standard HDMI cable to finish the connection.
 
packercheezhead said:
maddog, I also have a similar situation where it shows about half of my menu bar and most of my dock. I haven't found a solution yet...

yoshiking, what kind of cable are you using? I think you need to be using some sort of an HDMI cable to get true HD out of your computer.

And as for you Knight, you fail to realize that cable you have provided has a female end on the end. Last i checked, female/female doesn't compute. It'd be like plugging two power outlets into each other.
Click to expand...

The monoprice cable works fine, seeing how HDMI cables are Male-Male ended. The minidvi goes into the computer, and provides a female HDMI output port.

He didn't fail there, you did.
 
packercheezhead said:
And as for you Knight, you fail to realize that cable you have provided has a female end on the end. Last i checked, female/female doesn't compute. It'd be like plugging two power outlets into each other.
Click to expand...

It's also about 2 inches long, which would make it a poor choice to connect directly to a TV. Of course, Mono price has a very big variety of male to male HDMI connectors for under 10$. Total solution comes out to 20$ vs the first's poster 40$.

Sorry if I didn't post the whole equation.
 
I see the point you are all making and if you look on ebay you can find the cables mentioned earlier for very cheap and in perfect condition, as I did. For some reason I tend to lean more toward buying Apple products rather than going for the cables that some smaller party created. Whatever works though I guess.
 
packercheezhead said:
I see the point you are all making and if you look on ebay you can find the cables mentioned earlier for very cheap and in perfect condition, as I did. For some reason I tend to lean more toward buying Apple products rather than going for the cables that some smaller party created. Whatever works though I guess.
Click to expand...

Belkin is not a Apple product (the DVI to HDMI cable on the Apple site is a Belkin). It's like Startech and Monoprice as far as quality and products go.

Monoprice is not a smaller party either. I'd wager they offer better quality that most of the cheap stuff on ebay for very competitive prices.
 
KnightWRX said:
Did I really need to link one of the 500 HDMI cables sold by monoprice ? One link to their site is plenty.
Click to expand...

Then why did you quote my post? I said I haven't been able to find a single cable that will make this type of connection, and you essentially replied "look harder, there is one" and posted a link to a cable that still requires another cable to solve the OP's problem. So, yes, you should have at least mentioned that an HDMI cable was necessary.
 
Trajectory said:
Then why did you quote my post? I said I haven't been able to find a single cable that will make this type of connection, and you essentially replied "look harder, there is one" and posted a link to a cable that still requires another cable to solve the OP's problem. So, yes, you should have at least mentioned that an HDMI cable was necessary.
Click to expand...

This is ridiculous. You're going to argue that you were technically right when you simply didn't bother to even look before posting, resulting in the OP buying an overpriced solution. Read again what you said :

I haven't been able to find a single mini-DVI to HDMI adapter yet.
Click to expand...

What I posted was in fact a mini-DVI to HDMI adapter.
 
This is ridculous. Trajectory obviously implied that there is no SINGLE cord solution. There are multiple two cord possibilities, with prices ranging slightly. There's no need to babble over technicalities. Sheesh.
 
DVI to HDMI

I have a very similar situation and I was just hoping to get some clarification.

I have a MBP Core Duo. It came with the standard dual link DVI port, and I was wondering which DVI to HDMI adapter I would need. Is this what I'm looking for?

I just wonder because this is a single link DVI connector, or does that not matter since the TV I'll be hooking it to is only 720p and would not need the extra resolution from a Dual-link? Thanks.
 
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