HDMI USB to USB

[angrylad]

Sorry if this has been posted before, but I have just bought a surround sound system that has a HDMI USB type connection on the back of it, can I purchase a cable to hook up to my Mac (USB) and watch movies that I have on my computer?

 

[mathepac]

You want to watch movies on a surround sound system, or did I mis-interpret your post?

 

[angrylad]

I have a surround sound system hooked up to my TV. It has a HDMI USB port in the back of it. I have downloaded movies on my Mac. Can I purchase a USB to HDMI cable to enable me to watch movies from my Mac through my surround sound?

I hope this clarifies my question

 

[rgfuller]

You should read your instruction manual, however I would say that the HDMI port is different from a USB port and is there to allow you to receive HDMI sound signal from another devices - e.g. from a playstation3 - so unless your laptop has a HDMI output port I doubt you can connect them together to watch.

 

[mathepac]

HDMI and USB are different ports with different connectors and pin-outs and I don't know of an adapter to match them up.

If the home cinema system is a new one, it should also have a USB connection and the manual will list the devices that are compatible with it, usually small capacity hard-drives, set-top-box, games machine, etc. so I don't think you will achieve anything by plugging you Mac in there.

Your Mac, you didn't specify laptop or desktop, came with a video-out port (the icon on the port looks like a square in brackets) and an adapter that plugs into this port.

The other end of the adapter takes a standard PC VGA cable. Attach this to the other end of the Mac adapter and attach this directly to your TV's PC port and start you Mac. In effect you will be using your TV as an additional monitor.

As VGA isn't designed to carry audio, you will need to run a cable from the headphone socket on the Mac to an audio in port on either the TV or the home cinema system.

Happy viewing on your surround sound system.

HTH.