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How to: Connect a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro to a TV

IDANNY said:
With the new macbook pro's i5/i7 what is the best way to get digital sound. I think I heard it can be done through the mini display port with an adapter to hdmi for audio and video.


Any confirmation or information regarding this would be great.
Click to expand...

I hooked up my 15 inch MBP to my home theater system via a mini-display port - HDMI adapter. It outputs full multichannel PCM audio. It should be able to bitsream a lossless blu-ray soundtrack (DTS Master Audio, Dolbly TrueHD etc etc.), but I haven't tried.
 
Mini-DVI to Video Adapter and S-Video Cable Problem

Hey everyone. I really hope someone can help me. This is a GREAT post and it has helped a lot but it's not quite working for me. I have a white Macbook purchased in June of 2009 so I have the Mini-DVI port. I purchased the Mini-DVI to Video Adapter a long time ago and until I found this thread did I know what I needed to get it hooked to my television. If I follow the instructions from ziggyonice, nothing happens for me. I plugged the S-Video cable into both my mac and my TV and nothing comes on the screen. Sneakz on page 3 of this thread points out my problem but doesn't give a solution. Ms_ling_ling, also on page 3, is having similar problems with no solution. Does there need to be some sort of transcoder or something to get it to come on to the TV screen? I'm completely stumped and I'm in DESPERATE need of some help!!! I've been trying to connect it to my TV since I've gotten my Mac and I'm so CLOSE! Please help me if you can...
 
MacbookPro/MDP/VGA to Sony Wega question

Hello,

First, thanks for the detailed thread. I'm attempting to connect my 15" MacbookPro to an older Sony Wega TV via component video. I read through the thread a couple times, and purchased what I believe to be the correct components from Monoprice. I have:

Mini Display Port to VGA adapter
VGA to component video cable

I attached the adapter and cable to the MacbookPro as follows:

IMAG0942.jpg


Then plugged the cable into the back of the Sony via the color coded inputs:

IMAG0941.jpg


I get this on the TV when I switch to the corresponding "video 4" channel:

IMAG0940.jpg


And my laptop view zooms in to this size, bleeding off the screen, and appears blurry on the actual screen:

ss.jpg


I have to admit, I didn't expect this to be a plug and play solution and that there'd be something I might have overlooked, so any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Patrick
 
mbp late 2007 to composite tv

Hi,

thanks for all the info. it worked for me (but only for ONE DAY!!!). :confused:

Since it worked. I knew I had the right cables. Was able to watch for one evening a film.

The next day, I tried connecting the tv again and the mbp didnt recognize the tv as a monitor (or it did and it is not displaying correctly).

The first time I connected, my mbps resolution automatically changed (to a very low one.) and on system preferences, there are the choices for resolution and frequency rate.

Now when I connect, there are no more options for these except for my mbp resolution. No frequency rate, etc. I tried all the possible resolutions and detect all displays for all of them. When I do that, I only get a second of flicker on the tv and thats it. I double checked my cable to a dvd player and the composite cable is working.

Please help. Hopefully the €19 wasnt a waste.

Thanks!
 
What about a wireless solution?
Is there any option to "mirror" the MBP screen at a TV like iOS5 iPad + ATV?
 
Vizio TV to Mac Mini

Accoding to the Vizio manual I need to connect a computer to the RGB PC port on the TV.On the mini Mac side I have a Mini display port available because my normal Monitor is plugged in to the DVI> How do I make this connection from my Vizio TV to the mini mac, Is there one cable that will do it. Is a RGB plug the same as a VGA? Please help, getting lost in the terms.
Sid
 
sidney7935 said:
Accoding to the Vizio manual I need to connect a computer to the RGB PC port on the TV.On the mini Mac side I have a Mini display port available because my normal Monitor is plugged in to the DVI> How do I make this connection from my Vizio TV to the mini mac, Is there one cable that will do it. Is a RGB plug the same as a VGA? Please help, getting lost in the terms.
Sid
Click to expand...

Look at this post to see, what VGA looks like to see, if the port titled "RGB" is the same. It has been already linked to in a post in your thread.
I guess the rest of the thread and posts I linked to before didn't help?

 
I am using a vga cable to connect my laptop to the tv and the video works. I realize vga cables cannot produce sound, so I bought a 3.5 male to stereo RCA male (one end is a headphone end that plugs into my laptop, the other end has the red and white cables that plugs into my tv) but I still cannot figure out how to get the sound to work. I was hoping somebody could help me figure it out. I tried going through the audio settings on my laptop and tv but maybe im missing something. I have a trutech tv model number pvs21175s1 and a macbook pro laptop. is there a setting on my laptop/tv to get audio? is my audio cable the right cable I should be using?
 
I've read this whole thread and haven't found the solution to my problem which is this:

I would like to connect a Mac to a Barco projector whose s-video port is the only one I can use.
I have an old MacBook Pro (1,2) from 2006 with a dvi port.
I also have a Macbook Air (mid-2009). This one has a mini-displayport.

I thought I had found the solution and purchased an Apple S-video adapter but it has a micro-dvi connector which is useless for me.

The link to the adapter mentioned on the first page of this thread is dead. Obviously Apple doesn't sell it anymore.

