New MBP Question, Mini Display Port to HDMI connection

I want to get the new MBP and link it to my HD TV, which has an HDMI port, but no Mini Display Port. Are there any Mini Display Port - HDMI cables out there? If not, is it possible to use two cable. Like Mini Display Port - DVI, and DVI - HDMI?

 

i think you'll be ok with MiniDP-DVI-HDMI. HDMI and DVI are the same signal, with HDMI also carrying sound.

 

Yeah that's what you will have to do. With Apple being the first to us Mini Display Port, there aren't many cables out there for it yet. But company's will be making them soon.

 

Apple already has a Mini Display Port - DVI adapter. Here's the thing, I don't know if DVI carries sound, so if I have Mini DP - DVI and DVI - HDMI, will the sound ever reach my TV, or will it not be carried by the DVI cable?

 

DVI doesn't carry sound so I'm guessing you're gonna have to get something else for the audio output : / I think the MiniDVI -> DVI -> HDMI are mostly ment for monitors that has HDMI support.

 

Displayport to HDMI adapters can be found over the web so just using the included Displayport cable and that SHOULD int heory work to carry video and sound..

 

Yea you wont have sound.

Some hdtv's have a hdmi input, with seperate sound (like the red and white rca plugs)
You can just get a 3.5mm stereo to rca cable and connect it to that to get sound, and use the minidisplay>DVI>HDMI for video.

I do a similiar setup for mine, but I'm too lazy to get an adapter, so I just use DVI>VGA adapter, and 3.5mm for sound.

But yea, check out the back of your tv and see what options you have. Look for some kind of input that allows for seperate sound, either hdmi, dvi, or vga.

 

Where can I get a Mini Display Port to HDMI adapter, or are those non existent? If I have to use a 3.5mm jack for sound, does it support 5.1 or 7.1 surround?

 

I don't think there are currently Mini Display Port to HDMI adapters, though there should be eventually. You would have to go MDP->DVI->HDMI.

And if you use a 3.5mm jack for sound, you will only have stereo 2 channel sound. No 5.1 or 7.1.

It sounds lame, but with the exception of HP, most manufacturers (like Dell) don't support audio through their HDMI ports anyway, so you will never have the option of one cable. At least the potential is there for MDP.

 

Asus is another Company that has HDMI over sound.

If you find a MiniDP-HDMI cord, let us know, mmkay?

 

Apple doesn't even provide a mini-DisplayPort to DisplayPort adapter. Doesn't that say anything about their intentions? This new mini port is Apple's own invention, they control what you can do with it, until other third parties make other adapters (if Apple allows them to...).

 

Like Paul said, it will only be stero, not surround. But if you're connecting it to your tv, it probably only has stereo speakers, or possibly 2.1. So yea, you probably arn't missing much.

If you are connecting it to an amplifier, thats a different story. You'd want to connect it using an optical cable, that will be 5.1 or 7.1, not sure of the specifics of it.

 

I have a Bose home theater full 7.1 surround, so yes, I'm missing a lot. What can I do to get better sound than the 3.5mm cable.

 

Like I said, if you're using an amp, its a different story.

Get an optical cable, run it from the MBP out to the amp, and you should be good.

I don't know the state of current amps, or specifically yours, or your current setup, but ideally if its an audio/video amp, it would have an hdmi input and an optical connection. Then youd be able to use hdmi for video, and optical for audio. Either hdmi, or dvi would do the trick.

Or you could just jerry rig it. Run the video to the TV, and the audio to the amp and just do it that way.

But yea, you'd use an optical cable. It's digital, and should be 5.1, 7.1 or something along those lines. Guess it also depends on the source material on the MBP if its surround too, if it isnt, then yea. (pretty sure youre looking for 3.5mm to toslink)

 

Seriously? Do they include any display cable? Do the new Cinema Displays not have a Displayport input?

 

New Cinema Display has mini-DisplayPort input. Cable comes with the Cinema Display. A new MBP does not come with any cable or adapter as far as I know. You have to buy separate adapters from Apple, and they only support conversion to DVI.

 

Does anything use displayport atm? I think i only saw a couple monitors ii any that did. (the full size that is).

