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MacBook Pro and Samsung LCD TV Connection Problem

D

Delta2Nite

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 22, 2008
22
0
Ok, well I've just bought a new Samsung LCD, HDTV. I currently have January model of the MacBook Pro (the model that was the first to get the 2.6 GhZ processor, but came out before Multi Touch).

I first tried to connect my computer to my TV last night. I bought a DVI/DVI cable and a DVI/HDMI adapter. Just to clarify, the remaining DVI end will go into my computer and the now HDMI end will go into the TV.

Before doing anything, I did some research on the Samsung website and pulled up some pages that talked about Mac compatibility. They say that they are compatible, so nothing wrong there. I wanted to use the HD part of my TV rather than just going from DVI/VGA (if there is little difference please let me know!).

In any case, I followed all directions and ended up trying other things just to see if anything worked at all, but nothing did. I kept getting a "No Signal" sign on the TV screen. My computer recognized the Samsung TV and had it as a second display, but no image was projected on the TV. Each time I'd attempt to find a source and came to the HDMI source, my computer screen would look as if trying to re-adjust like normal.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Here is the model of my TV:

LN26A330J1D

I'm pretty sure it's a 2008 build, because after looking on the back, it says:

"Fabrique June 2008"

The significance of that is that I would be allowed to use the HDMI port as DVI/HDMI (from what I understand).

Please help, I'd really like to use my new TV as my computer monitor.
 
I've also got a Samsung connected to my MBP, but because I didn't want to buy those expensive HDMI cables and then find out it doesn't work, I opted to connect via the VGA port.

The MBP recognizes the Samsung TV, and sends the TV a signal in its native resolution. The only downside to this configuration is that, with long lengths of cable, the VGA signal suffers a bit. (If you're planning to use the TV as a monitor, though, this probably won't be an issue because you'll be pretty close.) The difference between shorter and longer lengths of cable comes out in text and window edges, which have a bit of a double image "shadow" near the edges. Using it as a TV means I'm sitting far enough away so it's not at all noticeable, and with a shorter length of VGA cable this wouldn't be a problem.

So, if HDMI doesn't work, VGA might be the way to go.

Let us know how it goes!
 
telecomm said:
I've also got a Samsung connected to my MBP, but because I didn't want to buy those expensive HDMI cables and then find out it doesn't work, I opted to connect via the VGA port.

The MBP recognizes the Samsung TV, and sends the TV a signal in its native resolution. The only downside to this configuration is that, with long lengths of cable, the VGA signal suffers a bit. (If you're planning to use the TV as a monitor, though, this probably won't be an issue because you'll be pretty close.) The difference between shorter and longer lengths of cable comes out in text and window edges, which have a bit of a double image "shadow" near the edges. Using it as a TV means I'm sitting far enough away so it's not at all noticeable, and with a shorter length of VGA cable this wouldn't be a problem.

So, if HDMI doesn't work, VGA might be the way to go.

Let us know how it goes!
Click to expand...

I'll be doing just that in a matter of minutes actually. I've got to go buy our Airport Extreme Base station, and return a VGA/VGA cable for my little brother's HP. I stupidly bought an 8-pin instead of a 15-pin (doh!).

I'll just tack on another VGA/VGA cable, which should supposedly work. I'll keep trying to figure out a way to make the DVI/HDMI work though, and any help on that topic would be much appreciated.
 
It's not a macbook, but I had no problem connecting my mac mini to a Samsung 650 series LCD tv with a DVI-HDMI cable
 
Try to send different resolutions to the Samsung through HDMI. When I hook my PowerBook up to my Samsung HL50A650, I have to send it 1333x768 (or something close to that, i cant remember what it is for sure.) even though the TV is 1920x1080. I also have an HDMI input on the TV labeled HDMI/DVI. It is the third HDMI input on my TV and using this port allows for me to adjust the image size and position just like on a computer monitor.
 
Delta2Nite said:
Ok, well I've just bought a new Samsung LCD, HDTV. I currently have January model of the MacBook Pro (the model that was the first to get the 2.6 GhZ processor, but came out before Multi Touch).

I first tried to connect my computer to my TV last night. I bought a DVI/DVI cable and a DVI/HDMI adapter. Just to clarify, the remaining DVI end will go into my computer and the now HDMI end will go into the TV.

Before doing anything, I did some research on the Samsung website and pulled up some pages that talked about Mac compatibility. They say that they are compatible, so nothing wrong there. I wanted to use the HD part of my TV rather than just going from DVI/VGA (if there is little difference please let me know!).

In any case, I followed all directions and ended up trying other things just to see if anything worked at all, but nothing did. I kept getting a "No Signal" sign on the TV screen. My computer recognized the Samsung TV and had it as a second display, but no image was projected on the TV. Each time I'd attempt to find a source and came to the HDMI source, my computer screen would look as if trying to re-adjust like normal.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Here is the model of my TV:

LN26A330J1D

I'm pretty sure it's a 2008 build, because after looking on the back, it says:

"Fabrique June 2008"

The significance of that is that I would be allowed to use the HDMI port as DVI/HDMI (from what I understand).

Please help, I'd really like to use my new TV as my computer monitor.
Click to expand...

