minidisplayporttohdmi

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The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Now Has Digital Audio
Monoprice Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Adapter Hands-On: HD iTunes Now Plays On TVs
Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Coming Soon for $14

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SigmundTheSeaMonster
10/01/09

In reply to The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Now Has Digital Audio
I clicky link and: An error has occurred while processing your request.
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FairfaxDeiphobus
10/01/09

In reply to The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Now Has Digital Audio
Who wants these big ol squid adaptors sticking out of their Macbook Pro. Give me a freakin ExpressCard to HDMI adaptor. They make a ExpressCard to eSATA. That works great!
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Kaiser-Machead
10/01/09

@FairfaxDeiphobus: But Expresscard has been pushed out completely from the 15" Macbook Pro line, so only people with the older MBP's and the 17 would be able to make use of it.
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Edited by Kaiser-Machead at 10/01/09 4:04 PM Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
10/01/09

In reply to The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Now Has Digital Audio
I don't get all the hate for displayport, and frankly I don't get all this concern over HDMI and why Apple should bother to add it to their laptops. I'd like to see them try eSATA first. Technically, for a computer, DP would be the superior option, since it has a great deal more flexibility than HDMI for use on a desktop. If I wanted a display with an embedded USB hub and/or integrated webcam, DP can support that signal through the same cable, whereas HDMI would require extra cables. DP is clearly positioned as more of a desktop peripheral port to replace DVI and VGA, not be the big thing for set top boxes, even though a properly implemented DP-enabled device could just as well do that too.
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Edited by Kaiser-Machead at 10/01/09 12:37 PM Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

MrBlahBlah
10/01/09

@Kaiser 'Pervy-nano' Machead: I see your argument for desktop PCs....but most apple computers are laptops, and I think an HDMI port would be much more useful. You take your computer to a friends house, its so easy to put the picture on the TV via HDMI. Such a pain to carry a dongle around
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Kaiser-Machead
10/01/09

@MrBlahBlah: Granted, however other less cumbersome options exist, such as those available from Monoprice. It's a dongle, but it's also a cheap dongle. No doubt your friend would have an HDMI cable if he has an HDTV. If he doesn't, knock him out and take his TV. It's only right.
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brobot - Beboptimus Prime
10/01/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Yeah, DisplayPort does tend to get a lot of crap without really deserving it. It's really a very capable, flexible option. The only thing that, in my mind, really holds it back right now is that Apple, being one of the largest manufacturers using DP right now, has decided for whatever reason (I'm sure they've got a good one) that they're not going to configure their computers to be able to output sound through DP. A DisplayPort connection, as I understand it, CAN in fact support sound, granted that the motherboard and what not on the computer itself is set up to send audio out thru it.

Personally, I think that if Apple were to implement Mini DisplayPort in such a way that it could also support audio out over the same connection, many of the complaints against DP would vanish.

/if I have any of that wrong, don't be afraid to correct it - I don't have time to fact check right now... too lazy
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Kaiser-Machead
10/01/09

@brobot: You're right. Apple's displayport is gimped so that it can't pass audio through to another device through either another displayport or HDMI. But as it becomes more available on other systems, it will be interesting to see how capable mini displayport is. Anyone out there know how the video out is on the Dell Adamo?

But I suspect that their reasoning for gimping the displayport is to give the AppleTV a false edge over the other Macs. Now that the Mini has DP, it would basically be the perfect set top box, but is limited so that you need an extra cable, whereas you can use whatever you have at home for the ATV. Sounds a bit flimsy, but I wouldn't put it passed Apple.
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Edited by Kaiser-Machead at 10/01/09 4:11 PM Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

Totalfixation
10/01/09

In reply to The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Now Has Digital Audio
Why do they even have display port really? I just dont see the need for it when hdmi is a very good standard.
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Wesley Singer
10/01/09

@Totalfixation: To sell adapters and make more money on licensed products etc. Maybe?
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Kaiser-Machead
10/01/09

@Wesley Singer: Displayport is an open free standard, thus there are no licensing fees to pay to use it.
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Wesley Singer
10/01/09

