Updated MacBook Supports Both Audio and Video Output via Mini DisplayPort

[0092762]

For those of you who think HDMI is the stuff... you probably still have VHS and Beta players in your home.

HDMI has a resolution capability of 1080 while mini display port has a resolution capability of 2560x1600. If Apple were to implement HDMI in their devices, they would render their own 30" Cinema Display useless since it has higher resolution than 1080. Not to mention the royalty free design on MDP.

Your statements are just as uneducated as they're arrogant.
HDMI 1.3, which is the most common one, supports 2560x1600. HDMI 1.4 supports 4096x2160.

 

[MarsianMan]

For those of you who think HDMI is the stuff... you probably still have VHS and Beta players in your home.

HDMI has a resolution capability of 1080 while mini display port has a resolution capability of 2560x1600. If Apple were to implement HDMI in their devices, they would render their own 30" Cinema Display useless since it has higher resolution than 1080. Not to mention the royalty free design on MDP.

Your derision of HDMI is a little extreme and due mainly to ignorance I think.

1.3 (which was released in 2006--the same year as DisplayPort, I might add) supports 2560x1600. for a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_comparison Granted the 30" Cinema Display released in 2004, but that uses Dual Link DVI instead of either HDMI or DisplayPort anyway. Not to mention that by 2006 HDMI had the advantage of being already present in many electronics.

The main advantage of DisplayPort is the $0.04 per device + $10,000 annual licensing fee (which is a drop in the bucked for the cash Apple deals with annually) and multiple video/audio streams (not that I think that is supported by any Apple product at the moment). HDMI has the advantages of another color space, two HD audio formats, CEC (consume electronic control) signals, and being similar to DVI.

 

[mrial]

So now the following question remains, should I...

• Buy a new MacBook for $949? or
• Buy a new 13" MacBook Pro for $1099?

Seems like the low-end Pro is the way to go, but if I make this major purchase I can't really afford the iPad I wanted, besides the fact that I wanted to upgrade to the new iPhone this summer, too. Damn you Apple, why do you have to make such cool stuff?

Perhaps I should just get the iPad and tether it to my 7-year-old iBook G4, or my parents 4-year-old iMac. This seems doable and it would save me a ton of money. Not as convenient as an iPhone, but easier to work on, which is what I mostly use the iPhone for anyway. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens this summer.

Question is, are a nicer screen, nicer case, FW800 port and SD card slot worth $150? My answer would be no, but it's up to you.

That would be a yes! The built in SD slot alone is mighty convenient for photos. (I actually have a media reader ExpressCard for that purpose).

 

[435713]

I've seen some PC's with both Display and HDMI. God forbid Apple pays that royalty fee which everyone else does, I mean they don't make anything on their Macs when they are sold /sarcasm.

Even if they did go that route I am sure Steve would be looking at the prototype with a magnifying glass holding hands out making sure every curve was perfection and realize they would lose millions of sells because customers would see that extra port and just vomit uncontrollably.

At least they FINALLY are getting mini-display up to spec. I guess they somewhat listen to their customers.

 

[akm3]

And why should I have to when the cheeziest PC notebook with an HDMI port doesn't require this? Obviously Apple got some flack over it which is why they now include audio throughput for the mini display port. Also we have 5 new computers in our office. 3 Macbooks and 2 PC notebooks. It looks foolish for the PC's to only need one cable but the Macs (which are suppose to be the "superior machine") needs a separate audio cable.

How does that cheesiest notebook do when hooked up to a 2560x1600 monitor?

I'd rather have serious computational ability and higher resolution than the ability to hook up to a TV with one cable instead of two...but that's just me.

HDMI will not drive past 2048x1152

 

[Synergy6]

That would be a yes! The built in SD slot alone is mighty convenient for photos. (I actually have a media reader ExpressCard for that purpose).

Also, the comparison I gave was for the models I would consider (MBP 13 vs 4GB MB).

If you were comparing the stock MBP 13 with the stock MB, another difference is the extra 2GB RAM by default.

 

[Yankee617]

Agree

You are both overlooking the differences in the quality of the display. That's a big point in favor of the 13" MacBook Pro. The standard MacBook display isn't very good (really poor viewing angles). The MacBook Pro is notably better although still not great. Given the superior display, FW800, and the SD slot and it's pretty much a done deal in favor of the MacBook Pro.

Further, the MBP has backlit keyboard.

Rather than buy a MB and upgrade to 4 GB RAM, I'll be buying a MBP. Price is a tiny but higher, but value is much much better.

 

[jmazzamj]

Thank you all for replying.

What kind of content were you playing? Was it a DVD? was it protected content from iTunes (HD movie)?

I don't know if all audio is sent or if it is just special media audio.

I was watching a TV show episode, avi format, no protection at all.
2 CHs stereo audio (128 kbps).

As far as I know, DP is supposed to send any audio content (even a song playing in iTunes) through HDMI, but I can't select DP port as audio out in audio settings.

Only thing that you have to do is connect the adapter to an HDMI cable to your HDTV and select the right sound output in the settings to send the sound to the TV set...

I know, but as I stated above, I can't select DP as audio out.

Try playing a DVD that has surround sound. Then go to the system prefs/sound/output and select your MDP or adapter in the list. Let me know if this works?

I'll give the dvd a try, thank you.

 

[Duncan-UK]

you dont select the DP port as audio out - you select the device that the DP to HDMI is plugged into.

For example - I use a 55 inch Sony HDTV as my monitor for my Mac Pro - I plugged my new MacBook pro into it via the existing MDP to HDMI adapter that I use for the Pro - and nothing happened - in system prefs there was no option to output to the TV.

When I tried the new MDP to HDMI lead, I saw an option - output via Sony HDTV and all was fine.

Tested it with iTunes.

 

[manu chao]

You are both overlooking the differences in the quality of the display. That's a big point in favor of the 13" MacBook Pro. The standard MacBook display isn't very good (really poor viewing angles). The MacBook Pro is notably better although still not great. Given the superior display, FW800, and the SD slot and it's pretty much a done deal in favor of the MacBook Pro.

You are absolutely right, I totally forgot about that:
http://www.beloev.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=macbook-gammut:macbook-gamut