I swear cords in general are going to be the death of me. So I recently got a flat screen and I want to be able to connect my macbook (it's an older model...not OLD, but older) and from I can gather I need a mini-DVI to VGA adapter. In addition to this I need other things, right? I think I need a VGA-VGA cord too? As well as a male-male audio cord for the audio, right? But then would I want an HDMI cable cord? I mean I want to view movies I have on macbook and I want the cheapest and easiest way....?

I know mac sells the mini-DVI to VGA cords for about $20.00....I start there, right? Then I go to......?

6/29/2010 9:00:45 PM

Im assuming you mean mini-display port, and nont mini-dvi. You have several options:

#1
Get a mini-DP -> HDMI adapter ($8.55)
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=5311&seq=1&format=2

+

Get an HDMI cable ($4.08)
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024008&p_id=3992&seq=1&format=2

+

Get a 3.5mm -> RCA cable ($.76)
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=665&seq=1&format=2

Essentially you would have 2 cables, 1 for video and 1 for audio. First you use the adapter to change the mini display port to hdmi and run that cable to your tv. Then you run the 3.5mm to some rca ports on your tv. This may not work depending on your tv since it might not allow you to do video from one source and audio from another. If thats the case maybe get a mini-display port to DVI adapter and a dvi cable. That assumes your TV has a dvi port.

#2
Get a mini-DP + usb audio -> HDMI adapter ($36.73)
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=5969&seq=1&format=2

+

Get an HDMI cable ($4.08)
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024008&p_id=3992&seq=1&format=2


In this scenario the adapter contains the mini-dp -> hdmi adapter and a USB audio -> hdmi audio adapter. This would create a separate sound card on your mac so you would need to make sure whatever program you're using knows which sound card to use (no idea how to do this on osx but it should be easy).

HDMI does both audio and video eliminating the need for 2 cables. Since display port does not send audio (atleast on your macbook) it requires you to either #1 send the audio in another cable or #2 find a way to combine the displayport video source with an audio source.

The second way is more expensive, but also more convenient. In both cases you're limited to 2ch audio, but if you really cared about that you wouldn't be trying to do it this way.

In both scenarios you probably want to pick cables the right length for your setup. The ones i put as examples are 6ft but monoprice sells them in all sizes.


[Edited on June 29, 2010 at 9:25 PM. Reason : ffff]

6/29/2010 9:24:03 PM

thanks for all the info shaggy....but no, I did mean the mini DVI. I have an older macbook and I believe the display one is for the newer ones......

6/29/2010 9:29:05 PM

perhaps this helps....

according to the apple store, I need this:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/M9320G/A?mco=MTI2NzQ4NDM

6/29/2010 9:38:05 PM

^^ the first option won't work on most tvs, as audio is used by the input selected and it won't do video from hdmi and audio from another source. it will work if you have use a surround sound receiver though.

6/29/2010 9:40:09 PM

oh. hrm. Maybe get this instead of the adapter in the first scenario http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041912&p_id=4852&seq=1&format=2

The thing i'd be worried about is what your tv does when theres no audio stream on the hdmi cable. Consult the manual to see if it either a) doesn't do audio ( ) or b) will use audio from another input (hopefully). Once you figure out what input it would use, you would need to find the right cable to go from the 3.5mm headphone jack on your mac to that input on your tv. In most cases its going to be the standard old RCA red and white cables like in that 3rd link in my post. Some do 3.5mm inputs tho, so check the manual.

Its kind of a pain, but thats the way it is w/ those macs. On my laptop i just need 1 hdmi cable and its all good :-P

6/29/2010 9:44:49 PM

i'm still trying to figure out why my xps studio has a displayport, an HDMI port, and a VGA port

[Edited on June 29, 2010 at 9:46 PM. Reason : .]

6/29/2010 9:45:58 PM

Yea you could use the mini-dvi -> vga i suppose. I wouldn't pay the apple premuim tho
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041912&p_id=4850&seq=1&format=2

6/29/2010 9:47:39 PM

^^ nothing wrong with a bunch of ports i s'pose

[Edited on June 29, 2010 at 9:48 PM. Reason : s]

6/29/2010 9:48:37 PM

well here's what my tv has that I would think is relevant here....



???

6/29/2010 10:01:13 PM

So yea. Maybe
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041912&p_id=4852&seq=1&format=2
and
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024008&p_id=3992&seq=1&format=2
and
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=665&seq=1&format=2

plugged into hdmi 2 and the audio for hdmi 2

oooor

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041912&p_id=4850&seq=1&format=2
and
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10201&cs_id=1020102&p_id=85&seq=1&format=2
and
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021802&p_id=644&seq=1&format=2

plugged into rgb pc. It would be nice to see an actual pic of the ports themselves tho to verify gender.