This might help, How many HDMI ports do you have on your TV and are they named on the TV as what they could be used for? When I mean named I mean when you try to switch between them on the TV screen it will come up HDMI - Bluray player or HDMI - Cable box. I have a Sony and 2 HDMI ports that are named, 1 for a cable box, 1 for a BD player, and the last one is un-named is for I guess anything you want. When I first got my PS3 i plugged it into the cable box HDMI port and no picture came up, so I switched plugs and plugged it into the un named port and the picture came up. I just chalked it up to the TV knows whats being plugged in and if its named cable box, it will only accept cable boxes. However I could be totally wrong and have a dead HDMI port on my TV, I hope its not that and I do not have a HD Cable box to test my theory.
 
I have a MacBook Pro and a Samsung HDTV (LN46A750). I can't speak for other Samsung models, but I know that only the second HDMI port will accept a PC/Mac connection by design. There might be a specific HDMI port on your model as well, and you will need to make sure it's hooked up to that one. Good luck.
 
I found this helpful and just wanted to add my 2¢:

I have an early MacBook Pro and just purchased a Samsung 46A550 and spent a couple of hours last night getting the two to work together.

What finally did it was updating the TV's firmware and following the steps from Samsungs FAQ question specifically dealing with Macs that basically said to set the Mac to its highest resolution, turn both the TV and Mac off, connect the cable, turn the TV on, select the PC input for the TV, then turn the Mac on. That's when it worked for me and automatically selected 1920x1080. Prior to that the best I could get was 1600x1200.

However, I do have black bars on the side on the TV, though that may be due to the VGA connection. I'm going to try DVI-HDMI next.

-todd
 
2007 MacBook Pro doesn't recognize Samsung LCD-TV

I think I read this thread and anything I could find on this topic, but I still don't get my MacBook Pro to recognize my Samsung LE40B53.

I have an old MBP, I believe it is 2007. It has the big old VGA connection. I bought a HDMI to VGA cable, which fits fine.
At some point I got the connection right, so that I saw the Samsung in the Display options as the correct 1920x1080 solution, audio I got via the headphone plug.

Then I did something wrong with the order of things:
When to plug in the TV or
when to start Computer & TV ??
Since then I don't get anything to work anymore.
Whenever I switch the TV on or off, the laptop display turns blue for a second, so some connection is there.
However, I don't see the Samsung in Display options.
The TV reports that it doesn't get any signal.

I also tried SwitchResX, but this caused even more problems and didn't solve any. My MBP didn't even like the projectors anymore with which I never had any issues before. I also got it somehow temporarily to work after I deleted SwitchResX again.

What can I do to get this working again? What is the right order to plug things in and switch them on? I appreciate any help I can get with this
 
I have the LN550A or something like that. I use the DVI to HDMI cable and it works great. 1920x1080 no bars or problems. If you select Clone displays in the settings you will get bars on the tv.
 
Same Problem

I have an LG tv and have the exact same problem as post that started this thread. My computer recognizes my tv and yet I cannot get a picture - instead I get a flash of my desktop alternating with blue snow. I have all of the proper cables, and they are connected into the right ports. I am also using the DVI-HDMI. The mac tech people were unable to help, saying it was LGs problem. The LG people said it was mac's problem. This is a fairly new television. I tried the 1080p/60Hz and nothing happened. I've tried other resolutions as well that my tv claims to support - with no luck. I've tried pretty much every suggestion on this thread except going VGA. Did you find out the answer to first post because my problem sounds similar?
 
I've been having similar problems. I have a late 2009 13" Macbook Pro and have been using a mini display-port to HDMI adapter to connect to my Panasonic Viera tv and Asus monitor. I also have an older Formac display (1600x1200) with only DVI connection in my bedroom that is my primary monitor. I use a HDMI to DVI adapter for this display, which has worked perfectly for a long time.
Recently, within the last week, things have been going haywire. The TV and my Asus monitor that use HDMI have stopped working completely. I get the blue screen flash, but only on my macbook and then nothing ever comes up on the other screen. Similar things happen to my Formac display, except i can get that one working by repeatedly disconnecting and reconnecting the display.
I took it to the Apple store and, as i expected, it worked with the cinema display and the pioneer tv that they hooked it up to. They also asked me if I had reset the pram, which i have, and told me to come in later this week and bring one of the displays. The store is over 30 min away and I dont feel like dragging all that stuff down there when i know they probably wont be able to figure it out.
I deleted the display related plist files (made backups too...) and that didn't help.
 
i was having audio and visual problems too but i went into the system preferences-->display-->arrangement and then checked the box for mirrored displays. The visual came through but now what do i do about the audio? I thought the HDMI and the connected/adaptor that i have hooked to my macbookpro was supposed to support audio....any suggestions?
 
Problems Solved

I solved the problem simply following these steps:
1. switching on the Samsung TV and set the VGA source (for me was PC source)

2. No signal will appear in your TV (it's ok)

3. Then connect your macbook with vga adapter to your vga port in your TV using a cable vga-vga.

4. Done !

It's seems to be only an order problem.
 
you need to enter the service menu on your TV and disable plug and play...i had the same problem when combining the old atv and a Samsung LCD HDTV.
 
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