Using Macbook Pro as overseas DVD player

[jh2858]

I'll be spending a year in Australia, and would like to use my MacBook Pro as a DVD player for my collection of U.S./region 1 DVDs while I'm there. What kind of equipment will be required to interface the MacBook with my new Aussie television?

My current idea is to buy an Aussie television with VGA input... then run a cable from the DVI port of the Mac directly into that. Then I would use a standard 3.5 mm audio cable to run from the headphone jack on the MacBook directly into the 3.5 mm audio jack on the back of the television (hopefully most televisions with a VGA input would have the corresponding audio jack?). Will I have any NTSC/PAL issues if I do this... or do I bypass that with this solution?

If I get a television with HDMI input instead of VGA, what equipment would be necessary to take care of the sound input? Thanks for any ideas here.

 

[telecomm]

You'll need probably need a headphone jack to RCA cable to get the sound from your MBP to the TV. (Which would work with VGA or HDMI, it won't matter).

You shouldn't have any PAL vs NTSC issues. (I've never had any, and I suspect most recent TVs would be able to handle either, but maybe someone else can comment on this?)

I'm not sure about HDMI, though. Some people complain about not being able to get this to work, and I'm using VGA myself (the picture is great, I get the native 1300ish by 760ish on my Samsung).