Display my Macbook Pro to my Dell Monitor?

Hi, I have a brand new MacBook Pro 15' and I bought a Dell monitor so that I can extend my screen. I bought an HDMI/HDMI cable to connect the two. My macbook recognizes the cable, but the Dell monitor stays black and doesn't register that the two are connected. Does anyone have a solution to this? Do I need to get an adaptor of some sort or just change some display settings? (I also have a display port cable, but I didn't know what to do with that. Maybe it's useful?) Thanks!!

Hey bountiful5,
Thanks for the question. I understand that you are experiencing issues connecting an external display to your MacBook Pro. The following resource may provide a solution:
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1573
Thanks,
Matt M.

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