DVI to HDMI or VGA to connect to HDTV

Hi I am researching buying a 40-42" LCD or plasma TV and I would like to be able to connect my IMac to the tv. I will mostly be using the TV to watch sports and to watch videos from my IMac.
1. Will 1080p videos played from the IMac produce good 1080p picture on the tv? I have ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB memory.
2. Or would I be better off just going with a 720p tv and playing 720p videos from the IMac?
3. Go with a DVI to HDMI or DVI to VGA cable? I understand I'll need to get a Mini DVI to DVI adapter also.
Thank you!

1 and 2. It should work with either a 720p or 1080p HDTV.
3. Mini DVI to (regular) DVI to HDMI. That will keep the signal digital all the way. VGA is analog. There are cables that have DVI on one end and HDMI on the other end. There are several types of DVI connectors, so be sure to get the right one.
NOTE: HDMI carries audio but DVI does not, so you will still have to run audio from the iMac headphones jack to the HDTV audio input separately.

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Will a DVI to HDMI adaptor work when connecting the ipad2 to a projector?

Will a DVI to HDMI adaptor work when connecting the ipad2 to a projector?
I have connected my ipad2 to my HDTV and it works perfectly. I'm trying to connect the ipad to either the DVI port on my classroom laptop or to my Promethean board so that I can mirror educational apps for my students. Does anyone have suggestions on how to make this work?

No, there's not any damage to your MacBook.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/HFQL2VC/A/moshi-mini-displayport-to-hdmi-adapt er-4k?fnode=51

Using hdmi mini port to connect to hdtv

using hdmi mini port to connect to hdtv. the displays mirror just fine but the audio doesnt. under the sound settings for output it only lists the internal speakers and should list the tv but doesn't, why?

If you connect the MacBook using a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter you will probably need to use external speakers or a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack to RCA sound plugs connected to a stereo sound system if your TV doesn't have separate RCA input plugs or a 3.5mm stereo input plug for audio with the HDMI plug. The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI doesn't carry audio unless you have the Mid 2010 model 7,1 and there're no audio plugs on most TVs to work with HDMI since it's expecting audio with the HDMI.
If you have the Late 2008 model 5,1 Aluminum Unibody or Late 2009 model 6,1 White Unibody with the Mini DisplayPort rather than the Mini-DVI there is an adapter that uses the Mini DisplayPort and a USB port to combine video and audio to HDMI. It's only 2 channel stereo not 5.1 Dolby Surround.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=104280 2 &p_id=5969&seq=1&format=2

Mini dvi to hdmi adaptor vs. mini dvi to dvi adaptor

Do the mini dvi to hdmi adaptor works? I notice a lot of them for sell on ebay, but none at apple store. Does apple not recommend this setup? Most of the forums address the mini dvi to dvi adaptor to dvi to hdmi cable set up. I can not find anything that clearly says you can use the mini dvi to hdmi adaptor and just connect a regular hdmi cable to get video from a macbook to tv.
BTW My LG tv model 42PC3D (link to manuel below) says that the HDMI cable supports computer connection.
http://us.lgservice.com/index_b2c.jsp

There are reports here that non Apple mini DVI-->whatever cables don't work correctly connect to a MB. That said, if the cable is cheap enough, give it a shot. I just looked at the mini DVI-->HDMI cables on eBay and they all look "short" and for most installation, will require a longer HDMI-->HDMI cable.
So, unless the price of a DVI-->HDMI cable is a lot more than an HDMI-->HDMI cable, why not go with the standard Apple mini DVI-->HDMI cable? However, if you already have the latter, I can understand why you might not want to buy the former cable.

Mac mini, boot camp, windows vista/windows 7, DVI to HDMI, no display

I have a mac mini from 2008 on which I have put windows Vista via boot camp. I have connected the mini using DVI to HDMI, to my Sony Bravia 1080p HDTV.
When I log into the mac 10.6.2, all seems fine and I can see the display alright.
When I log into Windows Vista, I cannot. The display stays black even though I hear the Windows startup sound.
I tried force-upgrading to Windows 7 and the same thing. In fact at some point I can see some of the stuff (like when starting in safe mode), but as soon as it boots up, the display goes blank.
Normally I can see the display up to the point where it says loading Microsoft windows (with the small progress bar) and then, nothing.
Any clues what may be happening?

