M70VM HDMI port - what can I do with it?

Ok so this is probably a really dumb- question and I think I may have asked this before but I did a quick search and couldn't find anything helpful so here goes anyway -

My Asus M70VM has a HDMI port on it, in the manual it only mentions it being for audio and I don't remember it actually specifying if it's an output or input or both but I'm assuming it's output only.

Question is though, is it just for audio or can I output video as well to say a TV/monitor with a HDMI input, thus being able to use two screens at once with both showing whats running on my desktop or games or movies and the like?

 

HDMI is for Hi-Def Video, and it includes the audio on it also...

For example you can plug it into an Hi-Def TV and get video & sound (given you have all the dirvers loaded correct) and watch a DVD from your notebook to the TV in higher def than the laptop monitor can even display. It will do full 1080p.

Other than that and maybe some people using TV to play games on the laptops not much use.

They are and can not be used for an input, just pure video/audio output... And the audio is Dolby Digital I think so depending on the device you plug it in could have surround sound from it.

 

Ooh cool. I thought it was an output only and couldn't be used as an input.

I bought my parents a 26" HD TV with a HDMI port on so all I need now is a HDMI lead to test it with...

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

 

np, as a side note I am not sure if it needs to get enabled or not when you plug something in. Like a hot key to turn it on or something.

So someone else may have to chime in and help if it doesnt work but as always just pop back and am sure one of these smart people will know.

And for the cable, watch out some of them charge an arm and a leg for the cable... Unless its going to be a LONG cable you dont need a $50-$75 cable... If its a short 3-7ft cable you can get the cheaper ones and be okay. The longer ones normally just have thicker wire or more shielding on it but you cant tell with the naked eye the picture diffrence 90% of the time...

 

Yeah I'll defo shop around for the HDMI cable, cheapest I've seen here in the UK is £10 for a 3m one (think it was that long, could've been 1m) so that's roughly $14US. Seems cheap enough, even 1m is 3ft and that's plenty long enough.

 

Make sure the resolution of the laptop is set to 24bit, 32bit isn't generally supported and causes problems when connecting and the connector is ouput only, it will output what your laptop outputs if setup correctly.