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    Some type of (optical audio + minidisplayport) --> hdmi cable?

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by masterchef341, Oct 16, 2009.

  1. masterchef341

    masterchef341 The guy from The Notebook

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    Does something like this exist?

    Thanks.
     
  2. wave

    wave Notebook Virtuoso

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  3. Seshan

    Seshan Rawrrr!

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  4. pjshots

    pjshots Notebook Consultant

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    Nice! Wonder if it really works well......
     
  5. masterchef341

    masterchef341 The guy from The Notebook

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    damn, too expensivo for what it is. it's a cable. it needs to be like $10.
     
  6. Seshan

    Seshan Rawrrr!

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    It's not just a cable. It's a cable that converts USB/Optical to audio over HDMI. It's not like it's a simple split the wires. Plus it's the only one. Maybe if you wait they may get cheaper.
     
  7. masterchef341

    masterchef341 The guy from The Notebook

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    i understand that there is some tech going on in there, but at the end of the day, i am abstracted from all that, and to me it's a cable

    if you know what i mean.

    anyway, i'll wait that one out.

    and probably sell my laptop when a new one comes out that can output audio+video
     
  8. J8II

    J8II Notebook Enthusiast

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    I got one from Monoprice. It's a Mini Display port to HDMI converter and it costs around $10. But you'll have to buy the HDMI cable if you don't have one since this is only a converter. Also, this doesn't include audio, so you'll have to get the audio cable and connect it from the laptops audio jack to the TVs. All of these cables can probably be found at monoprice.com for a cheap price.

    This is what I've been doing since I got my MBP 13" and I've never had a problem with it.
     
  9. Ranma13

    Ranma13 Notebook Enthusiast

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    The Monoprice one is cheap because it doesn't have to mux audio in and the pin-outs are basically 1:1.

    masterchef341, you may be abstracting it in your head that it's just a cable, but reality states that there's a huge difference between a simple cable that connects pins together, and a hardware device that needs to draw power and perform signal transformations and muxing. The chips alone are worth more than $10.
     
  10. masterchef341

    masterchef341 The guy from The Notebook

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    i don't deny it

    nevertheless, i won't get $70 of utility out of it because its just the difference between running one cable or two, and this would also cost me a usb port (total of three port on my laptop where I could just run two cables and only use two ports).

    My solution:

    Minidisplayport to hdmi (like J8II said, but for ~8.50 after shipping on eBay)

    and then either an optical toslink type audio cable or a normal 3.5mm audio cable, depending on how easy toslink is going to be for my speakers and TV. I might have an optical audio input but i'm not sure.

    then, possibly, a simple housing of these two cables as "one" that splits off on both ends for < $5 makes more sense to me than getting all the data through hdmi AND costing me a usb port for $70.

    ---

    the BEST solution would be for the macbook pro to support audio out through the minidisplayport, and just have a simple minidisplayport -> hdmi, and have it just work. that would have been awesome.
     
  11. Ranma13

    Ranma13 Notebook Enthusiast

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    That's pretty much how I'm doing it, mini-displayport to HDMI adapter with separate audio out going to the speakers.

    And yes, that would have been awesome, but Apple has yet to show that they give a damn about HDMI.
     
  12. laptopkid

    laptopkid Notebook Consultant

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    the BEST solution would be for Apple to get out of their bubble and just put normal ports on their notebooks... :p