Connect mac mini to a monitor with Display Port

As far as I can see what you are trying to do is the following

1. Connect the monitor to your Mac mini to display video
2. and also send audio from the Mac mini to the same monitors built-in speakers

As DisplayPort supports running both video and audio via the same single cable this is the obvious connection to use on the monitor.

However you are going the wrong route trying to go from HDMI on the Mac to DisplayPort on the monitor. As should from the other answers be now obvious this would require a far more complicated (and expensive) sort of adapter.

What you should instead be doing is using a far more simple (and much cheaper) Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable. The Apple Mini DisplayPort connector is 100% compatible signalwise with a bigger DisplayPort connector.

See http://vimeo.com/5000770

See also http://www.displayport.org/consumer/?q=content/faq

and read in particular

Q: Is a DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable going to be fully compatible in both directions? Most people use this adaptor to run a DisplayPort screen or projector from a Mac with Mini DisplayPort but I need to go the other way to run a Mac display with Mini DisplayPort from a DisplayPort on an AT Radeon 5770 on a PC. Am I likely to have full function or is the Apple implementation going to cause issues?

A: Standard DisplayPort-to-Mini DisplayPort adaptors and cables work both ways between sources and sinks:

• Mini DisplayortP graphics card to standard DisplayPort monitor
• Standard DisplayPort graphics card to mini-DisPlayPort monitor

You can buy a suitable cable from here http://www.amazon.com/DisplayPort-32AWG-Cable-Plated-Connectors/dp/B0034X6SCY/re f=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1314366162&sr=8-3

Once this is all connected up, it should merely be a matter of going to System Preferences, then Sound, and telling the Mac to send sound via its Mini DisplayPort connection.

I'm not sure those work both ways....you might need a HDMI to DP adapter, not a DP to HDMI adapter.

see this:

http://www.kanexlive.com/xd

note is says "input" and "output" - implies to me this is not a reversible thing.....

I'm not sure about this, but I am suspicious.......anyone else?

has no mini display port connection

Well yes and no. The thunderbolt connection also functions as a mini-display port connector.

http://www.apple.com/thunderbolt/

And because Thunderbolt is based on DisplayPort technology, the video standard for high-resolution displays, any Mini DisplayPort display plugs right into the Thunderbolt port. To connect a DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA display, just use an existing adapter.

Thunderbolt I/O technology provides native support for the Apple Thunderbolt Display and Mini DisplayPort displays.

A liitle research on at least one (kanex Mini Display port to HDMI cable) says this:

Can this cable convert HDMI to Mini DP?

Please be advised that this cable is not bi-directional and will only accept a Mini DisplayPort source to an HDMI display.

So now I'm pretty sure these cables can't just be flipped. You need a HDMI to Mini Display Port converter like this:

http://www.kanexlive.com/xd

or this:

http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=508267

and unfortunately, these cost more. But I still hope I'm wrong!

jb