[Edited on June 29, 2010 at 10:15 PM. Reason : i]

6/29/2010 10:15:33 PM

I swear I have seen this exact thread before, maybe by NCSUWolfy? If you're concerned with overscan and perfect pixel mapping, there's another thread for that too.

[Edited on June 29, 2010 at 10:55 PM. Reason : .]

6/29/2010 10:55:09 PM

ahahahahahahaha,

I've made this exact argument before as to why I refuse to purchase a mac. Enjoy your bag-o-adapters

6/29/2010 11:26:33 PM

///funny that there is a problem with this yet there is a cord that connects from the bottom of an iPhone or iTouch that outputs to component RGB to allow video output.

Quote :

"As well as a male-male audio cord for the audio,"

a 1/8 inch to 1/8 inch(or perhaps an 1/8" with a 1/4" adapter) should be able to run audio from your laptop headphones output to a receiver that has either an 1/8" AUX input or any 1/4" input

[Edited on June 30, 2010 at 12:17 AM. Reason : //]

6/30/2010 12:14:34 AM

Quote :

"I know mac sells the mini-DVI to VGA cords"

lolwut

6/30/2010 1:14:50 AM

^http://store.apple.com/us/product/M9320G/A?mco=MTI2NzQ4NDM ?


shaggy....pics kinda suck (taken with my bb cam) and the one of the vga one was taken upside down but it should do the trick, no?



and so there's no confusion on what my mac has...

6/30/2010 3:33:08 AM

yea i would go with the VGA. I'd be hesitent to do the HDMI route since im not sure the mini-dvi port does dvi-d (which would mean hdmi wouldn't work). VGA is the safest bet. So my second set of 3 links in my last post. You can get the vga adapter from apple if you really want, but its the same thing as whats on monoprice.

6/30/2010 3:41:54 AM

but wait......now I'm really confused....I thought I had to do one of the following...

either:
1.
a) get mini-dvi to HDMI adapter to essentially turn that port on my macbook, into one that looks then allows for an HDMI cord to go from the now adapted cord, into my tv.likes one on a go from my macbook
b) get the HDMI cord that goes from the now adapted cord into my tv
c) audio cables that will go from the headphones port on my mac, directly to my tv.

OR
2.
a) get a mini-dvi to VGA adapter to turn that macbook port into one that then allows for a VGA cord to be attached
b) the VGA-VGA cord that will connect from my now adapted cord, into my tv.

really confused here......cause I don't see the appropriate cord for 1 b.....

6/30/2010 3:45:31 AM

Wait....I think I've got it and haHA...that place is somewhat near me (not quite near enough that I'm gonna drive there but their next day express thingy is the cheapest shipping option for me so I'm gonna order right now!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SHAGGY!

6/30/2010 3:55:53 AM

for optical sound, you can use http://www.amazon.com/Toslink-To-Optical-Mini-Adapter/dp/B0002MQGRM (toslink to optical mini-adapter) with your macbook

6/30/2010 7:47:36 PM

OK....so I got my cords.

I plugged the adapter into my macbook, attached the vga-vga from the adapter to the RGB slot in my TV, and the audio from the speaker thing on my macbook to the audio thing on my tv.

I changed the input of my tv from TV to RGB (I initially tried COMP just for shits and giggles but that did nothing of course)...and here's what happened/didn't happen:

on my mac - nothing happened
on my tv - it showed the screen size in white numbers and then was just black. If I disconnected the cables it gave me a blue screen that said 'no signal!' and when it did that, at the same time, my mac went to a weird light blue screen.

So.......do I have to do something or.....?????

7/1/2010 1:55:41 PM

is this REALLY this difficult?

i mean, there are colors involved. they do that for the lowest common denominator you know...

7/1/2010 2:01:10 PM

OK....so I needed to go to my system preferences and 'detect displays' and then it worked.... Woooooooooot!

OMG YEAH~P(*Q@#$IYKJHR

I dedicate my first screening of my first movie to Shaggy

7/1/2010 2:11:50 PM

7/1/2010 2:24:42 PM

Quote :

"the first option won't work on most tvs, as audio is used by the input selected and it won't do video from hdmi and audio from another source. it will work if you have use a surround sound receiver though."

hmmm how did i get sound in through a different input then?

there should be a dedicated audio in set of RCA's or at least a 3.5mm plug

7/1/2010 9:09:50 PM

Some, but not all, TVs are designed to handle the situation where theres no audio on the hdmi cable. In the case of m2c's tv her hdmi2 port has a place for audio to go along with it. Other tvs automatically figure it out and pull the audio from another input. Read ur manual to figure out if your tv supports it. Not all do.

7/1/2010 9:21:24 PM

^ yeah neither of my TVs do and that fucking sucks.

7/1/2010 9:27:38 PM