How to connect macbook sound to tv

These days, as more and more people are watching their movies and TV shows via a streaming service, the line between computer and television is growing ever more blurred.

But even if you're watching a show via Netflix, chances are your big flat screen TV is going to offer a better viewing experience than the computer you use to go online.

Connecting a Mac to a television allows you access to the world wide web on a much larger screen. Using a TV with a Mac can also give you a second monitor, making work or gaming more productive and enjoyable. And in many cases, you can even connect two external monitors or TVs at once.

Here's how to connect your mac to any TV, using either a wired cable or wireless screen mirroring.

How to connect a Mac to a TV with a cable

If you have an older Macbook with a Thunderbolt or HDMI output, you can hardwire your Mac to most recent TVs — just note you may need a cable that converts to HDMI if using the Thunderbolt port.

1. Connect the computer's output to a video input on the TV.

2. On your Mac, click the Apple logo in the top left corner, and then select System Preferences.

3. Click Displays.

The “System Preferences” window on Mac, with the “Displays” option highlighted.

Click "Displays."Stefan Ionescu

4. Click Display Settings in the bottom left corner.

5. On the next window, make sure Default for display is selected, as this will almost always be the best choice.

The “Displays” window on Mac, with the “Default for display” option highlighted.

Selecting "Default for display" will let your Mac automatically find and select the best settings for your monitor.Stefan Ionescu

6. Most HDTVs can also play audio from a Mac via HDMI cable. Click the Apple logo in the top left corner, and then select System Preferences.

7. Click Sound.

The “System Preferences” window on Mac, with the “Sound” option highlighted.

Click "Sound."Stefan Ionescu

8. Select the connected TV.

The “Sound” window on Mac, with the speakers of a TV highlighted.

Click "Displays."Stefan Ionescu

Note: Older computers and/or TVs may require connecting the two devices via the Mac's headset jack to an audio input using a second cable.

How to wirelessly connect a Mac to a smart TV

If you're trying to connect to a Smart TV that supports AirPlay, then the steps are simple.

1. On the Mac, click the Apple logo in the top left corner, and then System Preferences.

2. Click Displays.

The “System Preferences” window on Mac, with the “Displays” option highlighted.

Click "Displays."Stefan Ionescu

3. Select your TV from the AirPlay Display drop-down menu.

Even if your TV doesn't support AirPlay, you can still connect to it wirelessly using the Screen Mirroring feature.

1. Click Control Center – the icon with two vertically-stacked toggles – on the right side of the menu bar at the top.

2. Click Screen Mirroring.

3. In the pop-up, select the TV you want to connect to. Your Mac's screen will be mirrored almost immediately.

Steven John

Freelance Writer

Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com.

For Mac models that have Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt, it is possible to use an HDMI adapter to connect to some of our newer classrooms and project a much higher quality image. However, not all computers that have Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt can send the audio over the same cable as video due to incomplete design by the manufacturer. Right now, we are aware of certain Mac computers that cannot output audio over the HDMI cable. Roughly, this includes Mac laptops made before Mid-2010. There is no definitive list of these computer models that do not support audio over the video cable. There is, however, a list of Mac computer models that do support both audio and video over the HDMI cable with the appropriate adapter.

Potential audio problems when connecting a Mac to a projector using HDMI

We have noticed that some combinations of Mac computer + HDMI adapter + classroom projection system may produce valid video projection but no audio. Dana Auditorium is one location where this may happen. Here are some steps to remedy this:

Ensure that you have firmly connected the HDMI cable to the appropriate HDMI adapter and that the adapter is firmly connected to your Mac computer.
Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen and click System Preferences.
In the System Preferences window, click Sound and under the Output tab, select the HDMI option. This should produce both audio and video projection.
If there is still no audio, follow the next steps, as well.
Click on the search button in the top right corner of the screen and type Audio MIDI Setup. In the list of search results, click on the Audio MIDI Setup application.
In the Audio MIDI Setup application, click on the HDMI option in the list of devices on the left. In the right-hand portion of the screen, ensure that Format is set to 48000 Hz and 2-ch 24bit. The settings take effect immediately - just close the MIDI setup application.
Contact the Helpdesk if the above steps did not help.

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