# Problem watching movies onto iTunes via hdmi from laptop.



## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Downloaded the apple remote app to my iPhone and iPad earlier, well impressed can control my laptop now, so I hooked it up to the plasma with a hdmi and now have a way way to play all my music, audio books, music videos and movies. 

Works really well on audio with really nice visualisations onscreen.

But weirdly when I play a movie the sound only comes from the laptop.

So:

-Music and audio plays via the hdmi onto the TV via iTunes with visualisations and sound.
-Movies play via the hdmi onto the tv via iTunes but the sound only comes from the laptop speakers.

It's odd, anyone know if it's a setting I am missing or just apples way of getting me to buy apple TV (which is on my Christmas list.

I've searched the net and specific apple forums but found nothing.


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Danno1975 said:


> I've searched the net and specific apple forums but found nothing.


I am the google master!....unless you've tried these already?



> At the apple store, the apple tech took the machine to the back, out of sight, and returned about 20 mins later to say that it was working fine. I asked to have it hooked up to one on display - so I could see for myself. We hooked it up to an HDTV via HDMI and booted up. Went to System Preferences > Sound and selected: "Panasonic TV" as the output device. I still could not adjust the volume bar (it went greyed out) - but I could crank up the tv volume directly and get sound. Great! Sort of... While now I could get sound - it was not the same as before where I could control the sound through the mac - only directly through the TV. The Apple guy said that he didn't know what I was talking about - and said that they way the machine was now working was the proper way. He unhooked my mac mini, and gave it to me, and walked away.





> Wouldn't you know it, just figured it out. You have to make sure that itunes is not loaded before hooking up the HDMI cable. So,
> 
> turn off itunes,
> hook up the HDMI cable,
> ...





> I had the same problem - using a Yamaha RX-V661 to an LG 42LB5D. Same symptoms, but the Yamaha was able to tell me that the audio stream to the HDMI was analog. I think the problem is in the HDMI handshaking processs. I turned everything off, then turned each component on again, first the TV, then the Yamaha, then the Mac. Great sound! Now the units HDMI interfaces seem to handshake OK. It is all about content protectin - you would probably have no trouble if you could send the sudio separately via the optical interface.BTW the volume control in Safart won't work, but the one in iTunes works fine.





> Had the same problem. To fix it, I went to the sound utility in the "control panel." In there, I had to select my output as my home theater receiver and it worked perfectly. Need to do this under two separate tabs in the sound utility. Don't think it's a handshake issue after all. Maybe it is for other people. Hopefully it helps someone else.


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## adamck (Dec 2, 2010)

Ok so... with my MacbookPro i use a Mini-Display port > HDMI (as mac's dont have HDMI/VGA/DVI out)

On a laptop the HDMI is supposed to just carry images (not sound) as its an output from your graphics card, and the speakers/headphone/mic is outputted from the sound card.

So what i do it hook up the HDMI, then use a 3.5mm headphone jack>headphone jack (the ones found on most pc speakers) and hook it into the 3.5mm input on the back of the TV (usually right next to the VGA/RGB/pc input).

See PC input headphone jack hole here (NOTE THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS THE 'HEADPHONE OUT' HOLE)









3.5mm headphone > Headphone









On my LG this works on HDMI 1 only! HDMI 2 wont allow this method.

On my SONY TV i have an external amp, so for this i have a 3.5mm jack > phono (headphone > red&white) which is plugged into the CD input on my amp.

Headphone > red&white phono









I change the TV to HDMI1 and the Amp to CD and its fine 

Also you will find iTunes is abit crap, try XBMC instead, its a free media centre that you can install on PC, Mac, Linux, Apple TV, WD live etc... and there are about 6 different free apps for it (Constellation is great).

XBMC
http://xbmc.org/










This will allow you to manage the media centre, play music, play films, see photos, access BBC iPlayer and tons of other cool features.

Seriously kicks iTunes Ass for usability and looks (its so sexy to look at!) and did i mention its free


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## adamck (Dec 2, 2010)

BTW Apple TV is great, mine shall be arriving today and getting jailbroken with XBMC and all hooked up to my 40" Sony and SONY amp.

I will show pic and review the setup on DW when its all up and running


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Danno1975 said:


> On a laptop the HDMI is supposed to just carry images (not sound) as its an output from your graphics card, and the speakers/headphone/mic is outputted from the sound card.


But it DOES carry sound for itunes music - just not with films. HDMI from my Mac mini works fine (although i use Plex not itunes or XBMC). So i think it's a setting/hdmi handshake issue?


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

What TV do you have? I wouldn't be surprised if it was a DRM problem.


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## adamck (Dec 2, 2010)

Try this?



> Guys, I came across this post when connecting my Mac Mini to the TV via HDMI recently.
> 
> Make sure you aren't being impatient when selecting the TV as audio output via Preferences > Audio > Output.
> 
> ...


Ive always just used the 3.5mm jack


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Bero said:


> I am the google master!....unless you've tried these already?


Yep .

Already set up as my Panasonic panel, and hdmi for sound in control panel etc


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

jamest said:


> What TV do you have? I wouldn't be surprised if it was a DRM problem.


It's a Panasonic Veira plasma.


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Hey all thanks for the assist, I watched despicable me earlier with the kids (doing days day care today). And surprise surprise, I've now got sound from the tv via the hdmi!!!. This is a digital copy of the bluray, will try one of the movies I've converted from DVD with video wizard to see if this they now have sound too.

So it either fixed, or it is a DRM related issue in iTunes.

Still can't get the laptop desk top properly displayed (a bit too big) tried all the resolutions but not too bothered.

Playback was a bit jumpy earlier and I can't get shot of the mouse cursor on movie play back, I open the laptop and move it but it just pops right back up center screen when I shut the laptop lid. Will play around with that.

Tbh as per Adam CK's comment the movie play back was a bit jumpy which surprised me as its fine when running on the laptop which is a new one so in molested, clean and not too weedy, 4 Gig of Ram and an entry level pentium i3 dual core processor.

I've also got the iPad component cable for movies too but this won't let me view Bbc Iyar from iPad on screen one sound.

Need to get my head round all the options and possibilities


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