# Hooking up Mini to older HDTV



## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

I would like to hook up a Mini to an old plasma that does not have an HDMI input (but it still works great and looks great). It does have component and DVI inputs.

I have an HDMI--->DVI cable, and I also have a 3.5mm plug--->composite cable (red, white and yellow) that came with my Roku. Will these cables work to get me HD video and audio, or do I need to order the cables from Tivo.com?


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

HDMI->DVI should work for video. Here's the tech info on the other jacks, so you'll have to make the call on that.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=502081


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

ferky1 said:


> I would like to hook up a Mini to an old plasma that does not have an HDMI input (but it still works great and looks great). It does have component and DVI inputs.
> 
> I have an HDMI--->DVI cable, and I also have a 3.5mm plug--->composite cable (red, white and yellow) that came with my Roku. Will these cables work to get me HD video and audio, or do I need to order the cables from Tivo.com?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/TiVo-Mini-3...site-Cables-/281524478340?hash=item418c2aa184
These are a bit cheaper than Tivo. But I would try messing with the cables you have already from your Roku, you might have to switch the colors around though to get them to work.


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## mmmm_beer (Apr 18, 2002)

I don't think that the HDMI to DVI will work, since the mini needs to do the HDMI handshake to play protected programs. I have an older TV that doesn't have HDMI and I ordered a cable off ebay that was for a WD device and it worked great. I see on another thread someone posted that these work too http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008SO5LDQ . It isn't your standard 3.5mm to RCA connectors so you need to make sure that you purchase the correct one. I bought the wrong one first and if you do, you won't get a clear picture and you will get a horrible buzzing and nothing you do will clear it up.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

mmmm_beer said:


> I don't think that the HDMI to DVI will work, since the mini needs to do the HDMI handshake to play protected programs. I have an older TV that doesn't have HDMI and I ordered a cable off ebay that was for a WD device and it worked great. I see on another thread someone posted that these work too http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008SO5LDQ . It isn't your standard 3.5mm to RCA connectors so you need to make sure that you purchase the correct one. I bought the wrong one first and if you do, you won't get a clear picture and you will get a horrible buzzing and nothing you do will clear it up.


Well that's not what I wanted to hear. I sure hope you are wrong. The cables you posted appear to be analog cables, I assume minis can pass a digital signal without HDMI.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ferky1 said:


> Well that's not what I wanted to hear. I sure hope you are wrong. The cables you posted appear to be analog cables, I assume minis can pass a digital signal without HDMI.


The Mini won't output *digital* signals without an HDMI cable, but it will output *HD* signals through the component breakout cables. The link provided above looks like it is just the composite/audio breakout cables. You need both sets, the component video breakout cables for the HD picture and the composite/audio breakout cables for the sound.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> The Mini won't output *digital* signals without an HDMI cable, but it will output *HD* signals through the component breakout cables. The link provided above looks like it is just the composite/audio breakout cables. You need both sets, the component video breakout cables for the HD picture and the composite/audio breakout cables for the sound.


So no DVI? That stinks.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ferky1 said:


> So no DVI? That stinks.


Your mileage may vary. I'd recommend looking for a HDMI-DVI cable that supports HDCP, and give it a try. Regardless, you'd still need the AV breakout cables for audio -- unless the HDMI is being routed through an AV receiver.

I setup a friend w/ such a cable, allowing his HDMI-only AppleTV to connect to his DVI-only projection TV -- running HDMI into his 2008 Denon AVR, and connecting the HDMI/DVI cable from the AVR to his TV.

p.s. see also the 1st response to your post


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ferky1 said:


> So no DVI? That stinks.


It's really not that bad. You probably won't even notice a difference between the HD component output and the HDMI output. I've even read some people claiming that an HD component connection looks better than an HDMI connection on their TVs, especially if their TV is older.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

ferky1 said:


> So no DVI? That stinks.


You could use a splitter to defeat HDCP (ViewHD) and then an HDMI to DVI converter, but I agree with the assertion that component cables give you a signal that is difficult to distinguish from 1080i HDMI.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> Your mileage may vary. I'd recommend looking for a HDMI-DVI cable that supports HDCP, and give it a try. ............


