NO sound on HDTV connected to iMac

Welcome to the Apple Discussions!

Most devices with an HDMI port are expecting the sound to be in the HDMI signal with the video, You need to check in your Users Guide for the TV to see if it allows the pairing of an alternative audio in port with a video port. If not you may be out of luck.

Technically, since you are not using an optical cable, you are tapping into the iMac's analog sound port. Also, are you positive you are using the correct port on the iMac? It should have a tiny headphone symbol.

Dah•veed

Normally, the HDMI cable carries the audio signal as well as the video signal. So the HDTV may be expecting the audio to be on the HDMI connection, by default. However, the iMac's video output port (that you are converting to HDMI) does not carry audio. So you are doing the right thing by using a separate cable, converted to RCA connections, to run from the iMac's audio output to your HDTV.

You should check the RCA connections you are using on the HDTV to make sure they are associated with the HDMI connection. My older HDTV has RCA connectors for audio that is grouped with the HDMI connector. So the audio input can come from either the HDMI cable or those RCA connectors. I just need to make sure I am using the correct pair of RCA connectors in back.

It is possible your HDTV may not have such separate RCA connectors that go just with the HDMI connector. In that case, there may be an internal setting, accessed from your HDTV screen menu, where you can select the RCA connectors as the sound input source.

Also, make sure the sound volume setting for Headphones is not muted. Mac OS X keeps separate sound volume settings for the built-in speakers and the headphones (when something is plugged into the audio port). So your built-in speakers may be set to a comfortable volume, while the headphones may be set to mute, and then you would not hear anything on the HDTV.

Hrruummph!

The Japanese guy comes along and says the same thing that the Mexican guy says, but with twice as many words in a long winded explanation and he gets all of the credit!

I am just yanking Kenichi's chain, because this always happens!

I write as succinctly as possible because it is a lot of work for me since English is not my first language.

Thanks for the stardust!

Dah•veed

The "Japanese guy"? 🙂 LOL