how to connect MacBook to HDTV?

[ero87]

Hi,

I just bought a package of adapters and cords to connect my macbook to an HDTV. Unfortunately, I don't know what to do from here. I have a Mini Displayport to HDMI Adapter, as well as an HDMI cord that connects from that little white adapter to the TV. But when I change the source of the TV to HDMI 4 (where it's plugged in), it says "No Signal". What do I have to do to fix this?

Thanks so much for your help

 

[AuroraProject]

Is the MacBook on with it all hooked up? Try going to System Preferences, then Display, then click Detect Displays.

 

[ero87]

Is the MacBook on with it all hooked up? Try going to System Preferences, then Display, then click Detect Displays.

nothing happens when i press Detect Displays. When I plug the computer into the TV, at first the screen resets and is blue for a second. But then it returns to normal, and it says No Signal on the tv. It's a Samsung tv btw.

 

[kny3twalker]

you need to set the display properties so each display (TV and notebook display) are independent not mirrored. This way you can adjust the resolution of each display independently. You could then run your laptop at native resolution and send the TV a 1920x1080 (1080p) resolution or 1280x720 (720p) resolution depending on the native resolution of the TV.

I cannot remember the setting (MBP is charging and I am on my XP desktop) but it should be fairly easy to fine.

The TV is though be detected from what you said in your last post, but the macbook is trying to send the TV an incompatible resolution (most likely 1440x900 or 1280x800 depending on your size of macbook), so the TV is refusing the signal.
HDTVs will only accept 1280x720, 1920x1080i, 1920x1080p, 720x480i, and 720x480p resolutions over HDMI. Some HDTVs which have VGA inputs will accept other resolutions like 1366x768 (if that is the native resolution of the TV).

 

[ero87]

Thank you for your advice - I would like to try your method out, but I'm not sure what you mean on a few points.

you need to set the display properties so each display (TV and notebook display) are independent not mirrored.

How do I do that? I don't see anything about "independent" or "mirrored" in display settings.

HDTVs will only accept 1280x720, 1920x1080i, 1920x1080p, 720x480i, and 720x480p resolutions over HDMI.

I don't have several of those resolutions as options on my laptop (see screenshot). And none of my resolutions seem to work on the TV. Do I need to change a TV setting?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[rockstarjoe]

That is strange, it should just work. FWIW I have my macbook connected via HDMI to a Samsung and it just shows up when I flip to the HDMI (2) input. Maybe just try it in another HDMI input?

 

[kny3twalker]

Thank you for your advice - I would like to try your method out, but I'm not sure what you mean on a few points.



How do I do that? I don't see anything about "independent" or "mirrored" in display settings.



I don't have several of those resolutions as options on my laptop (see screenshot). And none of my resolutions seem to work on the TV. Do I need to change a TV setting?

Thanks so much for your help!

I do not have a mini displayport to HDMI adapter, so I am at a loss here. But when I connect my Dell Ultrasharp by mini displayport to displayport, I get an extra tab named arrangement, which allows either mirroring or extended desktop. I have though connected my Windows XP desktop to my HDTV, so I have some experience there.

By the way, what is the native resolution of your HDTV? or if you do not mind would you post the model number?

You might try changing your resolution to 1280x720, because both the MacBook and the HDTV should accept this resolution. Then you could move forward.

 

[techound1]

One more thing to think about is whether your cables are good....

 

[ero87]

Thanks for all your replies, but I think I'm gonna give up. I've tried all resolutions, with no luck... I think i'll have to buy a VGA cord and settle for that connection.

I really appreciate the help, thanks.

 

[kny3twalker]

Thanks for all your replies, but I think I'm gonna give up. I've tried all resolutions, with no luck... I think i'll have to buy a VGA cord and settle for that connection.

I really appreciate the help, thanks.

Please post the native resolution of your HDTV? or if you do not mind would you post the model number?

 

[ero87]

Please post the native resolution of your HDTV? or if you do not mind would you post the model number?

