Connecting macbook to home theatre

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New thread b/c this is slightly different from the mac to TV thread. I've got a Sharp Aquos TV (LC-42D62U) connected to an LG Home Theatre (HB906SB) and a white macbook with min divi connection. The Aquos does not have a VGA outlet and the two HDMI ports are filled with the home theatre and the digibox(?). Anyway, they're occupied. So, I'm trying to connect my macbook through the home theatre which has a couple of HDMI In ports. Got a mini dvi to hdmi connector, hdmi cable. Putting it all together, the computer shows the LG in the display setting, so it's seeing the home theatre, but the TV screen is black. I've selected mirror, but still black screen. Tried all the resolutions, but not a peep out of the TV screen. What am I not doing that might make my mac screen show up on my TV. Also did the TV and Home Theatre on first and then turning on the mac. Any more ideas about what to try? This is my first post so hope I'm doing this request correctly.
 

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So, you have the Mac going into the LG which you want to use as a switch to the TV.
You have a mini-DVI to HDMI connected from the Mac to the LG?
And a HDMI connected from the LG HDMI out to the Sharp?

Not familiar with the LG home theatre. I would guess you're going to need to go into the LG settings first and set it up for HDMI out. THen you'll need to make sure you change the input on it to the one matching the input port you're using for the Mac.
 

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LG does not have the 906 model manual up on their site yet. I would guess it's probably not much different than the 905 though. Open up your owner's manual and verify the resolutions the LG will accept via it's HDMI ports. The 905 lists 576p, 720p, 1080i or 1080p.

My question would be, how do you plan on getting audio to the LG from the Mac? That LG is not going to allow for video through HDMI and audio through a separate port simultaneously.
 
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So, you have the Mac going into the LG which you want to use as a switch to the TV.
You have a mini-DVI to HDMI connected from the Mac to the LG?
And a HDMI connected from the LG HDMI out to the Sharp?

Not familiar with the LG home theatre. I would guess you're going to need to go into the LG settings first and set it up for HDMI out. THen you'll need to make sure you change the input on it to the one matching the input port you're using for the Mac.

Yes, all as you summarize in 1 para. The LG HDMi out to the Sharp was already in place to allow me to play DVDs. In the Input screen, I've selected the HDMI In 1 which is where I've plugged the HDMI cable, but when I enter the link, screen goes to black. I've more or less played with all the other links in any heading that looks like it might relate to the problem. I know it's got to be something incredibly simple, but as usual with electronics, if you don't know what it is that's blocking the desired outcome, you're hooped. I maybe have to tinker with the Sharp itself?
 

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Yeah, there is nothing to set up for the HDMI out with that LG - so don't bother looking for that.

I'd say it would have to be resolution settings - if 1080p is available - I'd go for that on the Mac - scroll up and down in the options.
 
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LG does not have the 906 model manual up on their site yet. I would guess it's probably not much different than the 905 though. Open up your owner's manual and verify the resolutions the LG will accept via it's HDMI ports. The 905 lists 576p, 720p, 1080i or 1080p.

My question would be, how do you plan on getting audio to the LG from the Mac? That LG is not going to allow for video through HDMI and audio through a separate port simultaneously.

Looks like 1080. I've selected 1080i on the resolution setup.

The dvi connection on my macbook doesn't do sound, so I've got an RCA Y cable and figured I'd just plug it into my TV. Will only get TV speakers (unless I can see a way to plug into the LG--haven't taken on that issue yet.)

ETA: in Mac display options the 1080 etc. style option isn't shown in the display menu, just the usual 640X480 type thing. Is that what you meant?
 

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Yes, typically if the TV (or in this case receiver) you're connecting to passes EDID info properly over it's HDMI, you should have the options there in Display preferences for what it's sending.

btw, turn off Mirroring (in the Displays - appearance tab) if you have that checked - especially while troubleshooting.
 
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Mirroring is off and the LG screen on my Mac has disappeared (not behind the LCD screen). Okay, just to be clear, I'm trying to match the resolution between the mac and the LG. I've selected 1080i which is what the manual says. However, on the display screen on the mac, the list of resolutions doesn't offer the 720 - 1080 type option, only the one size X other size. What am I missing here?
 

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When mirroring is off, there will be two Displays windows - one for your Mac and one for the LG. The Mac screen should be called Color LCD - if you're changing that one, you're only adjusting the resolution on the MB screen. With mirroring turned off, the resolution setting you need to change would be on the Sharp - where you have no picture yet.

At this point - I would turn off the LG - leave everything else on. Wait 10 seconds and turn it back on - see what happens.

Next thing I'd try - disconnect the MB from the LG and try a SMC reset.
Scroll down the page until you get to the 3 blue links (Reset the SMC...) and choose the one matching your Mac.

Then give it a go again.
 
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When mirroring is off, there will be two Displays windows - one for your Mac and one for the LG. The Mac screen should be called Color LCD - if you're changing that one, you're only adjusting the resolution on the MB screen. With mirroring turned off, the resolution setting you need to change would be on the Sharp - where you have no picture yet.

At this point - I would turn off the LG - leave everything else on. Wait 10 seconds and turn it back on - see what happens.

Next thing I'd try - disconnect the MB from the LG and try a SMC reset.
Scroll down the page until you get to the 3 blue links (Reset the SMC...) and choose the one matching your Mac.
Then give it a go again.

Thanks for your patience here. Not a techie. When I turned off mirror, the LG screen disappeared. It shows on the window tab in System Prefs, but when I click on the LG option, nothing shows on my desktop. Tried diff. resolutions to see if it's hidden under whatever, but no LG screen. In Arrangement tab, it shows two screens not overlapping. Do not know why I can't see the LG screen. However, when I had mirror checked, I did see both LCD and LG screens on my mac.

Also, back to the display options, as I say, on my mac display only offers the one sizeXother size, not 720-1080 etc. Should my mac give display in the 720-1080 mode? Right now on display in the Mac, I have 1024X768 selected as that's the one that is best visibility, but have tried all the others to see if they will work, but nada. Just want to make sure we're on the same page about what's available to me on mac.
 
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This is a closure post. Thanks Bobtomay for getting me through the problem as far as you did. Here's what finally got the problem solved for anyone who might find themselves in the same tangle.

Problem started with having no VGA port on my Sharp Aquos TV and its two HDMI outlets already occupied with the LG home theatre and the digital receiver which is why I tried routing macbook through my LG as it had extra HDMI ports. Mac could see LG, but I had blackscreen on my TV. Solution was to unplug the digi receiver and run it through the LG, leaving HDMI port on TV free for plugging in my Mac. Beautiful clear desktop immediately appeared on screen. Mirrored it from Display under System Prefs and had full operation via wireless keyboard and mouse (bought a 3' HDMI cable as I didn't want cables snaking across floor to macbook). Still no sound as my older macbook mini dvi port doesn't support sound. Ran sound out of the headphone jack on the macbook into the aux jack for mp3 on the LG so I have full theatre sound when I run vids from my macbook. Big :D No one else will be able to figure out how to run my system, but I can so I'm happy.
 

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