Mini DP to HDMI 1920x1200 resolution

SpeedofLight,

I would use the mini DP to VGA. The problem with using the mini DP to HDMI conversion cable is you will not have sound. Sound doesn't run over DP but it does over HDMI. Also, you want to make sure the monitor has a HDMI port. Some monitors have a port that looks like HDMI but it's a display port. The new monitors have both.

b3av1s wrote:
I would use the mini DP to VGA. The problem with using the mini DP to HDMI conversion cable is you will not have sound. Sound doesn't run over DP but it does over HDMI. Also, you want to make sure the monitor has a HDMI port. Some monitors have a port that looks like HDMI but it's a display port. The new monitors have both.

SpeedofLight - respectfully, I would *ignore the above advice*.

1) DisplayPort, DVI, and HDMI are digital. VGA is analog. Converting digital to analog will result in a (slight) degradation of signal.

2) Both DisplayPort and HDMI can carry sound, but the mini-DP output from the MBP does not include audio, so it's irrelevant. I'm not even sure why b3av1s would mention audio, since s/he is recommending VGA, which doesn't carry audio at all (b3av1s - care to share your logic on how a lack of sound in DisplayPort, even though that's untrue, would support using VGA?).

HDMI will carry 1920x1200 just fine - the minimum standards for HDMI are 1920x1200, some can go higher. Specs list 1080 because most users are looking to connect a DVD player to a TV and want to see that the cable carries 'full 1080p resolution'. Obviously, though, you're only going to get the native 1920x1200 resolution on the TV/display you connect +if that display supports 1920x1200+. You should use a mini-DP to HDMI adapter (assuming your TV/display has HDMI input), monoprice.com has one, or mini-DP to DVI (single link). The only reason to use mini-DP to VGA is if VGA is the only input option on the display (true for some projectors, for example).

For audio, you'd need a mini-stereo to RCA cable (analog) or a mini-Toslink to Toslink (if the TV has digital/optical audio in).

I wasn't aware that mini DP used audio at all so thanks for the heads up. From Wikipedia:

"While the DisplayPort specification is theoretically capable of supporting digital audio, due to unknown software or hardware limitations the current MacBook and MacBook Pro range is unable to provide an audio signal through the Mini DisplayPort."

So if you are trying to send the audio with the video, it may not work and I would stick with the mini DP to VGA. If you have a mini DP to DVI the resolution would be better and you would get the 1920 x 1200. If the audio works through a different channel while using a HDMI port, is a question in my mind. If you already have the mini DP to HDMI cable, try it and see.

I don't know why they removed the full DVI port from the MacBook's anyway. Having a extra cable just for conversion seems silly.

Where is the logic in that neither DP nor VGA support audio therefore you should use the inferior analogue VGA? Not being fussy, just really don't understand your logic.

DP -> DVI with a DVI to HDMI adapter works fine for me at full HD. Audio I've done via the headphone socket into my 5.1 amp - again it works fine.

If I used DP to VGA I'd still need the audio link, and I could still get a good resolution, it'd just be over analogue????

I don't understand 🙂

The original post was a question between mini DP to HDMI or mini DP to VGA and I recommended the mini DP to VGA. If he has the mini DP to DVI then yes, that would be better.

b3av1s: Yes, the original question was which to choose between VGA and HDMI. You recommended VGA. None of us can figure out why, since VGA necessitates an image-degrading digital-to-analog conversion, and HDMI doesn't. VGA has no advantages at all over HDMI, except that some older TV sets and monitors don't have HDMI-In ports.

SpeedofLight, if your monitor has an HDMI port, use a Mini-Displayport->HDMI adapter from Monoprice.com plus a standard HDMI cable to make your video connection. If the monitor has a digital (optical) audio-in port, use a Mini-TOSLink->TOSLink cable for the audio. Otherwise, use a standard analog audio cable with 1/8" stereo headphone plug on one end and two RCA plugs on the other.