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Playback from MBP to an HDMI in on TV possible?

P

Peter Franks

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 9, 2011
2,118
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I have an early 2011 MBP running SL 10.6.8., still...

Is it possible to playback from this laptop onto a TV that has an HDMI input connection?

Which out would do that from the MBP, and what lead would I need. Does it act as a monitor like that, would it play back AVI from laptop onto the telly or ..? Just wondered.
 
If its only a mini display port and not a thunder bolt, it probably won't play sound through the TV. You'd have to get an audio out cable to an input on the TV that will play with the HDMI input at the same time.
 
VI™ said:
If its only a mini display port and not a thunder bolt, it probably won't play sound through the TV. You'd have to get an audio out cable to an input on the TV that will play with the HDMI input at the same time.
Click to expand...
Wrong, anything since mid 2010 supports audio over mini DP
 
Thanks guys. I think it had thunderbolt or did I imagine it. Will have to look up when am back home. Can't for the life of me remember! If it does. So it may or may not
 
Playback from MBP to an HDMI in on TV possible?

So would appear there is a thunderbolt on my almost 4 year old MBP. Does this mean a thunderbolt to hdmi lead into tv should playback OK.
2ca5c076859b771e021513670f816dfc.jpg


Which was mini display port? The lightning looking one and left of that is thunderbolt? Wrong...

EDIT:

If my specs are
MagSafe power port
Gigabit Ethernet port
FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps)

then presume the thunderbolt replaced the mini display port, or I'm missing something. What's the difference between firewire and the thunderbolt out of interest?
 
Last edited:
Peter Franks said:
So would appear there is a thunderbolt on my almost 4 year old MBP. Does this mean a thunderbolt to hdmi lead into tv should playback OK. Image

Which was mini display port? The lightning looking one and left of that is thunderbolt? Wrong...

EDIT:

If my specs are
MagSafe power port
Gigabit Ethernet port
FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps)

then presume the thunderbolt replaced the mini display port, or I'm missing something. What's the difference between firewire and the thunderbolt out of interest?
Click to expand...

FireWire in your case is 800 Mbit/sec. Thunderbolt is 10Gbit/sec-- way faster. Plus, it's backward compatible with Mini-DisplayPort for video output and will carry audio as well. I sometimes use a Rocketfish Mini-Displayport to HDMI adaptor from my 2010 MBP out via HDMI to a hotel TV, for when there's nothing else on when I'm on the road. Works like a charm, and with only one cable.
 
I've plugged lead into HDMI on telly and thunderbolt this end, but I either get a flash of blue screen, which always worries me, or just the desktop wallpaper, and what's going on with the MBP is never shown on the telly. Also, the cursor disappears so I can't do anything with the computer when lead plugged in.

Anyone got any idea why it won't show what's on my MBP screen before I take the lead back and give up?
thanks

24vtir4.jpg
 
Peter Franks said:
I've plugged lead into HDMI on telly and thunderbolt this end, but I either get a flash of blue screen, which always worries me, or just the desktop wallpaper, and what's going on with the MBP is never shown on the telly. Also, the cursor disappears so I can't do anything with the computer when lead plugged in.

Anyone got any idea why it won't show what's on my MBP screen before I take the lead back and give up?
thanks

Image
Click to expand...

Go into system preferences - displays and change it from extended desktop to mirroring. Your cable is working fine
 
Will check this out. Thank you for your help. Hope that sorts blue screen on plug in too. Will report back when home.
 
Mr_Brightside_@ said:
Go into system preferences - displays and change it from extended desktop to mirroring. Your cable is working fine
Click to expand...

Still can't get it to work, only see desktop on the telly.

I don't have anything that says extended desktop to mirroring in display options, only see these options on mine

2w323ya.png

Any ideas?
 
tried that too, the only thing I got was my Mac mail, an inch of the right hand side on telly, but moving off screen on MBP. Really weird, Tried all the setting on telly too. Just shows me the wallpaper, and the display box on the screen
 
Peter Franks said:
tried that too, the only thing I got was my Mac mail, an inch of the right hand side on telly, but moving off screen on MBP. Really weird, Tried all the setting on telly too. Just shows me the wallpaper, and the display box on the screen
Click to expand...

I give up! I have now moved the screen icon on top on the arrangement and got as far as it showing me the desktop, which looks like the MBP, but then it wouldn't give me the access to move my cursor to put anything up on screen. Frustration has now done it for me. I thought it was going to be so simple, plug in and play.... It isn't
 
Playback from MBP to an HDMI in on TV possible?

Yep done all that but I can't access the cursor to do anything on it after I've done that bit in your pic
 
Peter Franks said:
Yep done all that but I can't access the cursor to do anything on it after I've done that bit in your pic
Click to expand...

no you haven't. that little box should be ticked, then the screen will be the same on both screens.
don't panic, this is a working cable , operating system and TV.
read the apple documents linked above and see how it works.

I would like to hear how you had expected it to work ? I've met people who think it will only transfer movies etc. to the screen, but it's actually more like adding a second screen to your computer. the cursor going big can be changed in accessibility I think.
 
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