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HDTV for monitor

gixxerfool

gixxerfool

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 7, 2008
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So with the mandatory HD upgrade coming soon, I figure now is as good as time as any to upgrade my tv. I want to be able to hook my Mini up to it so I can use it as a monitor as well as a TV. I have seen threads asking specific questions with compatibility problems. My question is this, what specs/features should I look for when shopping for a TV? I know what I need for my home theatre but, using it for my monitor I am sure that there are specific critera in order to make it work. Thanks in advance.
-GF
 
i'm using mini dvi - dvi in my plasma (it doesn't have hdmi) and it works perfectly on my macbook. had to use displayutil to get resolution correct since macbook wasn't mapping correctly to my Plasma
 
kalex said:
i'm using mini dvi - dvi in my plasma (it doesn't have hdmi) and it works perfectly on my macbook. had to use displayutil to get resolution correct since macbook wasn't mapping correctly to my Plasma
Click to expand...

Oh, so it's not just a plug and play kind of deal then?
 
Best to look in the manual. Some will only accept 1280x720 through the HDMI connector so see what the options are. Every one seems to be different. Some give a better picture using the VGA connector.

Other thing to consider is sound as minis do not feed audio through the HDMI and need a separate connector.
 
Thanks all for your help, I will let you know how I make out when I buy.
 
Can someone dumb this down for me? I have a black MacBook 2.0 and would like to connect it to our 32" Vizio with an HDMI port. What exactly do I need? I checked at both Staples and Radio Shack and all either of them had was an HDMI to HDMI cable which won't fit the MacBook. The guy at Radio Shack said the MacBook port may be VGA, which he says is analog and since the HDMI on the Visio is digital, they wouldn't be compatable anyway.... And do I need another cable for sound? Thanks.

VintageMac
 
VintageMac said:
Can someone dumb this down for me? I have a black MacBook 2.0 and would like to connect it to our 32" Vizio with an HDMI port. What exactly do I need? I checked at both Staples and Radio Shack and all either of them had was an HDMI to HDMI cable which won't fit the MacBook. The guy at Radio Shack said the MacBook port may be VGA, which he says is analog and since the HDMI on the Visio is digital, they wouldn't be compatable anyway.... And do I need another cable for sound? Thanks.

VintageMac
Click to expand...

You will need a DVI (Mac) to HDMI (TV), or if your TV has DVI then just a DVI to DVI cable. Yes you need another cable for sound, preferably a mini-jack to dual RCA adapter (or an optical audio cable if the MB's have optical audio?).
 
VintageMac said:
Can someone dumb this down for me? I have a black MacBook 2.0 and would like to connect it to our 32" Vizio with an HDMI port. What exactly do I need? I checked at both Staples and Radio Shack and all either of them had was an HDMI to HDMI cable which won't fit the MacBook. The guy at Radio Shack said the MacBook port may be VGA, which he says is analog and since the HDMI on the Visio is digital, they wouldn't be compatable anyway.... And do I need another cable for sound? Thanks.

VintageMac
Click to expand...

The MacBook's output is a Mini-DVI connector. I believe you'll need a Mini-DVI-to-DVI adapter and a DVI-to-HDMI cable. You'll also need a separate cable for audio, though I can't help with that, since I'm still trying to figure that bit out myself :eek:
 
1) The Upcoming Switch does not make HD manditory, only Digital Broadcasting.

2) To connect a MacBook, use a Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, then a DVI-D to HDMI cable to connect to the TV.

3) If you are looking for a nice monitor that can easily be connected to your computer and want a Digital Tuner (and HDTV support) I would suggest the Samsung T220HD.

TEG
 
Thanks. I ordered the mini-dvi to dvi adapter through Apple and the dvi-d to hdmi cable through Amazon. I'll check the MacBook forum to see if anyone else can give me tips on the audio.

VintageMac
 
For audio I ordered this cable from Amazon for $6.99, no additional adapter needed.

Belkin Audio Y Cable Splitter 1-Mini Plug/2-RCA Plugs (6FT)

Thanks again for your assistance.

VintageMac
 
The cables arrived yesterday and I tried hooking things up this evening. The fittings are all corret. I plugged into the hdmi1 on our 32" Vizio. I also selected hdmi1 on the tv remote. But it only shows "no signal" on the tv screen. I also went to System Preferences on my MacBook and chose "Displays," but not really sure where to go from there.

Any suggestions?

VintageMac
 
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