How do I connect MacBook Pro to TV?

Question

How do I connect MacBook Pro to TV?

Greetings,

My TV has 1) a round S-video plug and 2) plugs for an RCA cable (red, yellow & white). The MasBook Pro has a DVI connector plus the adapter that comes in the box which has a mini-din plug on one end.

What specfic cable do I need -- and where do I get it -- to connect my MacBook Pro to my TV?

Thanks,

dick

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jun 1, 2006 4:09 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

JASimon

Level 2

290 points

Jun 1, 2006 4:22 PM in response to Dick Morrison1

You need to get the Apple DVI to Video adapter. You will then need either an S-Video cable or an RCA cable. The RCA cable would go into the yellow RCA plug (presuming that is just a composite setup you have there rather than component inputs.)

It works fine with either NTSC or PAL TVs. (Mostly because its the video card that works fine with these.)

For sound you will need a mini headphone jack to RCA plug connector to link your headphone port on the MacBook to the L/R channels of your TVs sound input, which is probably the red (R) and white (L) RCA plugs.

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Answer 2

Jun 12, 2006 4:35 PM in response to JASimon

Hi J,

I have the adapter that came in the box with the MacBook Pro and connect that to the MBP. But what does Apple have that could be connected to the other end of that adapter that would then connect to my TV which has both s-video and RCA jacks? The mini-DVI adapter available from Apple & found here <http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/1.RSLID?mco =75A42EE8&nplm=M9319G%2FA> is not the one. There is no way to connect the mini-DVI to the adapter that comes in the box. Nor is there a way to connect the mini-DVI directly to the MBP.

Have you actualy connected a Pro to a TV or are you quoting Apple's info?

Thanks for your response...

dick

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Answer 3

Mr Che

Level 1

10 points

Jun 12, 2006 5:14 PM in response to Dick Morrison1

Hey Dick,

I faced the same problem, there is indeeed scant information regarding connecting the MBP to a TV. I got mine up and running and its perfect. There is no option to use the adapter that comes with the box, or well, you could buy a SVGA to S-Video/Composite Video adapter, but there's not really much point and I can't vouch that would work well. The DVI-Video one'll sting you 20 quid, but I'd say in the long run it's worth it.

I'm using a cable that connects to the RCA of my TV.

Pic: www.oddworldz.com/chaosdivide/MBP.jpg

It is an Apple PAL DVI to Video Adapter (MA026ZM/A - I'm not sure about that number, that's what my e-mail receipt says but I think the part no. was shorter, maybe just MA026. Search the Apple store and you'll find it) and a two phono to small stereo jack adapter that is plugged into a standard 3 plug RCA lead.

The other end of the 3 plug RCA goes into yer TV obviously. On the audio side I also added a female-female stereo jack adapter and a male-male stereo jack lead (to extend it) because the audio out is on the other side to the video out. There's more tidy ways to do it, but that all fits nicely and looks fancy.

I can absolutely 100% assure you that works, and also try turning off mirroring when using quicktime for videos, there's a setting that'll let you set full screen on the TV - great stuff!

Hope that helps.

MacBook Pro 1.83GHz [Week14 - CPU whine / quite hot] Mac OS X (10.4.5) 1.5GB RAM, 80GB (Firmware 1.0.1, SMC 1.2f7)

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Answer 4

steve n.

Level 4

2,620 points

Jun 12, 2006 6:06 PM in response to Dick Morrison1

The previous poster had it right. The Apple DVI to Video Adapter NOT the Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter. Go to the Apple Online store and search for "DVI Video".

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6384000/wo/ww3Rc 27QUw6x3WE3DxFMBU1jzgf/7.0.19.1.0.8.25.7.11.2.3

-s

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Answer 5

JASimon

Level 2

290 points

Jun 12, 2006 8:48 PM in response to Dick Morrison1

Looks like others have given you the answers. But, yes, I have connected my Pro to the TV and watched an entire season of Prison Break that way using Front Row.

As indicated, you don't use the Apple DVI to VGA Display Adapter that comes bundled with the Pro (in case you were wondering, that's what it is) - you use the Apple DVI to Video Adapter instead (Part Number: M9267G/A).

Also, there doesn't seem to be a meaningful difference between the PAL version (Part Number: MA026ZM/A) and the other. I asked Apple Australia and they told me that the correct connector for Australia (a PAL country) was the Apple DVI to Video Adapter. I ordered that and have used it with no problems. As with most TVs, mine does PAL or NTSC and I can also output NTSC signals from the video card and that works just as well as PAL.

(Following your lead I worked out how to provide a persistent link to the right part - this link should continue to work for longer than my initial link did.)

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