Hello all. I have my MacBook connected to an LG HDTV via a mini-DVI to DVI adapter and a DVI to HDMI cable. It works well, except I cannot play videos not on iTunes (such as on Hulu or even YouTube). This occurs even when I turn on mirroring. Does anyone know why this happens or a workaround?
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MacBook to HDTV
- Thread starter Macinthetosh
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Yes. If I download the .flv file off YouTube and play it, it works. And if I use Hulu Desktop, it works by giving me a 60 second preview using Hulu Plus. Other than that, it just displays a black box where the video should be (although the audio still comes through).
Turn off mirroring and use the TV as a second monitor. Play the video in full screen mode so it uses the second monitor. If your video cannot be played in full screen mode, then drag the window past the right edge of your laptop so it moves into the TV screen.
When I play it in full-screen mode, it only plays on my MacBook. When I drag it to the second screen, the video's picture immediately blacks out but the audio keeps playing. I feel like it may be a copyright issue and HDMI automatically blocks video out from the internet to prevent this. Does anyone have any ideas on this theory?
As you guessed at the end of your last post, this is likely due to the HDCP copyright protection built into HDMI cables. This prevents an HD signal from being played by a source unauthorized to to play the protected content. In this case, the video feeds from websites are unsigned while those from iTunes are, which is why you're seeing those videos play while the ones from other sites don't.
If this doesn't work in the extended display mode, I would try connecting the macbook to your TV via a different connector, such as VGA since this is an analog signal that doesn't have any copyright protection built into it. Let me know if that works as I'm curious to find out myself.
If this doesn't work in the extended display mode, I would try connecting the macbook to your TV via a different connector, such as VGA since this is an analog signal that doesn't have any copyright protection built into it. Let me know if that works as I'm curious to find out myself.
Does DVI have HDCP built-in? To my knowledge it doesn't, though I could be wrong. I thought of this, but didn't mention it because of that...
I was thinking of connecting via VGA, but I was worried about signal quality. Lower quality video is better than nothing though. I got a DVI to VGA adapter today, but it did not work. My MacBook detected the TV, but the TV said "no signal." So I went out a purchased a mini-DVI to VGA adapter, and tomorrow I will get a VGA to VGA cable. Hopefully this will finally work; I will post the results for anyone else who may face this dilemma.
In this case, since we're using a slew of connectors, you have to judge the availability of content on the TV based on the most stringent restrictions of any of the connectors, in this case being HDMI. To explain the situation a little better, here's a quote on the compatibility between DVI and HDMI courtesy of Wikipedia:
"To promote interoperability between DVI and HDMI devices, both HDMI source components and HDMI displays are required to support DVI signalling. From a user's perspective, an HDMI display can be driven by a single-link DVI-D source, since HDMI and DVI-D define an overlapping minimum set of supported resolutions and framebuffer formats to ensure a basic level of interoperability. In the reverse scenario, a typical HDMI-source (such as a Blu-ray Disc player) may demand HDCP-compliance on the display, an optional capability for DVI monitors. Hence, though the display link is technically operable in the sense that the HDMI source can produce a watchable image on the DVI monitor, content policy may forbid the display of HDCP-protected content on the non-HDCP compliant display. Absent this HDCP issue, an HDMI-source and DVI-D display would enjoy the same level of basic interoperability."
@Macinthetosh - Please keep us informed after you grab that VGA-VGA cable. I suspect it'll work, but I just want to know for my own edification.
Right, but in this case the HDMI source is the computer, which does not require HDCP. So I'm still not sure that HDCP is the issue. The article talks about the source requiring HDCP, which in this case we know it does not. Unless the TV itself is imposing some sort of HDCP restriction (I can't imagine how that would work) I don't think HDCP is the issue. That being said, I can offer no better explanation either.
Well I got the VGA cable today and it all works great. The quality difference is completely unnoticeable and I am able to play video, including Hulu, on my TV. The only catch is that it requires mirroring to be on in order to play video.