Kanex brings digital audio into a Display Port to HDMI adapter
When we published our "Ultimate Mac mini Home Theater" guide in August, I drooled along with everyone else at the idea of supercharging my HDTV with a mini for movie and music playback. Something nagged at me, though, as I looked over the options for going from the mini's video-out ports (the current model sports both DVI and Display Port) to the HDMI standard connector that most TVs expect nowadays... how to get that digital audio signal onto the HDMI link, and avoid a second set of cables to handle sound? It seemed less than graceful.
If you want to skip over a clunky external converter box like this one, current minis and other Macs featuring the Mini Display Port connector now have a new option for HDMI; Kanex's two audio-included connectors can put the sound onto the HDMI link where it belongs.
Kanex is selling two models of the connector (both are on extremely limited availability right now, the company says). The $60 Digital Audio version includes a TOSLINK optical connector for premium quality sound, and the USB Audio version delivers analog audio for $50 [as of 10/20, the price has gone up on this unit to $60 as well]. Both let you put all your eggs in the HDMI basket and clear your cable clutter, while simplifying your TV remote input dance as you try to get the audio and video sorted.
We're hoping to get our hands on one of these units soon and we'll let you know how it performs.
Thanks to Michael W. for the tip.
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When we published our "Ultimate Mac mini Home Theater" guide in August, I drooled along with everyone else at the idea of supercharging...
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My Kanex cable came in the mail on Friday and works like a charm on my Mac Mini media center: Beautiful full-screen, 1080p picture and digital audio. Pricey but worth it.
October 11 2009 at 5:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHopefully the new Mac Minis will have an HDMI out port, so we don't ave to drop 60 bucks for an overpriced adapter.
October 05 2009 at 9:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIts about time. I have been wanting to turn the mac Mini into an ultimate HTPC since a got my hands on it. Now once the mini gets blu-ray it would be fantastic.
October 04 2009 at 11:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyQ: What's better than having a single hdmi-out connector?
A: Having adapters that accomplish the same thing, while occupying 3 ports!
Apple really should be commended for their elegant design...
"Q: What's better than having a single hdmi-out connector?
A: Having adapters that accomplish the same thing, while occupying 3 ports!"
Great point, though the USB audio version only needs two ports. Still, it would be nicer to have the mini-DP port to include at least 2-channel sound since the DP spec obviously supports it.
Better yet, I'd trade one USB port on my (Early 2009) mini for an HDMI output (with *supported* audio included).
I don't understand why anyone would want to send high quality (or any) audio through HDMI. Why not send the video to the display, and the audio to your amplifier? There is no reason whatsoever to combine the two.
October 04 2009 at 2:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI need the USB audio version so I can pipe sound from movies on my mini to the TV's HDMI connector while still playing other system, etc. sounds through my normal Altec Lansing 2+1 speakers.
The problem the mini has (and my MacBook is the same way) is that the digital and analog audio are shared in the same connector. This is the only way to easily get dual audio without repurposing one of my FireWire audio interfaces.
Damnit.
I just bought the Mini-DisplayPort to HDMI cable last week.
Does anyone know if there is a comparably-priced analog of this product for us poor souls on the last-gen, DVI mac mini?
October 03 2009 at 4:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyGo to monoprice.com and look at this item: 2080
HDMI female to DVI male
sorry I was wrong about the connector. This what you should get along with a dvi-dvi cable and mini to toslink cable
http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=5369&x=0&y=0
It should be noted though that this solution is limited to the bandwidth of SPDIF and therefore does not support HD audio from Blu-ray Disc or other HD media.
October 03 2009 at 2:46 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replytos-link does have the bandwidth to support DTS-HDMA etc, however it does not support HDCP which is needed to support it.
October 03 2009 at 7:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI bought the conversion box you linked to, but at Monoprice it was $40.60. I added two cables to the order which was another $6. To complete the job, a third cable is needed and a display port to HDMI adapter and a mini DVI to HDMI adapter. Why?
I have a Mini. Using the cables, I connected the mini to the box, and the box to my TV via HDMI. Then I connected the external toslink to my receiver. With another adapter and HDMI to DVI cable to my projector, I have two video and digital audio displays.
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