No sound over Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter

DisplayPort to HDMI Sound is actually set up by using the MIDI setup utility found in :

Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup.

If you purchased an iWires cable direct from Apple the instructions are in the printed booklet that comes in the packaging. Most people don't read this as it's normally the case that when you plug a cable in to anything it just works (VCR, TiVo, Xbox, video camera etc). In this instance Apple are failing to live up to their catch-phrase as final setup is NOT intuitive; "it just DOESN'T work".

The booklet instructions basically say do the following,

Video

System Preferences > Displays. There are 3 tabs in the window; Displays, Arrangement and Color. Be sure you are on the Displays tab. Bottom left of the window tick "Show displays in menu bar" and then bottom right click "Detect Displays".

Now click on the tab named Arrangement. Bottom left of the window tick "Mirror Displays".

You should now only see 2 tabs, Display and Color. Be sure you are on the Displays tab. Select the desired resolution for your TV (probably 1080i). leave all other settings at their default values.

Sound

System Preferences > Sound. There are 3 tabs in the window; Sound Effects, Output and Input. Be sure you are on the Sound Effects tab. Middle of the window select your TV where it says "Play sound effects through:".

Select the middle tab named Output.

Select your TV from the drop-down list next to HDMI, below where it says "Select a device for sound output".

Using either Finder or Launchpad go to Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup.

On the left-hand side of the window you should now see HDMI. In the middle of the window, on the Output tab, where it says "Source:" select your TV from the drop-down list.

This last action below is NOT described in the iWires notes but was required in my case, it may also be required in yours. If you CANNOT see a speaker icon next to HDMI in the list on the left, do the following:

Bottom left of the window select the wheel icon with the down-pointing triangle. Make sure that sound output is selected and that you can now see a speaker icon next to HDMI in the list of devices.

If you still cannot hear sound, log out of your account and then log back in.

You will now have sound coming out of your TV from your computer 🙂

You may have to do some or all of the above to get sound out of your TV from your computer using the DisplayPort to HDMI cable. On my Aug 2011 MacbookPro I had to do ALL of the above. If you take your laptop to a different TV you will have to do it all again so be warned.

Hope this helps.

Matis wrote:
I bought a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter ( http://www.cables2u.co.uk/mini-displayport-hdmi-socket-p-844.html) and this adapter should allow the transmission of both video and audio. Video works fine but no audio is transmitted when I connect my MacBook Air to a HDTV, and there is not even an option to do so under System Preferences > Sound > Output (Internal Speakers is the only option available). Any suggestions?

So , you mean Apple like to inform his clients that HDMI in Apple could be totally different than any other brand in the world? it is really disappointing us , HDMI has a universal definition , like USB , Like AVI and etc. we can't check every company website to make sure that deifine Orange really sme as other people in the world!!

Apple has to solve this issue as it's really not accepted by the customers.

I have a hama adaptor to HDMI to a Samsung HDTV. I got video through system preferences/displays/arrangement/tick mirrors, and audio through system preferences/sound/output/check (in my case) Samsung HDMI.

Hi all

Me too.

I have a moshi mdv to hdmi adapter on my feb 2011 MBP.

Video works fine.

I can get audio to my toshiba display (stereo) but not to my Sharp Equis LCD. (stereo or surround)

Hmm...

Looks like there is something peculiar in how apple deals with its audio out.

LOOKS LIKE THERE IS SOMETHING PECULIAR AND NON STANDARD IN THE WAY MBP AND OSX.6 DEALS WITH HDMI AUDIO OUT.

I wish to monitor my FCPX editing with surround and am not interested in stringing an extra audi wire from my MBP the Surround amp. (enough wires).

Apple, please Help!!!

BTW DVD player and PVR work correctly on the same port and settings in the Sharp Display.

So i had the same problem...

Silver Macbook pro 13.3" purchased 2010. I connected Macbook to back Panasonic Plasma using a mini display port cable to hdmi (purchased on ebay for UK £7.50) & no sound.

Then i used another cable i already had to connect the audio output/headphone socket of MacBook Pro to your TV left & right audio inputs (one orange, one white socket). Then adjusted settings on TV to analogue sound instead of digital.

It worked.

Am still bewilded as how to do it using just the mini dp to hdmi cable only. Anyone managed it?

This really helped! Thanks a lot!

I have a MacBook Pro (bought Sept 2010) and I connect to TV via mini port with mini display port adapter to HDMI. I have been doing this over a year and I have found the display port adapter needs to be replaced about every 2 to 3 months (I'm connected almost always to the tv); the adapters have a know issue with them and fail regularly --you may even get one brand new that does not work. The first one I bought was an "apple" brand costing me like 35 USD, now i get them as cheap as possible over ebay (5 USD) and just keep tossing them as they go bad. I helped a friend recently who got a bad one out of a brand new package. Be nice if they fixed this issue, what a waste tossing them. I just replaced one and this one failed in an interesting way Video worked, but no Audio worked, like magic once i got a new one out of my stash no problem, up and running again!

Do make sure that you have gone to your audio and video settings as you need to make sure you select the Audio HDMI from the output screen, and for Video you may need to click on the Detect All Displays button. Otherwise there is no other magic in the MacBook Pro settings ....its more than likely a bad adapter.

Hope this helps!