No response

Having a problem with mini dvi to hdmi. Can see the background, but must move all screens all the way to the right to see on tv. Any solutions?

I'm having an issue with setting up mini dvi to hdmi. I can connect and see the background picture from my macbook (approx 4 years old) but in order to see any screens or video, I have to move the screen almost all the way off the macbook display to the right. Any ideas why this would happen? Also, there is no audio, although when I bought the adapter and cable at the Mac store, they assured me it would handle both.

You have the display set in Extended Desktop mode. In System Preferences>Displays on the MacBook screen there should be an Arrangement tab when you have the MacBook hooked up to the TV and both screens working. When you click the Arrangement tab do you see two monitors side by side? One of them will have a Menu Bar at the top. Just click on the Menu Bar and drag it to the second monitor. That will makethe second monitor your main screen. You can now use your MacBook in ClamshellMode with a wired or Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3131 When you disconnect from the TV your Menu Bar will automatically change back to the MacBook.
Or if you want to work on the MacBook screen while showing it on a TV you can check the Mirror Display box on the lower left hand side of the Arrangement tab under the two monitors box.
No Mini-DVI adapter can carry audio. The only MacBook that sends audio is the Mid 2010 model 7,1 through a Mini DisplayPort.
If you connect the MacBook using a Mini-DVI to HDMI adapter you will probably need to use external speakers or a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack to RCA sound plugs connected to a stereo system for audio if your TV doesn't have separate RCA input plugs for audio with the HDMI plug. The Mini-DVI to HDMI doesn't carry audio and there're no audio plugs on most TVs to work with HDMI since it's expecting audio with the HDMI.

Conecting Mini DVI to HDMI Video Cable with my mac book pro

Hi. I just bought Mini DVI to HDMI Video Cable to connect my mac book pro to my HD TV. I connected the cables and put my TV on HDMI input. On the TV it appears the Snow Leopard Background but I can't see my desktop or the icons. What should I do to view my mac book pro on the Tv? Thanks!

Hi y3p3v3,
On the TV it appears the Snow Leopard Background but I can't see my desktop or the icons. What should I do to view my mac book pro on the Tv? Thanks!
You've got it connected, and you're viewing it already! Connect it up again, and try dragging a window either to the left, or right, off your built-in screen. You'll find that it appears on your TV!
What you're doing is running the computer in "extended desktop" mode. That means that your TV screen is available to put things on, but won't show your menu bar, dock, or icons. Those remain on the "primary screen" which remains your MBP's built-in display.
When the TV is plugged in, go to System Preferences --> Displays
The main System Preferences window will remain on your MBP's screen, but a second one should appear on the TV as well. If you go to the one on your MBP's screen, and click the "Arrangement" tab, you'll see two screens shown in the diagram. One will have a menubar. That's your MBPs screen. You can drag the menubar to the other screen to change the primary screen to the TV.
OR, you can just click "Mirror Displays" and your TV will show the exact same picture as your MBP display. This option is the simplest and will accomplish what you want, I think.
If you have any other questions, or if you need any clarification, feel free to ask!
--Travis

I bought a mini DVI to HDMI convertor and a HDMI to VGA cable to connect my mac book pro to a tv but it doesn't work any one can help.\\\\\

i bought a mini DVI to HDMI convertor and a HDMI to VGA cable to connect my mac book pro to a tv but it doesn't work any one can help.

I would suggest looking into a Thunderbolt to HDMI connector. In this case, you may be able to use the TV as an external monitor. For this option, please confirm through additional research. I have not tested it personally.
You can also use an Apple TV, which connects with HDMI. In this case, you can use Airplay Mirroring. Not all Macs support Airplay Mirroring, so you need to check first. I have a Mid-2011 27" iMac, and it supports Airplay Mirroring. I don't use it often because my TV is in another room, but I just tried it and it worked. It had to change the screen resolution to work well, so I don't know if I would want to use it as my day to day monitor. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5404

VGA vs Mini-DVI to HDMI adapter

I'm about to buy an external monitor to use with my MacBook Pro late 2008. I do understand HDMI (digital) looks much better than VGA (analog), so I'm thinking about buying a Mini-DVI to HDMI adapter. My questions are:
Does the Mini-DVI to HDMI adapter decrease video quality? Is it noticeable?
Is it worth buying the adapter? If so, are there any known issues with third-party adapters?
Thanks in advance for your time!
João

