Connecting a MacBook to a TV

[Harbo]

We have two TV's that have a PC connector sockets (VGA) at the back plus a mini jack socket for Audio input.

Do these only work for PC's (ie Microsoft ones) as they do not seem to work for the Mac using the mini display outlet?

The Mac does play through a HDMI cable though and an Audio input?

Rod

 

[Smiffla]

Have you tried maplin? There pretty good random cables and lecky thingy me bobbys

Smudge

 

[RogerS]

Don;t know if this is any good to you

http://store.apple.com/us/product/M9320G/A

 

[Harbo]

I think I've got the correct cable/adapters but they don't work when connected to the TV's VGA socket.
I've checked the TV's settings etc as best I could.
Just wondered if this was a Mac thing?
Using a HDMI connector it works - but it means swapping cables each time!

Rod

 

[Smiffla]

What about getting apple tv and doin it wirelessly?

 

[Harbo]

Yes I am thinking of one of those but waiting until BT Infinity arrives (now put back to "before March 31"?).
Our broadband is pitifully slow at the moment!

Rod

 

[Dibs-h]

When you plug an external monitor into a laptop (including a Mac), do you not have to press some function keys to get the laptop to enable it's own display and the external or just the external, or just it's own?

Dibs

 

[Harbo]

Yes you have to click the "Mirror Display" box.

I get a picture through the HDMI connector but not the VGA.
On my Pioneer, Audio input is through the PC connection (VGA and separate mini stereo jack) - I get sound but no pics.
On the HDMI input I get a picture but no sound as there's no audio input?

Wondering if my new connector cable is faulty?

Rod

 

[Dibs-h]

Audio input is through the PC connection (VGA and separate mini stereo jack)

You had me wondering how your TV had that and I hadn't noticed such a connection on ours. We frequently hook up a laptop to the TV via the VGA to watch films off the internet, but have been forced to connect an external pair of amplified speakers. Had a look at the TV's spec today and guess what?

PC Input (15pin D-Sub) + Audio In

Feel a bit of a plonker!

Now just need to find out where the 3.5mm audio jack is!

Dibs

 

[Harbo]

I've spent a few hours rechecking things and Googling "connectors".

It seems there are several forms of DVI connectors:- DVI-D, DVI-I, DVI-A etc.
The cable I've got is an DVI-A (Analogue) so I've ordered a D (Digital) to see if that works?
I could not find a DVD-I to VGA (which does both Analogue and Digital) with the correct Male/female ends I need?

All a bit of a minefield?

Rod

 

[RogerS]

...

All a bit of a minefield?

Rod

That, my friend, is the understatement of the year!

 

[sometimewoodworker]

I think I've got the correct cable/adapters but they don't work when connected to the TV's VGA socket.
I've checked the TV's settings etc as best I could.
Just wondered if this was a Mac thing?
Using a HDMI connector it works - but it means swapping cables each time!

Rod

I use the VGA adapter often for the University overhead projectors. The problem could easily be that your output resolution or frequency won't work on your TV.

To check this out reset to 640x480, 60 Hz. If you still have no picture then it could be an analog / digital problem. If you have a picture then work up until you get a blank screen, then back off one step.

Edit that is the apple mini display to VGA, works perfectly.

 

[Harbo]

Well my new cables and adapters arrived but still no joy! :evil:

I did eventually find a DVI-I to VGA convertor (I already have a mini display to DVI cable - which works) and a Male to Male VGA cable.
Neither the Mac or the two TV's recognise a signal or sync despite playing around with the settings?

So in desperation I dragged out my old Toshiba Laptop and using the VGA connection it worked.
Having tested out the other bits, if it is a cable fault it can only be the latest DVI-I to VGA connector?
I could buy an Apple mini display to VGA connector but they cost £21! and I cannot guarantee that would work?

We did manage to watch one iPlayer recording on the big screen using the HDMI connection but with the sound coming from the MacBook

I am beginning to think TV's don't like Macs?

