Sony Bravia TV as Macbook Pro Monitor?

pitchfork wrote:
I have a Sony KDL-32EX403U and wondered the best way of using it as a Mac Monitor?

Is this possible?

I have a Sony WiFi key as the TV is internet ready so can it become a macbook screen wirelessly?

Or failing that and i have to use cables, do i need a minidisplay port / DVI? / HDMI??

You probably cannot use the TV as a wireless screen, without an intervening server or at least server software on your Mac. You'll spend days fine-tuning it, but you might want to google it to see if it's possible and how difficult the setup is. The delay will, nevertheless, be noticeable between your MBP and Sony.

You need a minidisplay port to HDMI connector. Get the right one, which transmits sound data. Some of them don't.

It will be possible to do that, but you may not be pleased with the results. The Sony's 1920 x 1080 display with a diagonal measure of 31.5" means it will have much larger pixels than are typical of computer monitors nowadays. Current MBP models feature the following pixels-per-inch numbers:

13.3" MBP: 1280 x 800 pixels @ 113.5 pixels per inch
15.4" MBP: 1440 x 900 pixels @ 110.3 pixels per inch
15.4" hi-res MBP: 1680 x 1050 @ 128.6 pixels per inch
17.0" MBP: 1920 x 1200 pixels @ 133.2 pixels per inch

Compare those to the recently-discontinued 30" Apple Cinema Display and the current 27" LED Cinema Display that replaced it:

30" Apple Cinema Display: 2560 x 1600 @ 100.6 pixels per inch
27" Apple LED display: 2560 x 1440 @ 108.8 pixels per inch

Now consider the 31.5" Sony at its much lower resolution:

1920 x 1080 @ 69.9 pixels per inch

The Sony TV has larger pixels than those in any Mac display made since about 1990. If you are sitting at a typical distance of 2-3' from it, it will look extremely pixelated and lacking in detail, especially compared to your MBP's built-in display.

TV sets are meant to be viewed from a distance at which one can't see individual pixels. Modern computer monitors are meant to be viewed from about arm's length, and have pixels small enough so you can't easily see them. Substituting a large TV set for a smller monitor with a much higher resolution is bound to be unsatisfactory.