01-30-2012, 12:04 AM

I was wondering if there was another way to hook up a macbook pro to a home theater receiver other than the head phone jack?

01-30-2012, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by JoshC1990

I was wondering if there was another way to hook up a macbook pro to a home theater receiver other than the head phone jack?

Wirelessley via Apple TV2. If your AVR has HDMI inputs then the video should pass through the output to the TV and the audio through your speaker set-up.

ATV2 supports DD 5.1 so although movies are 720p max which is fine, the audio is more than comfortable.
I just have the music on the amp set to Stereo because I have satellites and a sub and Direct mode won't cut it.

01-30-2012, 01:16 AM

Airport Express too, via wi-fi once again. This is a very good way if you have no desire for the ATV and it's extra video capabilities.

01-30-2012, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by Kevriano

Airport Express too, via wi-fi once again. This is a very good way if you have no desire for the ATV and it's extra video capabilities.

Morning Kev,
Since I got my ATV2 working I can't stop blethering on about it

01-30-2012, 02:16 AM

Originally Posted by JoshC1990

I was wondering if there was another way to hook up a macbook pro to a home theater receiver other than the head phone jack?

Just checking, you probably know this anyway, but the headphone jack has digital optical out as well as analogue stereo.

Not sure if you wanted to specifically avoid using that physically connection or that you wanted 5.1 audio etc.

01-30-2012, 09:49 AM

I would like to have 5.1 but I don't know what all the outputs on the 13" macbook pro can do. I don't have an ATV2 or Airport Express.

01-30-2012, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by JoshC1990

I would like to have 5.1 but I don't know what all the outputs on the 13" macbook pro can do. I don't have an ATV2 or Airport Express.

Hi,
Have you got a wireless network set-up at home..because you won't really need those ports for streaming video,movies and music wirelessly from iTunes?

Can you also confirm what make and model of AVR (your receiver) you have please?

01-30-2012, 10:21 AM

I have a 26" Vizio LCD, 13" macbook pro (2009) a Net gear dual band router. And a Yamaha HTR-3064, it came in the YHT-396BL package. thanks

01-30-2012, 10:48 AM

Ok thanks,

Your Receiver is pretty well specified with inputs so you have a few options.

If you want a basic 5.1 audio set-up whilst watching a DVD on you MBP then I would suggest a mini-TOSLINK or optical mini to TOSLINK cable between the 3,5mm jack that mrplow mentioned on your MBP and one of the optical inputs e.g the AV1 or AV4 inputs on the receiver.

Your MBP should automatically detect that you have plugged this cable into it and changes the name of the output to "Digital Out" in your sound preferences . You must choose the 'Digital Output' in the Mac DVD player and choose the correct source on your receiver also for it to work.

Because you are blessed with 4 HDMI inputs, if you had an ATV2 then one HDMI cable from that to a spare input on the amp would be all you needed for Video passthrough to your TV and 5.1 Audio through the system. This option would be wireless ,with your Mac streaming content over your local network and the ATV2 to your AV set-up.

There are other ways but these are reasonable options for you to have a think about initially I guess.

01-30-2012, 12:47 PM

thank you. the Mini-toslink seems like the way to go. I would really just like to play music from my computer on my receiver. I have a BD player for movies.

01-30-2012, 12:51 PM

One more question. If I get the Toslink to optical mini cable, would I need an adapter to plug into the head phone jack?

01-30-2012, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by JoshC1990

thank you. the Mini-toslink seems like the way to go. I would really just like to play music from my computer on my receiver. I have a BD player for movies.

Cool. I listen to my music over the ATV2 and output in Stereo. I too have all the separates but the ATV2 has saved me getting my backside off the couch a few times

01-30-2012, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by JoshC1990

One more question. If I get the Toslink to optical mini cable, would I need an adapter to plug into the head phone jack?

You can get either a mini-Toslink to Toslink cable or a straight through Toslink to Toslink with an adaptor which would be a female Toslink to male mini-Toslink plug.

I'll send a link on.

Edit http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tv...les/op=eq.html
Link is UK but you get the general idea

01-30-2012, 01:02 PM

Or this one for the States maybe?
Amazon.com: 6ft Toslink to Mini Toslink Cable: Electronics

01-31-2012, 01:19 AM

If you're in the states, another option is monoprice. I've been running this same cable for several years. Either way, shipping will cost more than the cable.


For only $2.03 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 6ft Toslink to Mini M/M 5.0mm OD Molded Cable | Toslink to Mini Plug