Is there some combination of adapters that would do the trick?

Thanks,

EllenH
 
Yes, this is definitely a most excellent thread, many thanks to posters.

However, a big thumbs down to Apple (and the rest of the industry) for making connections so complicated.

While you guys seem to be experienced Mac nerds, the average user will quickly become lost in such discussions. The whole point of Apple used to be that average users would find the experience simple, easy and fun. This is not that.

Add to this design flaw a huge list of users complaining about adapter quality and reliability on the Apple site, and this seems an area ripe for improvement.

However, before we get there, we'll probably have to address that part of Apple culture that declares all problems are actually the user's fault....
 
EllenH said:
I've read this whole thread and haven't found the solution to my problem which is this:

I would like to connect a Mac to a Barco projector whose s-video port is the only one I can use.
I have an old MacBook Pro (1,2) from 2006 with a dvi port.
I also have a Macbook Air (mid-2009). This one has a mini-displayport.
...
Is there some combination of adapters that would do the trick?
Click to expand...

Well, to answer my own question, I purchased a used Apple adapter DVI-Video PAL to connect the twelve year old projector to the six year old MacBook Pro and this worked fine. Of course, the quality of the image isn't very good (S-video), but it is enough for my needs when all I want is to view a conference or something like that.

Using old hardware is always an adventure...

EllenH
 
If the original poster wishes to update their excellent post, they might want to link to cables longer than 6 feet.

It seems if one is connecting a laptop to a TV, you probably want to be more than just a few away from TV screen, or you'd just use the laptop alone.

I'm sure Amazon probably has longer cables, but folks who don't understand the terminology will likely be sucked in to the vortex of confusion trying to find them within the Amazon navigation system, thus defeating the excellent post at the top of the thread which works so hard to make it simple.

Just a thought, not a complaint.
 
I don't know if you guys knew this, but the CIA uses this thread to torture terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay.

First the CIA agents pipe a bunch of pot smoke in the prisoner's cell, and then they make the prisoner connect a bunch of laptops to a bunch of TVs by all the different methods, until the prisoner finally breaks and gives up all their secrets.

This is the little known story of how we finally got Bin Laden. :)
 
so with my mid 2009 unibody, getting this adapter and an HDMI cable will work and give me both audio and video on an LCD TV? Is this the easiest and cheapest route you think?

Thanks
 
Dunkaccino said:
so with my mid 2009 unibody, getting this adapter and an HDMI cable will work and give me both audio and video on an LCD TV? Is this the easiest and cheapest route you think?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, that will work. A cheaper route would probably be getting just a normal MDP to HDMI adapter and a 3.5 mm TRS to RCA audio cable, IF the TV you have supports getting video via HDMI and audio via RCA (red and white/black connectors) and can combine those two sources and show as one.
 
This is a great post, and I wish I had seen it sooner, but here's my problem.

I have an older white Macbook (2009?) running Lion. It has the mini-DVI external display port.
I have a Toshiba DLP HDTV with HDMI inputs as well as a VGA computer input (labeled as such).
I have bought a miniDVI to HDMI adapter and am attempting to hook it up via HDMI thinking that is better than VGA, and I already have HDMI cables aplenty.
It won't work. The Macbook sees the external display but the TV will not display it, so I am thinking the problem is the TV and not the adapter or cables. I have restarted both and no help. I am thinking at this point that my Toshiba TV just won't display an HDMI signal from a Macbook. Why would it not? An HDMI signal is an HDMI signal isn't it?

I also have a unibody MBP with Minidisplay port. I have a MDP to HDMI adapter as well and attempted hooking it up as well, but the adapter gets hot!!!!........and still no display on the TV. I quickly ditched this due to the adapter heating up. Perhaps this adapter is bad but it has worked on another TV.

I am considering trying to hook up through VGA if no one has any advice, but I hate linking a series of adapters. It's just convoluted and seems unnecessary.

My further concern is that I plan to buy a Mac mini soon to replace my Macbook, but if my TV won't display a Mac signal via HDMI, would it work with a Mac Mini if not with my older Macbook? I guess I could go VGA there too using an adapter, but WTF? It seems like going back in technology and time to do so.

I have read somewhere that restarting the Macbook in safe mode might solve this problem, but I cannot test that at the moment.

Any advice appreciated!
 
Help

I have been trying for ages o get true 5.1 surround sound from my Macbook Air. I know there is no optical output through the headphone jack. I was wondering if anybody knew of any sound cards that actually work with a mac. I have tried loads and have had no luck. Really would appreciate any help.
 
ross.simkins said:
I have been trying for ages o get true 5.1 surround sound from my Macbook Air. I know there is no optical output through the headphone jack. I was wondering if anybody knew of any sound cards that actually work with a mac. I have tried loads and have had no luck. Really would appreciate any help.
Click to expand...

What exact MacBook do you have (there have been many)?
And the headphone out is also a Line Out and an Optical Audio Out for which you need a TOSLINK adapter or cable depending on the input you have on your receiver or amplifier.
 
Hi, I have a macbook pro retina 13 "purchased in 2013, buy the cable MDP to VGA and VGA to component heating, but the system did not detect the screen, not a flicker on the TV, you can be?
Tank you
 
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