@Kaiser 'Pervy-nano' Machead: Oh I didn't know that, I assumed it may be similar to the iPod branding stuff. Thanks for the clarification.
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anonymousryan
10/01/09

@Kaiser 'Pervy-nano' Machead: It's just licensed with no fee. Open is hardly how I'd describe it.
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Kaiser-Machead
10/01/09

@anonymousryan: Well neither is HDMI, which does have a fee, so I don't suppose it's a big deal.
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shades_of_blue
10/01/09

@Kaiser-Machead: The fee for HDMI is a whole whopping 4 cents per device, according to Wikipedia. That's a lot less than what Apple originally charged for Firewire.
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Kaiser-Machead
10/01/09

@shades_of_blue: Like I said, this isn't a big deal.
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Michael Belisle
03/28/09

In reply to Monoprice Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Adapter Hands-On: HD iTunes Now Plays On TVs
Ummm, Mini DisplayPort to HDMI does not "solve one of the new MacBook's biggest monitor compatibility problems." Even with the monoprice HDMI adapter, you still can't watch HD movies on a display that doesn't support HDCP. However, you can already use a DVI-HDMI adapter to hook up an HDMI display using the mini DisplayPort-DVI adapter.

The mini DisplayPort connection is doing the same thing technically regardless of whether or not you hook up the HDMI adapter or the DVI adapter. (That is, it's a "Dual Mode" connection that switches from DisplayPort mode to the "legacy" DVI/HDMI mode.)

If the connection is transmitting HDCP with the mDP-HDMI adapter, there's no reason why the mDP-DVI-HDMI route won't transmit it too.
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SmritaBabalazi
03/27/09

In reply to Monoprice Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Adapter Hands-On: HD iTunes Now Plays On TVs
I always thought Apple's choice of mini-DisplayPort was because HDMI was based on single link DVI and couldn't push enough pixles to run the 30" ACD... is this right?
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Wilson Rothman
03/27/09

@SmritaBabalazi: While that may be true (and sounds about right), it seems strange to alienate 95% of your customer base in order to make the remaining 5% happy, doesn't it?
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Michael Belisle
03/28/09

@SmritaBabalazi: Apple picked DisplayPort because it's the future of computer display technology, not solely because it (technically) supports Dual-Link DVI. That's just something that they get for free.

DisplayPort finally sheds the last vestiges of CRTs from the computer-LCD panel connection and allows a host of other benefits. Electronics Weekly has a great article that covers the differences between HDMI and DisplayPort.
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itchytooth
03/27/09

In reply to Monoprice Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Adapter Hands-On: HD iTunes Now Plays On TVs
It's too bad about the no sound. I though I had found a workaround with Airfoil ([rogueamoeba.com]), which would be wonderfully convenient since I could route the audio through my Apple TV, but there is such a lag that it's not usable for watching movies.
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Trevor Garson
03/28/09

@itchytooth: While it may not be ideal for all situations, have you tried using Airfoil's included Airfoil Video Player? I use airfoil as well to use my Airtune-equipped Audioengine A2b's. I noticed the horrible lag (2-3s) for QuickTime videos, however simply drag and drop them in the AIrfoil player and through black magic trickery (buffering), the video was synced with the audio.
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itchytooth
04/02/09

@Trevor Garson: Cool, I figured there must be way to offset for the lag, but didn't realize Airfoil included a player for that. Thanks.
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nathantrumbull
03/27/09

In reply to Monoprice Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Adapter Hands-On: HD iTunes Now Plays On TVs
And I just paid $30 for a Mini Display port to DVI for my already purchased DVI to DVI and DVI to HDMI adapters...

So who gets the bad timing award here? You or me?
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Wilson Rothman
03/27/09

@Nathan Trumbull: Well, we've been talking about this for months, so apparently you get the Bad Timing Award. Sorry Nathan. But I am impressed about the daisy chain of adapters you got going on there.
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axiomatic
03/27/09

In reply to Monoprice Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Adapter Hands-On: HD iTunes Now Plays On TVs
In this one case I agree with Apple.

Use HDMI = Send $$$ to major competitor for HDMI licensing fee.

