New Macs connecting to HDTVs: they just work
I know, I know, it's a cliche, but it never ceases to amaze me how true it can be. I have been connecting computers to HDTVs that don't support PC resolutions for years. I have even written about the challenges here at HDBeat. Well today I connected my MacBook pro to my HDTV via DVI for the first time and I am here to tell you: it just works.
If you have ever tried to connect a PC to a HDTV that only accepts 1080i you know how challenging it can be. If you are one of the lucky ones that has a HDTV that supports PC resolutions, than you just won't understand. If you are not so lucky, software has to be installed and tweaked, drivers might need to be updated or changed. You might get VNC working in advanced to help you out, when things go wrong.
Not on a new Mac: It just works, seriously you plug in the DVI cable and OSX does the rest. It sets the appropriate resolution for your TV, how it knows I don't know, but let me tell you it does. Now some HDBeat readers aren't content
when things "just work" and for those people there are advanced settings such as overscan correction and pre-set color profiles. Don't go looking in your display preferences just yet, they only show up if the DVI is connected to a HDTV.
The other thing that just works is sound. With the correct cable you can output digital audio out of your Mac to your AV receiver and enjoy your videos in Dolby Digital 5.1 Just make sure you plug the cable into the out, not the in like me, a quick search through the manual solved that one.
I am thrilled that it is this easy and I hope that future Windows PCs are this easy, yet another reason to look forward to Vista.
