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
no, it is not, but after searching these boards even more i discovered this gem, and now all is good, except that u have to change the audio each time......i think......so i mite get an audio cable to make it easier for my hon to hook up........here is the gem
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SlugBlanket UK
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. "
k
I too have tried EVERY reset, settings options etc and no joy....My son was having the same issues using my HDMI cable when he was visiting and he tried the PRAM reset and it worked but my MacBook sadly a PRAM reset did nothing :( I can not get the TV or the HDMI to show up anywhere ...Help
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.
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.
Yes the video works fine just no sound. I checked and when I "hold down the option (alt) key and click on the speaker icon on the top right bar" my options are "line in and internal speakers" when line in is selected the sound only comes from my laptop not the TV.
Yes that is what I thought too when I use a a VGA cable this is what I did. The same set up does not work with the HDMI cable I have tried using the seperate "headphone jack on your Mac to Audio In on the TV" and still no sound.
OK so no seriously my son plugs in his Macbook pro and it works fine and then two seconds later I plug in mine and no sound video works fine. Smae cable, same adaptor etc. His computer is newer, but he had to reset the PRAM to get sound to work properly. I followed the same procedure...reset PRAM and no dice...or sound 🙂
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?
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.
Ok my friend. this is simple 🙂. Go to system preferances > sound > output > Then if you scroll down it sould say TV or samsung or whatever TV you have 🙂 Click on that then your good as gold !
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 😉
you are my savior andrewcashew
I bought 29 " AOC monitor with many functions such as speakers, multiplay etc, but with my Mac any of these functions work, not even the speakers. AOC doesn't have drivers for Mac.
I installed the new version of VLC and my speakers are working.
Thank you very much.
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.
I solved this in just a few easy steps under Mavericks.
1. Shutdown computer, UNCHECK to Reopen windows when logging back on.
2. Power computer back on with HDMI plugged in
3. Click on Volume control while holding down Option key and magically my HDMI device appears as a selection.
Hope this helps!
I have honestly tried every single thing that anyone has suggested on this post. And I still cannot get the sound to come through. In the past, it has worked just fine. But for the past few months the sound hasn't been working when I try to stream from my computer to my tv. HELP PLEASE!!!
Will you please confirm what IS happening?
Is sound playing through your computer instead, and when you hold down the option button and click volume on the upper right sound icon, while you are playing to TV, what output audio destinations do you see and what is selected, while trying to play to TV?
MacBook HDMI to TV has no sound
