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MacBook HDMI to TV has no sound

I can connect my tv to my macbook pro through a HDMI cable and the picture shows up perfectly. However, the sound goes through my laptop speakers and not through the tv. When I go into Preferences --> sound --> output, there is not option to select for the hdmi, just the internal speakers. How can I get the sound to go through the tv instead?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jul 25, 2012 5:31 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 3, 2012 2:00 PM

It also works if you press Option key with the volume button on the keyboard or you can go into the System Prefs and change the sound output preference. Disconnecting the HDMI cable returns the setting to default.

111 replies

Jan 1, 2014 12:51 PM in response to kimberlyfrommckinney

Is it displaying the video at least, confirming that the connection is getting through?

If you have video at least, what do you see when you hold down the option (alt) key and click on the speaker icon on the top right bar (by the airplay, bluetooth, etc. icons).

I didn't know this either till I read it here, but when you hold down the option button and click on the speaker icon, instead of volume up/down, you get the input/output selection options.

Jan 1, 2014 1:08 PM in response to BobRz

Did they say it was an older macbook? At the very least they should try what i said before assuming it won't work...

Any Macbook with a real HDMI output should play audio just fine through the HDMI the way I said unless it's broken.

I think maybe you are confused and talking about the old miniport to hdmi "adapters", in which case you would be right. Usually anything that is "whatever to hdmi adapter" doesn't carry sound. It seemed like they were using a real hdmi cable.

Sorry for sounding snarky just want to give them a chance to try it before throwing the tip out the window knee-jerk, or confusing unnecessarily.

If it's a real HDMI port and cable, it should carry audio fine and you can hold down the option key to select input/output options.

If it's some sort of display port to hdmi adapter, and doesn't have a real HDMI port like with older macbooks, you're totally right. They'll have to use the audio out.

Jan 1, 2014 5:41 PM in response to kimberlyfrommckinney

I wasn't sure if you were talking about a display port to hdmi adapter, which isn't a real hdmi cable, or a real hdmi cable.

Newer macbooks have real hdmi ports, and all macbooks with hdmi ports support hdmi audio. The older ones didn't have them. They used adapters to the display port, like the vga adapter, in which case the cable may or may not support audio and the port may or may not. You're not talking about a real hdmi cable are you?

A real hdmi cable will be the same on both ends. Are we just talking about a display port adapter to hdmi, which is completely different?

Jan 1, 2014 6:37 PM in response to kimberlyfrommckinney

If you're using a display port to hdmi adapter, and not a real hdmi cable (since if your notebook doesn't have a real hdmi out), then bobrz's probably right. Your computer probably just doesn't support audio out through the display port. If you're using a real hdmi port and real hdmi cable, it's completely irrelevent since they all support audio.

You'll also run into other issues on the tv/receiver end, at least I did, if you're using a display port adapter on a computer that doesn't support audio out through it, because once you use the "hdmi cable" input, your tv or receiver will probably ignore other audio sources for it, expecting it to contain the audio too, at least my old setup did.

Feb 19, 2014 8:52 AM in response to alibye25

So after my post of 30th Novemeber, I have tried most things on this thread to no avail....

then on Saturday took a trip to my Apple Store with my mac and leads....


It turns out that the HDMI lead I had was perfect, however the adapter lead was not, it needs to be Thurderbolt to HDMI and Apple don't sell them anymore!

I could order more from the internet however like the one I had, it does not necessarily mean that the one they send Is actually Thunderbolt even though they say it is - its just wasting more time!!


Solved it in the end and was all fully working that afternoon, within an hour of my visit and £99 lighter I now have Apple TV and it beats any leads!


Just go for it... worth every penny!!


Good luck all 😉

Mar 18, 2014 4:35 PM in response to ashhhbee

So I was having a similar issue with VLC not being able to play any sound through HDMI, yet sound from other apps WOULD play out the HDMI. I saw on here that somebody mentioned to check the audio setting in VLC itself. My HDMI didn't appear there. I recalled that I had VLC open before plugging in the HDMI cable. I completely quit VLC and then re-opened it. voila! It seems as though VLC has to boot up with the HDMI cable plugged in to recognize it.
I hope this helps someone.

MacBook HDMI to TV has no sound

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