Rod

 

[RogerS]

Rod

There are many questions and answers here which might give some insight. Or you could post up on the Apple Community forum

 

[petermillard]

We did manage to watch one iPlayer recording on the big screen using the HDMI connection but with the sound coming from the MacBook

Not sure why you're not getting sound through the HDMI connection, but if the pictures working OK and sound is coming through the MacBook, can you run a stereo cable from the MacBook headphone jack to whatever inputs you have on your TV, or to a set of active speakers?

Been a while since we had to do this (+1 for Apple TV) but this MiniDisplayport-to-HDMI adapter did sound and pictures for us, no problems.

HTH Pete

 

[Harbo]

Yes I have seen them and others - the worrying thing is I found some comments from others that is does not work with their TVs.
I may have the same problem?

My daughter has a Panasonic, so when I next visit may give it a try there?

Rod

 

[Dibs-h]

We did manage to watch one iPlayer recording on the big screen using the HDMI connection but with the sound coming from the MacBook

Not sure why you're not getting sound through the HDMI connection, but if the pictures working OK and sound is coming through the MacBook, can you run a stereo cable from the MacBook headphone jack to whatever inputs you have on your TV, or to a set of active speakers?

Been a while since we had to do this (+1 for Apple TV) but this MiniDisplayport-to-HDMI adapter did sound and pictures for us, no problems.

HTH Pete

I have friends who have plugged their laptop into a TV via the HDMI and there is no sound. You'll need to plug a 3.5mm male to make into the laptop and the HDMI\VGA audio in socket on the back of the TV - then you'll have both audio and picture via the TV.

HIH

Dibs

 

[RogerS]

We did manage to watch one iPlayer recording on the big screen using the HDMI connection but with the sound coming from the MacBook

Not sure why you're not getting sound through the HDMI connection, but if the pictures working OK and sound is coming through the MacBook, can you run a stereo cable from the MacBook headphone jack to whatever inputs you have on your TV, or to a set of active speakers?

Been a while since we had to do this (+1 for Apple TV) but this MiniDisplayport-to-HDMI adapter did sound and pictures for us, no problems.

HTH Pete

Might have problems with lipsync?

 

[petermillard]

You said that without moving your lips Won't know until you try, and for the sake of a few quid on an(other!) cable it's worth a shot - can't be any worse than Sky, surely, lol!

 

[JakeS]

I had problems with no audio when I first tried connecting my Mac Mini (early 2011 revision) to the TV via HDMI, but they resolved themselves after an OS update went through. The Mini with an HDMI socket is definitely capable of sending audio over HDMI, but I don't know if laptops outputting via mini-displayport are.

The first thing to check, though, since I didn't notice it mentioned here - you do have to go into System Preferences, open up the 'Audio' option and on the second tab (if I recall correctly) where you choose your audio output, select the row that says "TV - HDMI" or something to that effect. We have a Panasonic, and it reads "Panasonic TV - HDMI". Before you select that item, all audio will be routed to internal speakers, headphone jack, whatever your default output is. If audio output isn't supported, then you just won't see an entry for your TV in that list. (This was the problem I had when I first tried; it didn't think it was supported over HDMI, and there wasn't an entry for my TV in the outputs list.)

(Also be aware that once you select the TV output, OSX will disable the volume control, so you'll have to do all volume adjustments with the TV remote.)




As to a mini-displayport-to-DVI cable then a DVI-VGA cable, here's one potential answer as to why it didn't work: DVI cables can optionally carry two signals; a digital one and an analogue one. The cable and the socket are designed to be backwards-compatible and capable of carrying an analogue signal, but that doesn't mean that everything that outputs via a DVI socket will necessarily be sending both the digital and also the analogue VGA signal.

All a DVI-VGA adaptor does is connect up the relevant wires in the DVI socket that carry the analogue signal to the relevant wires on the VGA socket, so if your mini-displayport only outputs a digital signal (I wouldn't be surprised), then the analogue pins on the DVI socket won't be carrying any signal and that would be why you don't get a picture when you connect it up to a VGA input socket.

(I've only ever hooked my Mac up to a TV using a DVI-to-HDMI cable on my older Mini (which had a DVI output which definitely included the analogue signal) and a straight HDMI connection on the newer Mini.)