Sure - I don't know the native resolution, but the model code is: LN37B550K1FXZA

 

[kny3twalker]

Your TV's native resolution is 1920x1080. You will need to configure your macbook to use 1920x1080 as output to the TV. If your MBP is the 17", try changing the MBP's resolution to 1920x1080. If the maximum resolution of your MBP is 1440x900 (15") or 1280x800 (13"), try changing the MBP's resolution to 1280x720. If I remember correctly, the first time, I connected my Dell Ultrasharp, the macbook was mirroring the displays, meaning both ran at the same resolution. Well your TV will not accept the native resolutions of the MBPs (1920x1200 (17"), 1440x900 (15") or 1280x800 (13")), so you need to change the resolution of the MBP to a resolution the TV will accept. Once you get this working, you can disable mirroring and restore your MBP to its original native resolution, and change the resolution of the TV to 1920x1080 if you use 1280x720 initially.

So 17" change resolution to 1920x1080, then pull in cable to TV, then turn off mirror, then restore 17" to 1920x1200
For 13" and 15" change resolution to 1280x720, then pull in cable to TV, then turn off mirror, adjust TV's resolution to 1920x1080, then restore 15" to 1440x900 and 13" to 1280x800

This should work.

LN37B550K1FXZA

 

[ero87]

Thank you so much for your thorough answer, I really appreciate it. I'm curious though how I can change my computer's resolution to one that is not listed - is there a way to manually input resolutions? The highest resolution on my 13" MBP is 1280x800, I don't see 1280x720. Am I missing something?

 

[jegbook]

Someone else mentioned trying a different HDMI port and that is a good suggestion. Not all HDMI ports are created equal.

You also suggested using a VGA connection, and I actually think this is the best way to go. The digital to digital connection sounds like the right way to go, but VGA doesn't seem to have any trouble with a one-to-one mapping of pixels.
That, and when you use VGA it treats the TV as a monitor instead of a TV. It seems to be easier to manage as a monitor instead of a TV.

If DisplayPort had audio that would be different as you'd get video and audio in one connection, but it don't.

Try all of the HDMI ports. If the MacBook isn't showing you a second monitor in the Display preferences, your computer isn't seeing it for some reason.
If you want to get different adapters and cables, I think VGA is the easiest to manage.

Good luck!

 

[kny3twalker]

Someone else mentioned trying a different HDMI port and that is a good suggestion. Not all HDMI ports are created equal.

You also suggested using a VGA connection, and I actually think this is the best way to go. The digital to digital connection sounds like the right way to go, but VGA doesn't seem to have any trouble with a one-to-one mapping of pixels.
That, and when you use VGA it treats the TV as a monitor instead of a TV. It seems to be easier to manage as a monitor instead of a TV.


Good luck!

Thats not really the reason behind using VGA. The reason is HDMI on a TV will only accept certain resolutions where as VGA will accept more resolutions as the TV will act more like a desktop monitor.
The issue of 1 to 1 pixel mapping only matters for image quality in most cases, unless the TV will actually has the ability to display windowed images ("kind of like" watching a widescreen movie on a standard definition TV channel on a widescreen TV, you end up with black bars on all four sides).
Case and point, if the TV is 1080p but your source is 720p, the TV will scale the 720p source to its native 1080p where as if your source can be 720p or 1080p in the case of blu ray, you would want to use 1080p so no scaling occurs (this is 1 to 1). Where as if the TV can display 1 to 1 images, then a 720p source would be displayed without scaling to 1080p and have a black border around the image filling the remaining pixels between 1080p and 720p resolutions. This is helpful when you do not want the image to scale and often means that input can accept resolutions beside the standard 480i/p, 720p, and 1080i/p.

 

[kny3twalker]

Thank you so much for your thorough answer, I really appreciate it. I'm curious though how I can change my computer's resolution to one that is not listed - is there a way to manually input resolutions? The highest resolution on my 13" MBP is 1280x800, I don't see 1280x720. Am I missing something?

try using 720x480. That is also a resolution which should the HDMI inputs on your TV should accept. I do not see an easy way to make custom resolutions within OSX although I am sure it could be done with a third party tool.

