Connecting your Mac to your TV

bobtomay · bobtomay #61 (**permalink**)

04-28-2010, 09:55 PM

Cooke159:

It looks like this may be one I don't have an answer for.

It appears that you have the proper connections made on the TV. The manual is sort of ambiguous since they have a single manual for 19 different models and then have things listed which only work on a few of those models.

Question - are the HDMI ports on your TV labeled "HDMI/DVI"?

Make sure you have turned the audio up considerably while you're testing and back down prior to changing inputs.

Think the first thing I'd try is to verify the cable and the port actually work: while you're watching a movie or something you know has sound, try changing the input to the 'RGB-PC' and see if you get sound there. Make sure the volume is maxed or close to maxed on the iMac. Slowly turn the volume up on the TV. Make sure you turn it back down before you change inputs again.

I found nothing that indicates there is any manual switching you need to do via the menus to change from digital to analog audio. It should just work, but it's worth prowling the menus.

Highly unlikely that the audio cable is faulty, but the next thing I'd try would be another cable - and make sure you unplug and replug the cable you have - even if it looks good.

bobtomay · bobtomay #62 (**permalink**)

04-28-2010, 10:07 PM

ptpro:

Open up your owner's manual to page 28 & 29. You need to open up the Audio menu on the TV, head for the HDMI 3 and change it from Digital to Analog.

TattooedMac · TattooedMac #63 (**permalink**)

05-02-2010, 03:50 AM

Well im going to have this sticky at close hand as i have one more pay day and ill be purchasing my Panasonic 50" Viera Full HD 1080p .... Woohooo and then to sit back and watch Avatar as if i was at the Cinema itself .... Thanks bob

bobtomay · bobtomay #64 (**permalink**)

05-02-2010, 06:43 AM

You getting their new 3D model or just the standard plasma?

I have their current model plasma 42" and 58". They're the best looking sets I've owned. Got the 58" so cheap, I sprung for the calibration on it. It was a waste of money. The adjustments made on it in the service menu were from zero to minuscule. Couldn't see the difference from my own calibration and no adjustments in the regular menu. I can't discern any difference between the two of them walking from one room to the other.

TattooedMac · TattooedMac #65 (**permalink**)

05-03-2010, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobtomay

You getting their new 3D model or just the standard plasma?

Just the standard ATM bob. Mind you for a extra $1500 i could get a 46" 3D, but im not one to have the latest and greatest.
As with the iPad i will wait a while and hopefully see the price come down and for them to iron out any bumps.
And im in total agreeance with you, in that they are a nice looking TV.

LOL never thought i would be ever talking about a TV like this though

5 days and counting

dtellez · dtellez #66 (**permalink**)

05-04-2010, 05:10 PM

So heres the deal... I just got a (new to me) Macbook computer, and an Apple Cinema Display so far I am happy as can be, however; the macbook uses what I guess is DVI, and the Apple Display has DisplayPort. I also found out so far that I can’t connect my apple TV (have had this for a year, and it rocks!) to the cinema display as well. Any ideas? I thought this display was supposed to be pretty amazing, but so far it pretty useless...

bobtomay · bobtomay #67 (**permalink**)

05-04-2010, 05:52 PM

Frankly, I'd take the Cinema Display back where you got it.

I "assume" this is the newest 24" LED Cinema Display? It has been presented and advertised specifically for use with the new Macs that have a mini displayport output.

It's going to cost you a minimum $150 for a converter plus whatever adapter/cable. If you're not in the market for a new Mac, take it back and get a monitor that will work with your system.

If you want to keep it and go for the cabling required, you'll need to let us know specifically which Mac you have. There has never been a MacBook with DVI. That was limited to the MacBook Pro.

Snakedoctor · Snakedoctor #68 (**permalink**)

05-05-2010, 09:55 AM

Hi,

In the office I have designed a new Mac setup for the R&D team. By default my company only use Dell so this is the first Mac in the company (global company with 70,000+ employees). I am part of the IT team on site and have hit a wall... I'll try to explain as best as I can but please ask for clarification if required....

I bought the guys a MacPro (2 x 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon | 11GB DDR3 | OS X 10.6.3 | 640GB HDD & 1TB HDD) which is connected to an Apple 24" LED Screen. I have installed a second graphics card (NVIDIA GeForce GT120) so that I can have a second 22" monitor conntect side by side (standard Dell 22" monitor).

Now I also want to connect the MacPro to a TV unit to allow for presentations, demos etc. The TV is a Samsung 42" HD Plasma TV, documentation here. I have also connected a Dell Dekstop to the TV via the VGA port and 3.5mm audio cable. This machine is on our internal network (Mac will not be located on network) so email, shared network drives etc can be accessible. I also have a 17" MBP (2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo | 4GB | 500GB HDD) connected to the TV monitor via the MiniDisplay Port to HDMI Connector. This is connected to HDMI/DVI port on the TV.