Use mini-Displayport = no fees
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Wilson Rothman
03/27/09

@axiomatic: Are you sure Mini DisplayPort has no licensing fee? Most formats, in hardware and software, contain IP that somebody owns.
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Michael Belisle
03/28/09

@Wilson Rothman: There is no licensing fee for either DisplayPort or mini DisplayPort.
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Michael Belisle
03/28/09

@Wilson Rothman: Or perhaps you'll like Gizmodo's own article on Display Port.
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SuprabhaPollyanna
03/27/09

In reply to Monoprice Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Adapter Hands-On: HD iTunes Now Plays On TVs
So Apple's mini-DP implementation on the MB and MBP doesn't do audio. Hmm.

Can someone over at the Gizmodo labs PLEASE try one of these new cables with the Mac mini, to see if that one does do audio? Kthxbai
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Wilson Rothman
03/27/09

@SuprabhaPollyanna: They wouldn't do audio either. None of them. It's not in the spec.
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Michael Belisle
03/28/09

@Wilson Rothman: Audio is in the DisplayPort spec, but it's optional. All that would be needed to enable audio on the mini DisplayPort connection is a firmware update, if Apple someday chose to support it.
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BlytheLaomedon
03/27/09

In reply to Monoprice Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Adapter Hands-On: HD iTunes Now Plays On TVs
GAH! How come you guys got one and the website keeps pushing back the arrival date? I want to watch stuff, via my 13" MacBook, on my 52" LCD. Um, NOW!
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Vroomtrap
03/27/09

@BlytheLaomedon: I was wondering the same thing.
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Michael Belisle
03/28/09

@Vroomtrap: Might be Mount Redoubt. It's delaying at least a Panasonic projector and a MacBook, both coming from Asia and connecting in Anchorage.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/10/09

In reply to Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Coming Soon for $14
Sweet.

It's too bad that the displayport will not carry over audio, so you'll still need to connect with a separate cable. It's also unfortunate that a Macbook or even the pro have the hardware necessary to get 5.1 surround. Nice, nonetheless.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/10/09

@Kaiser-Machead: that would be *don't* have.
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lpranal
02/10/09

@Kaiser-Machead: why this is not a y-cable, connecting both to the displayport and (optionally) audio out (on a MBP, at least, not sure about the macbook amateur) for full SPDIF support, is completely beyond me. really all you'd need is a 3.5mm jack on the side of the adapter and a very short optical cable and you'd be in business.

Alas, I don't design these things.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/10/09

@lpranal: Seems audio and video support is pretty much identical for the two.
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Aloof
02/10/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Mango, they do have the hardware to get 5.1 audio. You just need a spdif miniplug to optical cable (available from monoprice for like $5). I bitstream dts and dolby digital from Plex (XBMC for the mac) to my receiver and its detected as such. The only thing macs can't do is DTS:MA and DD: TrueHD over HDMI.

The miniplug on the MBP and the MB is both analog audio AND spdif. :)
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Kaiser-Machead
02/10/09

@Aloof: Ah, OK.

Also, wtf........Mango?
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BeefSupreme
02/10/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Well, this certainly won't help but you might find it funny.

[www.urbandictionary.com]
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Kaiser-Machead
02/10/09

@supercollider: And I did. lol
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rockstarjoe
02/10/09

In reply to Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Coming Soon for $14
What's the deal with cables lately? The prices for cables and adapters most places is outrageous, but monoprice seems to be the only place where you can get some sane prices.
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duroc
02/10/09

@rockstarjoe: It's how companies make their money, I guess. I know these days even buying a printer... you pay $40 for the printer then +$30 for the cable... not to mention printers no longer come with ink cartridges. It used to be that all of that stuff was included.

But, yeah, Apple is particularly notorious for overcharging on cables.
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Xeno
02/10/09

@duroc: You can't even buy a normal printer anymore. It's all scanning/faxing/printing/photo editing devices now.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/10/09

@Xeno: HP still sells some basic color printers that don't ask for much money, like maybe $50 or more, alongside larger more office-oriented B&W printers.
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ripfire
02/10/09

@duroc: Well, if you think about it, Apple didn't go into business to sell cables. I don't think they really mind if you buy the cables somewhere else.
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