Is it possible to connect a MacBook to a TV? Connecting MacBook to TV via Wi-Fi and HDMI. For this we need

If you are the owner of one of the iMacs, you have a great opportunity to get a lot of pleasure from “widescreen” watching videos or playing games on the big screen. To do this, just connect your gadget to the TV. We'll show you how to do this using an HDMI connection.

To connect your iMac to your TV using HDMI, make sure the former has one of the following ports – Mini-DVI, Thunderbolt, or Mini-DisplayPort. The TV also needs an appropriate HDMI input (almost all modern models have them). In addition, you will need an adapter (Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt to HDMI with audio support) and an HDMI cable (for greater convenience, it is better to take a longer one). Let's start the process by connecting one end of the adapter to the video output port (Thunderbolt or Mini-DisplayPort) of your iMac, and the other end to an HDMI cable. The latter, in turn, is connected to the corresponding TV port.


Now we turn on the iMac and use the remote control (in most cases) to switch the video signal on the TV to HDMI. The result of the manipulations should be the desktop of your gadget on the TV screen. To get this result, you may have to try connecting to several HDMI ports on your TV (there can be up to 6 of them) until you find the right one.


You can stop at this stage, but for greater comfort it is better to make a few more adjustments to the TV screen. For example, if the resolution of your TV screen is less than 1080p, then it is better to enable Display Mirroring. This can be done after successfully connecting your Mac and TV through System Preferences. There we select the “Monitors” menu, and in it – the middle tab, where we enable mirroring.


If the resolution of your TV is high and at the same time higher than the resolution of the Mac, we recommend making the TV screen in this tandem the leading one. To do this, in the same middle tab from step 4, drag the white line from the smaller screen to the larger one.


To output sound to the speakers of your TV, in the same “System Settings” go to “Sound”. In it, select the “Output” tab and the option with HDMI. Please note that in this case you will no longer be able to control the volume through the Mac - only through the remote control or TV buttons.


Using the instructions on the Apple website, it’s easy to select the right adapter, even if you don’t know their names

24.11.14 at 14:57

Sooner or later, every Mac owner needs to connect his pet to the screen of a large TV. This allows you to show presentations or watch videos on a larger screen. If you want to connect your Mac to your TV you will need 2 things:

Understand which output port is installed on your Mac
- Buy the appropriate adapter cable

The process of connecting your iMac to your TV and finding the right cable is made easier by a special page on the Apple website, which allows you to first select the connector that is on your Mac. Although the connectors look intricate, even if you don’t remember their names, using icons, photographs and descriptions, it’s not difficult to find the name of yours.


The second step is to select the type of connector that your TV or projector has. The last step is to purchase the adapter you need from Apple.

Moshi adapter for connecting Mac to TV via HDMI

There is another Moshi Mini DisplayPort to HDMI (4K) adapter, which is created by a third party and which is not present in the above tips. The convenience of this adapter is that if you have Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 2, you can connect your Mac to your TV via HDMI. At the same time, the adapter supports the new Ultra HD (4K) standard.

Any Apple computer supports the ability to connect third-party monitors or TVs. However, to do this you will have to acquire adapters, or study the detailed connection instructions. Next, you will learn how to connect your MacBook to your TV.

How can I connect?

Connecting to a second monitor or TV is necessary in cases where you want to display the image from a small laptop screen to a large format. A convenient opportunity to watch movies or show presentations. The connection can be made using a cable or via a wireless network if the second device supports this mode. Let's look at each method in more detail.

How to connect macbook air, pro or imac to TV?

Connection interfaces for Apple computers and year of manufacture. All modern devices have a built-in new USB-C interface, which will require adapters for HDMI, DVI, and so on (depending on the connector on your TV). Before purchasing an adapter, decide on the connector on your TV. Typically, all interfaces are located on the rear or bottom panel of the case. Remember that the DVI connector does not transmit audio, so take care of a second adapter. If your laptop has an HDMI connector, you won't need an adapter.

After you buy the adapter and the necessary cable, you can connect your MacBook to your TV. Next, make the following settings:

  1. connect the two devices using a cable and adapter (depending on the situation with the connectors);
  2. in the TV menu, select the mode that corresponds to the name of the connected cable;
  3. go to your computer's system settings;
  4. go to the “Displays” tab;
  5. then go to the “Settings” section;
  6. set the appropriate image duplication parameters;
  7. Now in the “System Preferences” window, go to “Sound”;
  8. select the adapter that is responsible for transmitting sound.

How to display an image from a MacBook to a TV via Wi-Fi?

To connect wirelessly, you need to purchase an Apple TV and connect it to your TV. The connection is established using the AirPlay utility. Please note that wireless connection between a computer and a third-party display is only possible when using the Mac operating system 10.8 or later. Next, follow these steps:

  1. connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network;
  2. On your laptop, open system settings and go to the Displays tab;
  3. in the AirPlay Display line, select Apple TV;
  4. After that, click on the “apply” button.