The problem I am having is that I can't get the MacPro to the TV. It is working on the dual screen no problem (Mac LED & Dell Monitor). The configuration I have tried is:
DVI / Audio Convertor to HDMI. I have a DVI Cable connecting the MacPro to the conertor and a regular 3.5mm audio jack from the MacPro to the Convertor. Upon switching on the TV to HDMI extension 1 the message that appears is "Mode Not Supported"...

Side Note: If I plug a HDMI cable directly into a HDMI to DVI adapter, picture appears fine, but no audio... As soon as I start using the convertor box, I get the problem....

Any thoughts?

Snakedoctor · Snakedoctor #69 (**permalink**)

05-05-2010, 02:19 PM

Please forgive the double post but I sorted my issue!

The TV's HDMI ports were very specific... HDMI 1 was for HDMI only but I had the HDMI/DVI connection plugged into that one and vice-versa! So I simply swapped them out

And at times I wonder why I am in IT at times...

Thanks in advance for not bullying me about my stupidity!!

dtellez · dtellez #70 (**permalink**)

05-06-2010, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobtomay

Frankly, I'd take the Cinema Display back where you got it.

I "assume" this is the newest 24" LED Cinema Display? It has been presented and advertised specifically for use with the new Macs that have a mini displayport output.

It's going to cost you a minimum $150 for a converter plus whatever adapter/cable. If you're not in the market for a new Mac, take it back and get a monitor that will work with your system.

If you want to keep it and go for the cabling required, you'll need to let us know specifically which Mac you have. There has never been a MacBook with DVI. That was limited to the MacBook Pro.

Unfortunately teking the cinema display back is not an option, I didn't buy it. on the CNET forum someone suggested using the ALTONA DP200. I looked everywhere and I can find any pictures of it in use. People have told me that all converters make your picture look pretty bad. Any one ever use one of these things? I also found someting on google news about a converter called the HD620 from the same company that goes from HDMI to the new apple plug. So right now I've got a Macbook (DVI) an AppleTV (HDMI) and this **** Apple display (mini displayport). what the ****

dtellez · dtellez #71 (**permalink**)

05-06-2010, 07:47 PM

So, if you have read my other posts, this is I think what I have been looking for... I think.

Newswire - PR / Atlona Technologies Introduces New HDMI to Mini DisplayPort Converter - The AT-HD620 - Audio/Video Equip./Surveillance - Atlona Technologies | NewswireToday

bobtomay · bobtomay #72 (**permalink**)

05-06-2010, 07:56 PM

Then you're looking at needing one of the Atlona converters. Belkin is suppose to have one on the way also, but I haven't seen it yet.

What you'll need is this one. As I said above $150.

Or this one for the AppleTV. It was never designed to be connected to a computer monitor (which the Cinema Display is) but to a TV.

Note: Merged threads. No reason to start a new thread.

Edited to add:
Also, if you need to know specifically what all cabling you need to connect the Mac to this display, you still need to let us know which Mac you have. You won't even need that converter if your Mac has a mini display port. Think I was just assuming from your post above that it does not.

tyson13 · tyson13 #73 (**permalink**)

05-06-2010, 10:53 PM

Hey guys,
I am new to the forum. So if I am posting to the wrong place I apologize. I am having trouble getting audio when I connect my MacBook Pro to my TV. I am getting a nice picture using the HDMI cable. And I also have 3.5mm RCA cables plugged in. My TV is a Dynex: DX-26L150A11. My MacBook Pro is a 15 inch. I bought it about 9 months ago. I am sorry I could not find the owner's manual for my TV. I tried looking everywhere on the web. Also, I apologize for not knowing the proper name for my computer. If anyone could help, that would be great.

bobtomay · bobtomay #74 (**permalink**)

05-06-2010, 11:32 PM

Welcome aboard tyson.

Where is the audio plugged into the TV?

A 3.5mm (or mini) plug and an RCA plug are two different things.