If your macbook has mini-DVI then HDMI or no HDMI you will not get any audio passed through the HDMI connection because DVI does not pass audio. You would need to pass the audio separately via analog stereo line out.
But what difference does it make anyhow? You intend to use this as a monitor as opposed to hooking it up to a HDTV.
So long as you use a digitial interface HDMI, DVI, mini-displayport, etc. you are not going to loose any quality. It's digital. It either works or it doesn't. VGA, being analog, will of course be less quality.
I don't even know why you care about converting to HDMI when you could just convert mini-DVI to standard DVI and use a monitor that accepts standard DVI. They're plenty of those around.
Another consideration with a DVI interface is that if the monitor has a resolution greater than 1920 x 1200 you need a dual link DVI adapter as opposed to a single link DVI adapter.

"Mini DVI to HDMI" or "Mini DVI to VGA" to go to Samsung LN32B460 HDTV?

I recently purchased a "DOA"/defective "Mini DVI to HDMI" converter off of ebay, and the company is making me spend the $10 to return it to China - which I'm not doing (I only paid $10 for it in the first place).
I am wondering if I should buy another one, from a more reliable seller of course, or if I should buy the "Mini DVI to VGA" instead?
I don't play games, so it would be mainly for playing movies and browsing the web. My display is a 32" Samsung 720p (Model LN32B460). It is has a native resolution of 1360x768, 60Hz refresh.
Will I see a quality difference for the basic stuff that I am doing that I should get the "Mini DVI to HDMI" or will the "Mini DVI to VGA" be enough?
Thanks!

I'm attempting to connect my MB to a plasma 50 inch Panasonic TV, and am about to purchase the necessary cables from www.monoprice.com.
I've discovered so far that the HDMI connection directly between the MB and the TV (using the appropriate mini DVI adapter of course - product # 4852 at monochrome.com and an Apple HDMI cable which I'll return to get a better price at monochrome) transmits only video/pictures but not audio.
So far, an old, short RCA (red/white) 2-way audio test cable (again using the appropriate adapter to connect to the headphone jack on the MB) does not transmit audio directly to the TV.
1) Could audio be transmitted from the MB to the TV using a "Coax (RCA) to Optical Toslink Digital Audio Converter" (product ID # 2947 at www.monochrome.com) to connect directly to the TV (in which case, what digital audio cable would I need to connect the converter to the TV)? And if so, would it be stereo or mono?
OR...
2) Should I wait until I get my Onkyo surround sound system (later this week) to see if the RCA cable will transmit directly from the MB to the sound system?
Thanks.

Mini DVI to DVI to HDMI Vs Mini DVI to VGA

When I connect my MacBook to my LG 32" HD Ready LCD TV via Mini DVI to DVI connector and DVI to HDMI cable, image is sharp but color seems very pale and washed out. However, when using Mini DVI to VGA connection, colors are brilliant, though images via DVI are sharper.
I tried calibrating the display but couldn't achieve the brilliant colors of the VGA connection.
Is this normal? Any solution for this?
I'm also connecting my PS3 to my TV via HDMI and don't have this problem.

Hey Guys,
I am having a very similar problem.
I have a 35" Westinghouse LCD TV (not the best I know but I'm a college student). I had been using a VGA adapter/cable in order to use my TV as a monitor, but I decided to upgrade (or so I thought) to a digital signal so I purchased a Mini-Dvi to HDMI adapter, etc.
Here's the problem:
My display settings on my MacBook for my LCD TV only allow me to choose either '1280 x 720' or '1920 x 1080'. My TV cannot support the higher resolution so when I chose the '1920 x 1080' setting, the picture comes up with good color quality, but the actual image looks over compressed and does not fill up the screen. When I choose the '1280 x 720' setting, the image resolution looks great, EXCEPT the colors are way off, faded, washed out, etc.
This is problem is so frustrating because I can get the resolution to look good OR the color to look good, bot never both. I have read several forums that touch on a similar issue and have tried all types of monitor calibration but I can't get the color to look normal when the resolution is right.
I just don't understand why the only resolution that fits that of my TV has terrible color??
Help would be greatly appreciated.
-Dave

VGA to DVI to hdmi? For the new Mac Mini.