Although..did you see the price of the mini displayport to dvi adapter? its 100$, and wont ship for a month..

That kinda.. Really..sucks..bigtime

 

Mini DP to DVI is $34 Canadian.

No, nothing uses Mini DP because Apple just came out with it.

 

Well I guess its the dual-link dvi thats expensive. i infois here

 

I personally think Apple blew it on the HDMI thing. There are laptops coming out with Display port and HDMI.

When Steve says "HDMI is limited in resolution."

Yes, I know Steve-o but I want one anyways and display port too.

Not having HDMI is making your home entertainment another case of hair pulling and web surfing chasing down solutions to keep your living room as minimalist as possible.

 

There should be a mini-display port to HDMI cable soon, I wonder what Apple is going to charge for it.

Here's Display port to HDMI adapter:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DP-Display-Port...8155191QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

I think it's just beginning. New Dell Latitudes and Precison use it.

 

Dongles dongles here a dongle there a dongle everywhere a dongle dongle dongle!!

 

...Bump...

 

Bump for what? There nothing left to say...

 

You are right, but I'm still a little confused about the Mini DP - DVI and DVI - HDMI. If I use DVI, will I loose resolution/sound, or will it be OK?

 

DVI carries ONLY video data. It does NOT carry any audio data.
HDMI carries the SAME video data as DVI, and, it also carries the audio data.

If you have a source that outputs HDMI and you connect it to an HDMI capable monitor, you will get audio. However, nearly all monitors only have stereo, whereas HDMI can carry the full audio data for stereo, 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1.

That's why dedicated DVD/HD DVD/Blue Ray decks have digital audio out as well as DVI, HDMI, or both.
You can run DVI or HDMI to your TV/monitor for video, and you can then use standard RCA/stereo audio, RCA/Coax digital audio, or optical digital to run to your AV receiver for full surround.
There are HDMI cables that also have standard RCA stereo cables attached.

Using a laptop as your DVD or Blue Ray video source for a fully functional home theater is not a good idea or the way to do it. Laptops are not designed for that application. The HDMI or DVI that laptops have is really intended to be used for simply monitor playback, or for plugging in a second monitor for display such as for editing.

If you want full function HD video for your home theater, then you need to spend the money and get a dedicated player, or get an Xbox or PS3.
The gaming units are MUCH more capable to integrate to an AV system compared to a laptop or desktop machine.

One more thing. HDMI is a copyright restrictive, and licensed technology.
If you get a "single display" disc and you try to plug it in to an AV receiver and then to a TV monitor, you may get no video, because under license the media producer can limit and restrict on how many HDMI equipped pieces you can connect and use.
So, you may be able to watch Blue Ray on your laptop screen, but if you output HDMI to a monitor, you might get a error telling you that you can only use that material on only one display at a time.

More and more of this will start popping up as more and more people get HDMI and Blue Ray capable devices. The copyright software/firmware is actually built in to the HDMI send and receive.

 

ttv, I get some of the things youre saying, but I have no idea why you'd say using your laptop as a DVD/bluray/media player is a bad idea. Its not like youre losing anything. If you can get optical audio, then youre pretty much set in the video and audio department. Theres various media players that make it more usable on a TV if you dont wanna use a mouse, or go through finder.

So yea, its not like if you were to use a laptop for playback, it would be a bad thing.

 

Putting inane restrictions on how I can use a technology is the best way to ensure I don't buy anything needing that technology.

 

if you are using your laptop as a blu-ray player, with the optical digital output for audio, and want the new audio formats found in blu-ray, then yes, it is a bad thing...

 

care to elaborate a little more?

 

optical digital cannot deliver dolby truehd or dts-hd audio

 

Ummm so can only Apple make these cables (mini display --> DVI/VGA)? Or will there be cheaper cables from other companies soon?

 

I doubt any third party will make a cable.

It pisses me off that i had to drop 30 bucks just to connect my monitor.

Apple usually includes all accessories on new designs, and start skimping on them more and more as they update the components in future releases.

They just trying to bleed every penny out of us.