You need to be using the PC audio input which is a 3.5mm stereo mini port. You need a cable like one of these and plug it in here:

tyson13 · tyson13 #75 (**permalink**)

05-07-2010, 12:11 PM

Sorry, these are the 2 things I have:

1. PREMIUM 3FT 3.5mm Stereo Male to 2RCA Male 22AWG Cable - Gold Plated
2. Mini DisplayPort Male to HDMI Male 32AWG Cable - 6ft

will they work, or do I need the PC audio input?

bobtomay #61 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 21,796 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	04-28-2010, 09:55 PM Cooke159: It looks like this may be one I don't have an answer for. It appears that you have the proper connections made on the TV. The manual is sort of ambiguous since they have a single manual for 19 different models and then have things listed which only work on a few of those models. Question - are the HDMI ports on your TV labeled "HDMI/DVI"? Make sure you have turned the audio up considerably while you're testing and back down prior to changing inputs. Think the first thing I'd try is to verify the cable and the port actually work: while you're watching a movie or something you know has sound, try changing the input to the 'RGB-PC' and see if you get sound there. Make sure the volume is maxed or close to maxed on the iMac. Slowly turn the volume up on the TV. Make sure you turn it back down before you change inputs again. I found nothing that indicates there is any manual switching you need to do via the menus to change from digital to analog audio. It should just work, but it's worth prowling the menus. Highly unlikely that the audio cable is faulty, but the next thing I'd try would be another cable - and make sure you unplug and replug the cable you have - even if it looks good. I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus. Place your vote for our Member of the Month
	QUOTE Thanks

bobtomay #62 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 21,796 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	04-28-2010, 10:07 PM ptpro: Open up your owner's manual to page 28 & 29. You need to open up the Audio menu on the TV, head for the HDMI 3 and change it from Digital to Analog. I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus. Place your vote for our Member of the Month
	QUOTE Thanks

TattooedMac #63 (permalink)
Member Since: May 19, 2009 Location: Western Astraya Posts: 6,453 Mac Specs: 13"MBP 2.9Ghz Intel Core i7 10.8.3 ~ iPhone5 6.1.3 ~ iPad Mini 6.1.3 ~ ATV2 5.2.1	05-02-2010, 03:50 AM Well im going to have this sticky at close hand as i have one more pay day and ill be purchasing my Panasonic 50" Viera Full HD 1080p .... Woohooo and then to sit back and watch Avatar as if i was at the Cinema itself .... Thanks bob Dont forget to use the Reputation System if someone has helped you out !!! Arguing with a zealot is only slightly easier than tunneling through a mountain with your forehead!!!!!
	QUOTE Thanks

bobtomay #64 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 21,796 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	05-02-2010, 06:43 AM You getting their new 3D model or just the standard plasma? I have their current model plasma 42" and 58". They're the best looking sets I've owned. Got the 58" so cheap, I sprung for the calibration on it. It was a waste of money. The adjustments made on it in the service menu were from zero to minuscule. Couldn't see the difference from my own calibration and no adjustments in the regular menu. I can't discern any difference between the two of them walking from one room to the other. I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus. Place your vote for our Member of the Month
	QUOTE Thanks

bobtomay #67 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 21,796 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	05-04-2010, 05:52 PM Frankly, I'd take the Cinema Display back where you got it. I "assume" this is the newest 24" LED Cinema Display? It has been presented and advertised specifically for use with the new Macs that have a mini displayport output. It's going to cost you a minimum $150 for a converter plus whatever adapter/cable. If you're not in the market for a new Mac, take it back and get a monitor that will work with your system. If you want to keep it and go for the cabling required, you'll need to let us know specifically which Mac you have. There has never been a MacBook with DVI. That was limited to the MacBook Pro. I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus. Place your vote for our Member of the Month Last edited by bobtomay; 05-04-2010 at 06:59 PM.
	QUOTE Thanks

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dtellez #66 (permalink)
Member Since: May 04, 2010 Posts: 3	05-04-2010, 05:10 PM So heres the deal... I just got a (new to me) Macbook computer, and an Apple Cinema Display so far I am happy as can be, however; the macbook uses what I guess is DVI, and the Apple Display has DisplayPort. I also found out so far that I can’t connect my apple TV (have had this for a year, and it rocks!) to the cinema display as well. Any ideas? I thought this display was supposed to be pretty amazing, but so far it pretty useless...
	QUOTE Thanks

