Using HDTV as monitor for MacBook Pro

You'll need a mini-DisplayPort to HDMI adapter (from Monoprice), an HDMI cable to reach the TV. That's for video. For audio, either a mini-stereo to RCA (for analog inputs on your TV) or a mini-Toslink to Toslink (if your TV has optical input).

Then what? I have these items plugged in. All I get on my TV monitor is my desktop photo. I am using a new 13" MacBook with a Westinghouse (Sony) HDTV..

Just drag whatever windows you want to work on over to the external display.

Karen Elsken wrote:
Then what? I have these items plugged in. All I get on my TV monitor is my desktop photo. I am using a new 13" MacBook with a Westinghouse (Sony) HDTV..

This is because the TV is currently acting like an external monitor in Extended mode, meaning it is being used to extend your laptop monitor. You can see how this is set up if you go into your Displays preference and click Arrange. If you want the same image to be on both monitors, you need to turn on Mirror Displays.

Hooking up a digital TV is not much different than hooking up a computer monitor. Either way you get the choice of Extended or Mirrored display.

It's a pity that by now they hadn't added a HDMI port so you could send video & audio through one cable to a HDTV, a lot of strange decisions going on at Apple. Glad Steve Jobs is back maybe he will sort these anomalies out.
As a pro user the current MBPs are unusable to me having no analogue video out, no hdmi port and now no expresscard port on the smaller models, and all the DVI cables I invested in won't fit either as they switch to a mini display port. All very annoying. Ironically in this recession there will be even less take up of HD so analogue video will be with us for a long time to come so Apple should back track on that issue.

David Owen3 wrote:
It's a pity that by now they hadn't added a HDMI port so you could send video & audio through one cable to a HDTV, a lot of strange decisions going on at Apple. Glad Steve Jobs is back maybe he will sort these anomalies out.

What anomalies? DisplayPort is a newer standard than HDMI. It's also royalty-free, which was likely a business driver for the decision.

As a pro user the current MBPs are unusable to me having no analogue video out,

"Pros" should probably be using digital equipment. 😉 I agree about the ExpressCard to SD switch - bad idea, IMO. But analog is going the way of the dodo. Apple does offer a mini-DP to VGA. The audio ports do analog as well as digital. That's pretty on track, I think. Why do you think Apple should support older technologies? What's next? Should we say Apple really needs to make a mini-DisplayPort-to-Rabbit-Ear-Antenna adapter?

I'm writing while on a treadmill viewing a Samsung HDTV hooked into a Mac this way. Works great. I also dragged the menu bar to the external monitor so it is the primary monitor.

David Owen3 wrote:
It's a pity that by now they hadn't added a HDMI port so you could send video & audio through one cable to a HDTV

DisplayPort supports this. The problem is that current Apple hardware doesn't take advantage of it. There is really no need for HDMI because it has so many limits. Since DisplayPort was designed for the bigger picture (literally!) of both TVs and computer monitors, DisplayPort can handle very high resolution computer monitors like 30" displays (2560x1600), and can drive multiple monitors by daisy-chaining instead of each monitor having to be plugged into its own video card port. It is also faster and needs less power.

All in all DisplayPort is the more forward-looking standard.

Monoprice is a GREAT store. You will get far higher value per dollar at Monoprice. If you want a better cable than Monoprice, don't go to Monster, go to Blue Jean Cable. But all of my cables are from Monoprice. Monster is generally regarded as ridiculously overpriced for most things.