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Welcome to Techsurvivors => Tech => Topic started by: beacher on December 15, 2013, 12:12:31 PM

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: beacher on December 15, 2013, 12:12:31 PM

I've gotten the new MacBook all set up and loaded, but the only thing that I haven't been able to figure out, is how to get it to work with my Samsung 27" monitor, and I really need it to do that for the photography; the 15" screen just isn't big enough for the "massaging" of the pics. The one person that I talked to at the Apple Store told me to just plug in the HDMI connection, and that brought up the screen from the Macbook, and about 4 minutes later the dock showed up, but . . . NO WINDOWS! They show up on the MacBook, but don't show up on the monitor. Anybody have any ideas?

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: daryl66 on December 15, 2013, 12:34:22 PM

QUOTE(beacher @ Dec 15 2013, 01:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I use an earlier MBP with an external monitor so the following is FWIW.

No HDMI, so I use the "Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter"
The MBP must be plugged into the power adapter
System Preferences >display>scaled>show mirror options in menu bar, box checked.

HTH

Daryl

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: Xairbusdriver on December 15, 2013, 04:36:30 PM

HDMI was not designed for simple things. I hear nothing but complaints about, especially when used with a computer. There are different versions, some don't even pass audio (not a problem in your case, of course). Our "new" cable box won't feed an even newer Sony DTV, although that's how the Apple TV connects (I think). I second an adaptor method. Even ThunderStorm or whatever it's called. Apparently, HDMI was created/designed to protect video products not provide help to consumers.

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: beacher on December 15, 2013, 06:39:18 PM

Thanks, guys; I guess that I stop by the Apple Store to pick up an adapter tomorrow on the way to work!

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: Paddy on December 15, 2013, 11:18:10 PM

Strange. I have an HDMI cable that I use for my Retina that connects just fine with our Panasonic plasma TV, so it may be the cable. Have you tried all available settings in the System prefs?

Read this thread at Apple on various connection adventures with the Retinal: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/402915...30&tstart=0

I'd talk to a Genius (or call Apple) to see what they recommend.

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: gunug on December 16, 2013, 01:21:35 PM

QUOTE

Strange. I have an HDMI cable that I use for my Retina that connects just fine with our Panasonic plasma TV, so it may be the cable. Have you tried all available settings in the System prefs?

I'll agree with Paddy that there are some less than functional HDMI cables out there; I got a couple from a regular vendor and had them prove to be non-working and was sent new one's automatically when I brought this up as they'd had a shipment of bad cables. This wasn't a Macbook Pro (my Pro's so far as I've seen around don't have the HDMI connector, maybe the next batch!

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: beacher on December 17, 2013, 11:58:26 AM

This one was easy, but not at all obvious. The HDMI works fine, but what I was missing was that you have to enable the Bluetooth, and that just doesn't make sense to this ol' luddite, but as soon as I did that, and closed the lid of the MB, bang. . . Right there! I have no idea why bluetooth should have to be enabled, but it doesn't matter, 'cause now I'm a happy camper! As I had suspected, I haven't seen a huge difference in anything except startup time (the trackpad is still a bit "touchy", but I'm starting to get used to it), but I haven't started working with the photo processing; that's where I'm hoping to see a HUGE increase in speed over the PC that I had been using.

Thanks, guys, for the suggestions!

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: Xairbusdriver on December 17, 2013, 01:57:28 PM

Well! We all just ASSUMED you had enabled Bluetooth...

Anyway, congratulations!

BTW, I hope you have not plugged in the charger backwards! Apparently, that causes the battery to drain into the outlet and can possibly electrocute a neighbor if they stick a screw driver into an outlet in their house!!! That is, if they don't also have Bluetooth enabled...

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: beacher on December 18, 2013, 11:58:29 AM

Jim. . . Jim. . .JIM. . . You know what you do when you "assume" something! Ya gots ta remember, I'm an old luddite that had to be dragged into this. All I've done for the last 7 years is lurked in the corners here, while all of you skipped ahead into "my" future; I feel like I just experienced a time warp!

However, I really appreciate the help, and figure that I'm probably not done pickin' your brains yet. . .

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: RNKIII on December 18, 2013, 06:06:14 PM

So, what does having Bluetooth turned on contribute to the transfer of sound/video if you have a direct HDMI connection???
It is certainly not something I would have considered as a requirement..

Bob K. rnkiii

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: beacher on December 19, 2013, 02:13:59 AM

I don't have a clue, but it wouldn't connect without the Bluetooth being turned on. Must be part of Apple's "Think Different!" philosophy.

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: Xairbusdriver on December 19, 2013, 02:36:22 PM

What color was the HDMI cable?

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: beacher on December 19, 2013, 03:45:24 PM

Black; is this like "your car will go 15 mph faster if it's red!"?

Title: Connecting the new Macbook pro to a monitor?
Post by: Xairbusdriver on December 19, 2013, 03:58:34 PM

QUOTE

Black; is this like "your car will go 15 mph faster if it's red!"?

Don't be silly! Everyone knows that's an old tech wive's tale! Or maybe you've been listening to <Click and Clack > too long!

No, the problem, obviously, is that the machine could not see the 'black' cable as darker/blacker than the Bluetooth system. They really should have named it Navybluetooth.

Anyway, when the machine didn't detect the correct color, it ended up requiring Bluetooth be enabled.

Ironically, even though your connection wouldn't have been faster with a red cable, it probably would not have taken so much of your time since red is a primary color... like Bluetooth. So, in a sense, it would have been "faster!"