Snakedoctor #68 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 07, 2010 Location: Ireland & UK Posts: 49 Mac Specs: MBP 15" 2.4GHz i5 4GB... iPad 64GB WiFi + 3G	05-05-2010, 09:55 AM Hi, In the office I have designed a new Mac setup for the R&D team. By default my company only use Dell so this is the first Mac in the company (global company with 70,000+ employees). I am part of the IT team on site and have hit a wall... I'll try to explain as best as I can but please ask for clarification if required.... I bought the guys a MacPro (2 x 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon \| 11GB DDR3 \| OS X 10.6.3 \| 640GB HDD & 1TB HDD) which is connected to an Apple 24" LED Screen. I have installed a second graphics card (NVIDIA GeForce GT120) so that I can have a second 22" monitor conntect side by side (standard Dell 22" monitor). Now I also want to connect the MacPro to a TV unit to allow for presentations, demos etc. The TV is a Samsung 42" HD Plasma TV, documentation here. I have also connected a Dell Dekstop to the TV via the VGA port and 3.5mm audio cable. This machine is on our internal network (Mac will not be located on network) so email, shared network drives etc can be accessible. I also have a 17" MBP (2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo \| 4GB \| 500GB HDD) connected to the TV monitor via the MiniDisplay Port to HDMI Connector. This is connected to HDMI/DVI port on the TV. The problem I am having is that I can't get the MacPro to the TV. It is working on the dual screen no problem (Mac LED & Dell Monitor). The configuration I have tried is: DVI / Audio Convertor to HDMI. I have a DVI Cable connecting the MacPro to the conertor and a regular 3.5mm audio jack from the MacPro to the Convertor. Upon switching on the TV to HDMI extension 1 the message that appears is "Mode Not Supported"... Side Note: If I plug a HDMI cable directly into a HDMI to DVI adapter, picture appears fine, but no audio... As soon as I start using the convertor box, I get the problem.... Any thoughts? Sláinte SD Don't forget to make use of the reputation system.... Last edited by Snakedoctor; 05-05-2010 at 09:57 AM. Reason: Inaccurate title...
	QUOTE Thanks

Snakedoctor #69 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 07, 2010 Location: Ireland & UK Posts: 49 Mac Specs: MBP 15" 2.4GHz i5 4GB... iPad 64GB WiFi + 3G	05-05-2010, 02:19 PM Please forgive the double post but I sorted my issue! The TV's HDMI ports were very specific... HDMI 1 was for HDMI only but I had the HDMI/DVI connection plugged into that one and vice-versa! So I simply swapped them out And at times I wonder why I am in IT at times... Thanks in advance for not bullying me about my stupidity!! Sláinte SD Don't forget to make use of the reputation system....
	QUOTE Thanks

dtellez #71 (permalink)
Member Since: May 04, 2010 Posts: 3	05-06-2010, 07:47 PM So, if you have read my other posts, this is I think what I have been looking for... I think. Newswire - PR / Atlona Technologies Introduces New HDMI to Mini DisplayPort Converter - The AT-HD620 - Audio/Video Equip./Surveillance - Atlona Technologies \| NewswireToday
	QUOTE Thanks

bobtomay #72 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 21,796 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	05-06-2010, 07:56 PM Then you're looking at needing one of the Atlona converters. Belkin is suppose to have one on the way also, but I haven't seen it yet. What you'll need is this one. As I said above $150. Or this one for the AppleTV. It was never designed to be connected to a computer monitor (which the Cinema Display is) but to a TV. Note: Merged threads. No reason to start a new thread. Edited to add: Also, if you need to know specifically what all cabling you need to connect the Mac to this display, you still need to let us know which Mac you have. You won't even need that converter if your Mac has a mini display port. Think I was just assuming from your post above that it does not. I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus. Place your vote for our Member of the Month Last edited by bobtomay; 05-06-2010 at 08:29 PM.
	QUOTE Thanks

tyson13 #73 (permalink)
Member Since: May 06, 2010 Posts: 3	05-06-2010, 10:53 PM Hey guys, I am new to the forum. So if I am posting to the wrong place I apologize. I am having trouble getting audio when I connect my MacBook Pro to my TV. I am getting a nice picture using the HDMI cable. And I also have 3.5mm RCA cables plugged in. My TV is a Dynex: DX-26L150A11. My MacBook Pro is a 15 inch. I bought it about 9 months ago. I am sorry I could not find the owner's manual for my TV. I tried looking everywhere on the web. Also, I apologize for not knowing the proper name for my computer. If anyone could help, that would be great.
	QUOTE Thanks

bobtomay #74 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 21,796 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	05-06-2010, 11:32 PM Welcome aboard tyson. Where is the audio plugged into the TV? A 3.5mm (or mini) plug and an RCA plug are two different things. You need to be using the PC audio input which is a 3.5mm stereo mini port. You need a cable like one of these and plug it in here: I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus. Place your vote for our Member of the Month
	QUOTE Thanks

tyson13 #75 (permalink)
Member Since: May 06, 2010 Posts: 3	05-07-2010, 12:11 PM Sorry, these are the 2 things I have: 1. PREMIUM 3FT 3.5mm Stereo Male to 2RCA Male 22AWG Cable - Gold Plated 2. Mini DisplayPort Male to HDMI Male 32AWG Cable - 6ft will they work, or do I need the PC audio input? Last edited by tyson13; 05-07-2010 at 01:05 PM. Reason: Not enough info.
	QUOTE Thanks

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