Display help!!

[Greglebowski]

Right, I'm totally confused now. If I get a mac mini, I need a monitor. But from what I can see on the Apple website, the mini has an HDMI and a thunderbolt port. The thunderbolt port will allow the maximum resolution, but what about the HDMI? Will it display the maximum the monitor is capable of, or limit it to 1080p? And will display adapters loose any image quality?

I've got a 2008 24"imac at the moment, but I would like the flexability to upgrade the mac mini

 

[GGJstudios]

Right, I'm totally confused now. If I get a mac mini, I need a monitor. But from what I can see on the Apple website, the mini has an HDMI and a thunderbolt port. The thunderbolt port will allow the maximum resolution, but what about the HDMI? Will it display the maximum the monitor is capable of, or limit it to 1080p?

From FAQ about HDMI:

The HDMI port supports up to 1080p on HDMI connections. With the HDMI to DVI adapter, the HDMI port will work with resolutions up to 1920 x 1200.

From EveryMac.com:

This model simultaneously supports 1920x1200 on an HDMI or a DVI display (using the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter) and 2560x1600 on a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort display or even a VGA display (with an optional Mini DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter, which is compatible with the Thunderbolt port).

 

[rivettmj]

Pulled from Everymac:

This model simultaneously supports 1920x1200 on an HDMI or a DVI display (using the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter) and 2560x1600 on a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort display

My 24" Dell monitor is running perfectly at 1920x1200 with that adapter on my 2010 Mini.

Since its a digital feed, the converter does not impact the picture quality.

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You're faster at the copy/paste than I

From FAQ about HDMI:

From EveryMac.com:

 

[Greglebowski]

So if I get a display with an hdmi in, then I'll only get 1080. But using the HDMI to DVI converter, I'll get 1920x1200, which is what my imac currently runs at?
Sorry if this all sounds newbie, but I've only ever had an imac, so all the mac mini/display compatibility is new to me!!

 

[paulrbeers]

So if I get a display with an hdmi in, then I'll only get 1080. But using the HDMI to DVI converter, I'll get 1920x1200, which is what my imac currently runs at?
Sorry if this all sounds newbie, but I've only ever had an imac, so all the mac mini/display compatibility is new to me!!

Apple seems to say that the HDMI port will only do 1080P without the DVI adapter, but frankly that makes no sense (since they carry the exact same video signal just different connectors). I'd go with what EveryMac has to say, and that regardless if you use the HDMI or the HDMI to DVI adapter, you will get upto 1920 x 1200.

 

[deeddawg]

Why not just get a display with Displayport?

Don't forget the Thunderbolt port also serves as a minidisplayport output. Use a $10 miniDisplayPort to Displayport cable and you're golden. (I'm using an Asus PB278Q on my mini with this cable.)

If you should later buy some Thunderbolt peripheral, either choose one that daisy-chains or buy a thunderbolt dock that carries through.

 

[blanka]

Get a Dell U2412M. It is a 24 inch 1920x1200 IPS display, just like in your iMac. You can run it on both ports, via HDMI or DP. It is up to you. Or you can get 2! HDMI is normally capable of 1920x1200 max, yet with SwitchResX and 24/30p 4K monitors you can drive those too (3840x2160)

 

[Kanunu]

Will the HDMI connection force the sound to the TV or can you still send sound to a set of external speakers?

 

[deeddawg]

No, while you can force the sound to the HDMI output it doesn't seem to change on its own. (I think though that once you set it, the sound will then switch to HDMI when you plug in an HDMI output, but it doesn't automatically do so the first time).

If you have sound routed to HDMI the mac's keyboard sound controls no longer function; it's up to the display/tv to change sound volume. Workaround for a monitor (less important with a TV) is to use an audio patch cord from the mac headphone jack to display audio input jack. Crank display's audio level to near max and then control sound level from the mac.