He already has an HDMI to DVI cable. The cable doesn't determine hdcp, the chips in each device do. An HDMI to DVI cable has the same electrical signals on the pins at each end, it's just different plugs. You can test this by using a DVI cable with HDMI adapters on each end for an HDMI hook up and you'll get the full signal, with audio too, and vice versa. HDMI has of course built upon the DVI specs though.

All that matters in his case is if his old plasma has a DVI connection that supports HDCP or not. If not, then one of those splitters that defeats it and were mentioned previously should work. Some DVI connections could actually do audio as well, if they used an HDMI chip internally, but a DVI connection for a more secure screwed in connection, like on some video graphics cards. I doubt your old plasma does though. Does it have optical or coaxial digital audio?

I agree that component won't be all that much different too.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

Roamio Plus, minis, CableCard and MoCA adapter to be delivered today, so I've got my Friday evening activity (although I may have to wait on connecting the mini to the old plasma because that will replace the bedroom DVR, and my **** had better be working well and buttoned up tight before I disconnect the wife's DVR).

I will try with the cables I have in hand, but I don't think the TV supports HDCP. The plasma is from '04/'05 and I don't think has digital audio. It seems that worst case scenario is I pay $8-$15 for the component cables. It would seem to make more sense than buying the $25 HDMI splitter that ej42137 recommends. However, why is that splitter a solution? I imagine that I would go HDMI-HDMI(splitter)HDMI-DVI(TV). How does that solve the HDCP issue?


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## ferrumpneuma (Jun 1, 2006)

I think the splitter makes the HDMI handshake with the TiVo, making the TiVo happy, but the splitter does not require a handshake with the TV, allowing picture.


Maybe?


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

ferrumpneuma said:


> I think the splitter makes the HDMI handshake with the TiVo, making the TiVo happy, but the splitter does not require a handshake with the TV, allowing picture.
> 
> Maybe?


Exactly.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

HarperVision said:


> He already has an HDMI to DVI cable. The cable doesn't determine hdcp, the chips in each device do. An HDMI to DVI cable has the same electrical signals on the pins at each end, it's just different plugs. You can test this by using a DVI cable with HDMI adapters on each end for an HDMI hook up and you'll get the full signal, with audio too, and vice versa. HDMI has of course built upon the DVI specs though.


I'd nitpick that works if you're talking about a DVI-D or DVI-I cable. But DVI-A (analog) isn't inoperable with HDMI, so a pure DVI-A cable wouldn't work with the HMDI adapters (because the digital signal pins wouldn't be connected).

Admittedly the vast majority of DVI equipment and cables are DVI-D or DVI-I; but not 100% of it.


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## ferky1 (May 2, 2002)

I thought I'd close the loop on this and let everyone know that it's working perfectly without need for additional equipment or cables. The HDMI--DVI cable sends a perfect video signal, and the composite cables send the audio. As someone predicted, red/red,white/white produced terrible static, but when I used the yellow connector into the white input, and red/red, it worked.

I have no idea about HDCP, but 100% of this TV's use is network/sports/the wife's reality TV crap, I don't know that I would even notice if it won't display protected content.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

ferky1 said:


> I thought I'd close the loop on this and let everyone know that it's working perfectly without need for additional equipment or cables. The HDMI--DVI cable sends a perfect video signal, and the composite cables send the audio. As someone predicted, red/red,white/white produced terrible static, but when I used the yellow connector into the white input, and red/red, it worked. I have no idea about HDCP, but 100% of this TV's use is network/sports/the wife's reality TV crap, I don't know that I would even notice if it won't display protected content.


That's great to hear ferky1!

FYI, HDCP isn't a protection scheme on a per channel or program basis. It's a protected connection scheme to prevent copying digital AV signals. If your TV didn't support HDCP on its DVI connection and the source did, then it requires your TV to authenticate in order for it to transmit its signal to work. None of the channels would come through if your TV didn't support HDCP. It could also just the the TiVo not enforcing it. I would try playing a bluray through it as they will definitely tell you, unless of course if you have a player that strips it.


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