How to connect my Macbook to a TV?

J

jamike

Registered
I have a Panasonic HDTV screen, however, it doesn't have a VGA input. Only RCA (the three cables) and S-video. Is there any way I could connect my Macbook (not the latest generation, the one with a 950 integrated graphics card) to it?

Thank you in advance!!
 
Well, no. The Intel iMacs and MacBooks both use the exact same mini-DVI adapters. That will change as DisplayPort is more widely used. It's used on the newest MacBooks.
 
Yeah. Make sure you *do* get the right adapter. Mini-DVI for all MacBooks except the new aluminium ones that use Mini-DisplayPort. (The new white one still uses Mini-DVI, just like yours with GMA950 onboard-graphics.)

But does the TV really *not* have HDMI or DVI or component? A HDTV with only "bad" video inputs? Sounds illogical. If you *do* have HDMI or DVI, I would go that route.
 
I have an old Panasonic TV from 1999 (CT-36B24). I'm trying to connect my macbook to the TV, but I can't get any sound and the picture jumps. I'm using a mini-DVI to video adapter, composite video cable and stereo audio y-cable. I tried the front and back video and audio ports with the same result. I even attempted connecting through my digital to analog broadcast converter--no picture whatsoever.

Is my TV just too old for this? Obviously other "appliances" connect with no problem.
 
miguelito said:
I have an old Panasonic TV from 1999 (CT-36B24). I'm trying to connect my macbook to the TV, but I can't get any sound and the picture jumps. I'm using a mini-DVI to video adapter, composite video cable and stereo audio y-cable. I tried the front and back video and audio ports with the same result. I even attempted connecting through my digital to analog broadcast converter--no picture whatsoever.

Is my TV just too old for this? Obviously other "appliances" connect with no problem.
Click to expand...
  • A TV is not your best choice for a computer monitor, whether you bought it in 1999 or 2009. DVI is video-only.
  • You need a separate audio connection between you computer and TV.
  • Your TV is [most likely] capable only of 30 fps--29.97 fps, actually. Your scan rate should be some integral multiple of 30 Hz--30 Hz, 60 Hz, etc.
  • You must experiment with the settings in your Displays preferences pane.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. Actually I did connect the audio with a separate cable, the y-cable through the audio out port on the mac. I successfully connected the sound to another old TV, but the video skipped in that instance as well. I also worked on the display settings in the Macbook, I tried every setting.

Anything else I should try?
 
I am having a very similar issue with an older TV. I want to connect my MacBook to an old Panasonic for watching movies.

Computer:

MacBook 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Running OS X 10.4.11

TV:

1999 Panasonic Rear Projection
PT-51G44CA

I have a Dynex Mini-DVI to Video (the one with one composite output and an S-video output). I plugged it in to the TV and I am getting pure jibberish on the TV screen on all possible display settings.

I also have a 3.5mm headphone jack to red/white composite cable for audio but I haven't even tried that as the picture is not working at all yet.

With regards to the video, is there something I am missing here? From the research I did before buying the adapter this seemed to be the solution.

Thanks a lot!

Mike
 
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