 

[zrbecker]

For my external monitor if I want to get it to use the larger resolution of my external monitor I close to lid of my macbook pro, so that it goes to sleep, then I press a button on my usb keyboard to wake it up. At this point it just wakes up on the larger resolution of my external monitor.

Doing something similar on your tv might work.

 

[kny3twalker]

For my external monitor if I want to get it to use the larger resolution of my external monitor I close to lid of my macbook pro, so that it goes to sleep, then I press a button on my usb keyboard to wake it up. At this point it just wakes up on the larger resolution of my external monitor.

Doing something similar on your tv might work.

All you need to do to use the larger resolution of your desktop monitor is uncheck mirror displays, then the desktop monitor is used as an extended desktop rather than mirroring the MBP's display. Nonetheless I know what you are explaining.

 

[mac10confused]

trouble with samsung and macbook

I have a fairly new samsung (LN40B540). I just got a macbook and tried to hook them up.

I am using HDMI/DVI cable and the "Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter".
However, I have a problem: I can only see the desktop picture, nothing else, and I have tried all the ports in my tv (including the recommended one for DVI)
I have just realized that if I drag the internet screen all the way to the right (out of my view) in the computer, only then can I see that screen on the TV. I am trying the different screen sizes for my tv, but none will show my computer desktop.
Any ideas?

 

[wesrk]

I have a fairly new samsung (LN40B540). I just got a macbook and tried to hook them up.

I am using HDMI/DVI cable and the "Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter".
However, I have a problem: I can only see the desktop picture, nothing else, and I have tried all the ports in my tv (including the recommended one for DVI)
I have just realized that if I drag the internet screen all the way to the right (out of my view) in the computer, only then can I see that screen on the TV. I am trying the different screen sizes for my tv, but none will show my computer desktop.
Any ideas?

So you want to be able to see the same picture in your TV as you see on your mac? That's called mirroring, I think. Go to System Preferences, then to Displays and select that option.
What you have now is basically your TV acting as a second monitor.

 

[mac10confused]

trouble w samsung and notebook

Hey, thanks, WESRK!
I just tried what you suggested. Well, it does change a little bit, but I guess it does not completely mirror what I see on my mac screen; is it at all possible to "completely" mirror it?
Also, I thought that with a HDMI cable I would not need sound cable, but I cannot hear the sound coming from the tv. Do I need that sound cable?
Thanks again!

 

[iSax1234]

yes, your mini-display port doesn't support sound

 

[djjclark]

Hey, thanks, WESRK!
I just tried what you suggested. Well, it does change a little bit, but I guess it does not completely mirror what I see on my mac screen; is it at all possible to "completely" mirror it?
Also, I thought that with a HDMI cable I would not need sound cable, but I cannot hear the sound coming from the tv. Do I need that sound cable?
Thanks again!

DVI does not have sound and the implementation of mDP on the mac does not have sound so you will need to connect your mac sound out to you tv (mini stereo plug to RCA). If you wish to spend more money there are some options now to combine sound and mDP to HDMI http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=6331&seq=1&format=2

 

[kny3twalker]

Thank you so much for your thorough answer, I really appreciate it. I'm curious though how I can change my computer's resolution to one that is not listed - is there a way to manually input resolutions? The highest resolution on my 13" MBP is 1280x800, I don't see 1280x720. Am I missing something?

any luck man? I see your thread got high jacked.

 

[wesrk]

Thank you so much for your thorough answer, I really appreciate it. I'm curious though how I can change my computer's resolution to one that is not listed - is there a way to manually input resolutions? The highest resolution on my 13" MBP is 1280x800, I don't see 1280x720. Am I missing something?

Just to be sure, you are selecting the resolution at your external monitors preference panel right? I ask just because the image you attached does not look as a normal second display preference panel looks like. I just attached mine to an old tv and this is the image I get when I go to system preferences and then displays, the resolution to your laptop is the image you attached, your monitor is showing (or should be showing) something similar to the first image I attached, there you can select the resolution that your tv supports. You can also set it so that both preference panels are shown in your laptop (second image I attached).
Sorry if this is too evident and you're already past this and I didn't know whether you wanted to change your computers or your external monitors resolution.