After completing the described steps, the image will appear on the second screen. Now you know how to connect a MacBook to a TV via HDMI, adapters or Wi-Fi network. In all cases, you cannot do without purchasing additional devices or adapters from Apple.

Locate your TV's HDMI connector. TVs come with a variety of video connectors, but almost all high-definition TVs have an HDMI connector. You will get the best results if you connect your computer and TV using an HDMI cable.

  • The HDMI connector is usually located on the back or side of the TV. Most modern HDTVs have at least two HDMI connectors.
  • If your TV doesn't have an HDMI connector, find out what video connector your TV and computer have, and then buy the appropriate adapter.

Locate your computer's video connector. Mac computers released in the last 8 years send video and audio through one of the following ports:

  • Thunderbolt 3: The oval connector (also known as USB/C) located on the back of late-model iMac computers and MacBook laptops. If your computer has one, buy a USB/C to HDMI cable.
  • Thunderbolt 2: The square connector found on older Mac computers. If your computer has one, you'll need a Thunderbolt2 to HDMI cable (or a Thunderbolt2 to HDMI adapter and HDMI cable).
  • HDMI: This connector is found on older MacBook laptop models. In this case, use a standard HDMI cable.

  • Buy the correct cable. An HDMI cable is available at most electronics stores, but you'll have to look for a USB/C-HDMI or Thunderbolt2-HDMI cable.

    • Custom cables can be found at specialty computer stores or online retailers.
    • If you need to buy an adapter because your TV doesn't have an HDMI connector, look for a [computer video connector]-[TV video connector] adapter (for example, a USB/C-VGA or Thunderbolt2-VGA adapter); Also, don't forget to buy an audio cable (audio to RCA) to transfer audio from your computer to your TV.
    • Chances are you won't be able to find an RCA adapter.
    • HDMI, Thunderbolt 2, and Thunderbolt 3 cables (and their adapters) carry both video and audio signals.

  • Connect one end of the cable to your computer. If you are using a non-standard cable (not an HDMI cable), connect a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 2 plug to your computer.

    • If you are using an HDMI cable, connect either of the cable's two plugs to your computer.
    • If you are using an adapter (non-HDMI), connect one end of the audio cable to the headphone jack (on your computer).

  • Connect the other end of the cable to the HDMI connector on your TV. The HDMI connector is located on the side or back of the TV. The plug is inserted into the socket only one way, so do not force it.

    • If you are using a non-standard cable (not HDMI), connect the other end of the cable to the video jack on your TV, and then connect the other end of the audio cable to the RCA jacks (these are marked red and white).

  • Turn on the TV. Press the power button

    It's very easy from Apple - you just need to get the appropriate cable. But what if you decide to make friends between your Mac and a regular TV? You can, of course, use a special Apple TV set-top box, but other connection methods have certain advantages.

    We are talking, as you probably already guessed, about an HDMI cable. This is truly the best tool for displaying images from the display of a MacBook, iMac or even Mac mini on a TV screen. Of course, AirPlay also allows you to carry out this operation via, but HDMI is still the undisputed leader. Not only is it cheaper, but it can also provide high-quality images, while AirPlay is completely dependent on your Internet connection.

    Many Apple computers are equipped with an HDMI port, so connecting a device is no more difficult than via Thunderbolt. But the same MacBook Air cannot boast of having it, so we will look at several alternative methods.

    So, we will need:

    • Mac computer with a Mini-Display, Mini-DVI, or Thunderbolt port
    • Mini-DisplayPort/Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter with audio support
    • HDMI cable
    • TV with HDMI port
    • A couple of thousand rubles to purchase this equipment (in Russia) or 500 rubles (through eBay or Amazon)

    I believe almost everyone knows what an HDMI cable looks like, but here’s what an adapter from Thunderbolt to HDMI is:

    Let's assume that we have successfully completed the purchase of equipment, now we proceed directly to connecting the computer to the TV. There is a certain sequence of actions here that is highly recommended not to be violated.

    • Connecting a Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter to your Mac
    • Then we connect the HDMI cable to it, and connect the other side to the TV
    • Turn on the computer
    • Turn on the TV and select HDMI as the image transmission interface (usually using the button on the remote control)

    Your Mac will immediately make friends with your TV, and after all the above operations it will look something like this:

    By default, your Mac detects your TV as an external display, so it streams to both screens. But if you, for example, watch movies or play games, you simply don’t need a second screen (on a computer). To do this, you need to go to system settings, select the “Monitors” tab and disable video mirroring.

    To configure audio output via HDMI, you need to select the “Sound” section in system settings and go to the “Output” tab.

    OS X provides hotkeys for zooming in on the screen. This list is very useful when watching movies, and you can study it in the “Universal Access” section of the system settings.

    Be sure to get a good video player, especially for watching Blu-ray movies. Not every application is able to cope with a file whose size exceeds 50 gigabytes. I would recommend XBMC and Plex, although I haven't had any serious complaints with MPlayerX so far.