 

Uhhh, yea there will be third parties making cables. It's not that difficult to figure out dimensions, and make cables if you have the facilities to do it. And they definitly have that in china. So I'm sure sometime soon you'll start to see them showing up on ebay, and so forth.

It's not that expensive to make a cable, so it should be pretty cheap. Essentially thats how you can get an ipod cable for less then 10$, while apple will charge you 40$ for it.

 

I've yet to see any third party mini-dvi, micro-dvi (powerbook) cables.

It's highly unlikely that any third party will make a Mini DisplayPort connector other than apple due to it's obscurity.

 

I dunno if it will matter.

You're really only going to buy a Mini DP -> DVI/HDMI or a Mini DP -> normal DP... or I guess Mini DP -> VGA... Not like you really have to buy a cable for each device you hook it up to. Probably max of 2, if that...

 

Theres no reason why people wouldnt be making it. They dont make it because its obscure, theyll make it because people wont want to pay 30$ for it, and theyd rather pay less.

 

Did anyone find news on this? mini dp to hdmi cables?

 

monoprice said they are looking into a solution through their vendors. I'm personally going to wait and see how this pans out. I understand the desire to go to a non royalty format, but it's really BS since Apple is usually a day late, and a dollar short on breakthrough technologies IMO (i would concede maybe revolutionary interface/UI), for instance how long have they been peddling the superdrive as an 'upgrade' (until now) whereas most notebooks have defaulted to a DVD burner for some time now. It makes me think they've figured out some way to make the mini display variant on the MB proprietary, and if so... that really sucks.

No way in h3ll am I going to do mini display port to dvi male to dvi female to HDMI, on the way losing sound, which would require mini TOSLINK or 3.5mm to RCA Stereo L/R (iny my particular case). can you say rat's nest?

One cable perfect - audio and video - should have been HDMI v1.3+ but Apple has lost their minds with display port... i don't give a darn about a slight wider resolution (2560) than HDMI... when HDMI is digital de facto

waiting...waiting...waiting...

 

hakujin (is that supposed to mean 100 people?), it gets better - a regular full-size DisplayPort carries both video and sound, just like HDMI, but without the royalties. Apple really put a dongle up everyone's butt with this new proprietary thing, but its nothing new for anyone used to buying Apple stuff. They're second only to Sony in pushing wacky proprietary technologies.

DisplayPort is cool, I wish we'd start seeing it in more stuff. It even supports daisy-chaining.

 

Hey Mark, I was aware that DisplayPort did carry both audio and video, as it was built from the ground up to replace HDMI. Is this mini version sending a different signal than standard DisplayPort? That would be odd... but yes, as you alluded, nothing new from Apple.

What a shame, nice little machine and no respectable way to hook it up to my HDTV. No way I'm doing RGB or 3-4 cords.

 

Here's an idea...
How about minidisplay port to displayport adapter, and then displayport to hdmi adapter (found online but can't post the link). I'd definitely consider this if audio stayed in tact.

According to a snippet I found online... miniDisplayPort is part of the same open spec. C'mon monoprice, I'm counting on you (not Apple)!

 

I don't understand why it would be difficult for Apple to include a full size DisplayPort in their notebooks. It makes no sense. I'm sick of carrying dongles for something that should be standard in a notebook.

 

Welcome to Steve's world.

 

Hi

Im new to the site and it wont let me post a url, so try

hdtvsupply dot com / mini-dvi-to-hdmi dot html

 

So.. Am I the only one using a very old tv which I need s-video for? I'd have to go mini displayport to VGA to S-video?

This sucks...

 

It does suck, because displayport doesnt carry analog video, like DVI can.
So as far as I know, theres no VGA, svideo, or composite video.

Someone else may want to verify this, but yea, kinda stuck there..

[edit]did my own research, and it does have VGA. So forget whatever I just wrote above ^[/edit[

 

But there's a mini displayport to VGA adapter at the apple store as well. Shouldn't it be possible to use that one and then use a VGA to s-video converter of some sort?

 

Ok, yea, I guess I took what someone else said as being as fact. Just looked, and it looked like it does have analog.

Dunno though offhand if that means it can do composite, or s-video.
Sorry for any confusion.

 

Either way, apple has really made a mess out of this whole thing