Imac 20" to HDTV

Please help>>>>??
I just purchase the supplies, (I thought I need to get my imac to display also on my TV), Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter- DVI to HDMI cord >
I went to system pref.- and to displays -to detect displays -and nothing
I connected the Mini DVI- to the DVI to HDMI cable- to the HDMI input on the TV...

I have a Philips 47" 1080p LCD TV - Black (47PFL3704D/F7)
and Imac 20" 2yrs old

Please help with any suggestions or stupid mistakes i did>>>

Try this
Macafe - Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Converter

Have video demo to show how to get the cables connected

he doesnt have a display port so that would be a waste.

nicktang-
thanks for the reply I have the mini DVI to dvi ... soo would I need mini to HDMI ???

Any1 else as I read in another thread (Connecting to HDTV) i might not get sound in this plan of mine > more help please;D

1. What do you want to do for sound?
listen from iMac or speakers connected to it
Connect sound to TV
Connect sound to your stereo or surround receiver

2. You have already purchased the cables you listed in the first post and it didn't work ... or ... are you asking which cables you should purchase?

I want to listen to on the TV (or surround system)thats why I got the HDMI because I thought that carried audio too>> but???
I purchased and hooked up the mini-dvi to DVI>to a DVI to HDMI to my TV"s HDMI input > purchased these from ebay...
Apple Mac Mini DVI to DVI Monitor adapter cable MacBook - eBay (item 220468705873 end time Sep-18-09 03:36:14 PDT)
25 ft HDMI to DVI CABLE For PC LAPTOP LCD PLASMA HDTV - eBay (item 400063188369 end time Aug-20-09 21:11:24 PDT)

thx for any help.

You are or are not getting a picture on your TV at this time?



FYI: HDMI does carry audio. However, it has to receive the audio and the DVI / mini-DVI you are attaching to does not carry audio.

correct - I have it hooked up and I go into system pref. and display and to detect display and nothing pops up???
thx for the info on audio soo do i need something to go through the headphone input on my imac>>

You need to connect the HDMI cable to the HDMI # 3 port.
This is the only HDMI port that allows for a separate sound source than the HDMI cable itself.
For sound to the TV, you will connect audio cable right above that where it says DVI Audio In - HDMI 3. See the picture on pg 9 of the owners manual. Here is a link if you've misplaced it.
You will want a stereo mini to RCA cable similar one of these cables.

(At least I think so - have never had an iMac, I'm "assuming" it has that same mini-plug for headphones/audio out.)

If you're not getting a picture on the TV, you need to make sure you have changed your input choice from the TV menu to HDMI # 3.

with the audio that makes sence>thank you.
I have tried the HDMI #3 (along with 1 and 2) and still no picture...
i have a blue screen that says no signal and
nothing for detect display in sytem pref.

picture seems to be my main problem???

there is no need to set up anything on the TV to receive the picture besides switching the HDMI to #3 right ??

See page 22 of the TV manual and follow the 'Configure your TV in PC mode' directions.

(Philips is sure making this harder than it has to be.)

you can say that ...

the manual also says for that mode selection to appear
it has to have the following input signals >
(which it doesn't in HDMI #3 after trying to reset the PC-imac resolution, it just has Caption Settings, SleepTimer, Child Lock ect.)
720x480
1280x720
1920x1080

my imac 20"
has close but...
640x480
1280x800
1680x 1050

so how can i switch this to get it to fit my TV,?
its on page 22 like you said but in small print... by Note

Am thinking you are looking at the resolution adjustments for your iMac monitor and not the LCD - those top 2 resolutions you have listed there are 16:10 (most computer monitors) rather than 16:9 (most wide screen TV's).

Once connected to the LCD, when you open Displays, you should have two (2) boxes there. One for your iMac monitor and another for the LCD. If you only see one, try moving it and see if the other one is behind it.

If you don't have two of them, make sure you have the button called "Mirror displays" or something like that checked.

bobtomay said:

Am thinking you are looking at the resolution adjustments for your iMac monitor and not the LCD - those top 2 resolutions you have listed there are 16:10 (most computer monitors) rather than 16:9 (most wide screen TV's).

Once connected to the LCD, when you open Displays, you should have two (2) boxes there. One for your iMac monitor and another for the LCD. If you only see one, try moving it and see if the other one is behind it.

If you don't have two of them, make sure you have the button called "Mirror displays" or something like that checked.

Click to expand...

some of this info. seems to be over my head>

-I am looking at my Imac monitor's resolutions -
I have 12 to chose from 3 of which are duplicates to stretch...
Standard is set to 1680 x 1050
640x480 (Imac)
1280x800
1680x 1050
these that I listed are the closest to the one my Phillips manual, that you showed me, pg.22
and have to be to get that Mode Selection to appear in the Features menu on my TV,else it says it will NOT
720x480 (Phillips TV)
1280x720
1920x1080

-I only have one box (nothing behind it) when I open display in System Pref. with the 12 resolutions>
I tried a bunch of different ones.. and the detect displays doesn't recognize the TV-
the other tab besides display says color and says display profile and Imac is highlighted>when i type in mirror in the search box it pops up :
The Arrangement tab of Displays preferences is hidden because you only have a single display attached to this computer.

You don't want to change the resolution of that single box you're seeing. That only adjusts your iMac screen and will do nothing for adjusting the resolution that is being sent out through the mini-DVI port.

If while connected to the Philips and it is turned on and changed to the HDMI #3 input, your Mac does not recognize that another screen is attached and give you that 2nd display box ... by either checking the mirroring button and/or the Detect Displays button ... then:

1. Unplug the cable and adapter and plug them back in - even if it looks like everything is plugged in good. You just wouldn't believe how often this works.
2. If you still can't get that 2nd box to come up in Displays, then I'd say one of the following items is non-functioning ... the adapter, the cable, the port on the iMac or the port on the TV ... it really shouldn't be this hard.


My only other thought would be related to using that 25' DVI to HDMI cable. It should work at that length, but I have never used anything over 12'.
The rated distance for DVI is only 5 meters - approx 16'. Have seen many people use 25' and even longer, but it still would be determined by the strength of the signal. Just have no experience running it that far.

should I have everything turn off - and or restart Imac
I don't know if that matters either>>

and I do have video and audio going through a Ilive speaker bar -would that play a factor at all...
I just hooked it up and the same nothing ohh well not like I spent a ton on the cables---

Doesn't really matter. A real technician would tell you to turn everything off, but with video cables, most don't worry about it. (I don't turn mine off.)

If still nothing, the only other thing I have to suggest would be to try a shorter cable to see if that 25' run is the issue - here is a 6' for $3.56.

I'm out of ideas.

(Oh, and the mirroring box to checkmark - it won't show up in the Displays preference until it detects another display is attached.)