I'm dying to buy a new Mac Mini but I'm not ready to replace my monitor yet. Sadly, it's a VGA flat panel. It's connected to my current 2009 Mini by a VGA to DVI adapter. The new Mini comes with a DVI to HDMI adapter.
Can I plug my VGA to DVI adapter into the DVI to HDMI adapter and get video for my monitor? My monitor has no speakers, so audio is irrelevant. I just need video.

Unfortunately, my monitor is a VGA only flatpanel. I had to buy a $30 Thunderbolt to VGA adapter to be able to use it with my new Mini. Ah well, problem solved. I'll make sure my next monitor has either DVI or HDMI.
One thing I think Apple should seriously consider doing is STOPPING their practice of including an adapter in the box and, instead, giving a free adapter with purchase. That way, they won't be wasting resources (this is the second time I've bought a Mac with an adapter I don't need, and I guarantee there are people who will already have a compatile monitor and won't need the adapter either) and instead will better serve their customers by sending them home with a new Mac that works with the monitor they have.
The Mini is all about bring your own peripherals, right? Well, there are a lot of VGA monitors out there.

DVI to VGA or DVI to HDMI for Sony Bravia

I have a 52" Bravia HDTV that i have hooked up to my Mac Pro (with NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT video card) . I bought a DVI to VGA adapter since teh Bravia doesnt have a DVI port, but has a "PC" port. All my friends tell me to use "DVI to HDMI" better. What are the advantages? i am asking because the screen looks great with the VGA connection .I just watched several HD trailers for different movies on the Bravia and they look REALLY HD and clean. So is it really going to look even better ? or is there another advantage to using HDMI ? Thanks
a side question, when i restarted my Mac Pro that had the Bravia and the mac display hooked up , the display was blinking on startup (where it keeps flashing a light blue screen) until i restarted it again . What happened ?

The HDMI port can give sharper vertical edges, but some TVs don't work well with computers via HDMI. The only way to tell is to try it.

Connecting to a Samsung TX-R3079WH HDTV w/Mini-DVI to HDMI

Greetings, I have a Samsung TX-R3079WH 30" HDTV that has an HDMI input (which works just fine via cable box input), and I have a Rev C Powerbook G4 12" 1.33 GHz with an nVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 64 MB AGP graphics card with the mini-DVI output (which works with the converter to a 17" CRT via VGA).
I recently purchased a 4 m Radio Shack DVI to HDMI cable to connect the PowerBook to the Samsung TV. I am connecting the DVI cable through the DVI to Mini-DVI converter from Apple to the PowerBook.
At first, when I had the Mini-DVI/DVI connector attached to the laptop, I had the TV turned off and plugged in the HDMI cable to the TV. I turned on the TV, and my computer's display definitely recognized the external display. The problem initially was probably a refresh rate/resolution problem I guess, since the TV was reporting "No Signal" but the laptop definitely recognized an external display, which had its own icon in the System Preferences Displays panel (running at what looked like 640 x 480, definitely smaller than the native res 1024 x 768 of my primary display).
Anyhow, I didn't recognize what the problem was then, but now when I try and connect the DVI/Mini-DVI to the HDMI, all I get is incessant flashing from my primary display as it tries to decide whether or not there's something attached.
Any suggestions on getting this setup to work? Thanks in advance.

never mind found the mirror display function.

Best way- p7-1380t dvi to hdmi connections to a monitor HP w2207h

Have 2 DVI outputs from computer - current hookup using DVI to VGA. Want to hook up DVI to HDMI. Are there any advantages? and, best way to do it?
This question was solved.
View Solution.

GDicker, welcome to the forum.
Here is an explanation of both connection types:
DVI to HDMI
DVI is a digital signal in the same format as the video portion of HDMI. The difference is that DVI doesn't carry the audio signal like HDMI does. This means that if you are only using the video signal you can use a simple DVI to HDMI plug adapter that changes the physical connections. If you want to go from a DVI source with audio, you'll need an active converter to combine the video signal from the DVI source and the audio into the HDMI signal.
As you can see, DVI is a digital video signal and HDMII is a digital video and audio connection. Simply using a DVI to HDMI adapter is only going to give you digital video. Therefore, the advantage of the DVI to HDMI will be to give you a digital signal. VGA is an analog connection.
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DVI to HDMI or VGA to connect to HDTV

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