MacBook Pro Question.

[PorscheGuy79]

Hey guys, I have a brand spankin new (okay a couple months old now) MacBook Pro. I love it.

I have a lot of movies and tv shows saved to my external. I know there is a way, though I havent been able to find it, to shut a MacBook Pro while keeping it running to an external output...i.e. my tv which I can do now fine but would like to have the clean look of keeping the book shut while I watch my movie.

I think there is a chance that one of you guys might know. Thanks!

[stomachmonkey]

It needs to sense that an external monitor, mouse and Keyboard are connected.

Depending on how you are cabled to your TV that may qualify as the display. IE; what kind of sync signal. If you are going DVI out to DVI in or DVI out to VGA in you should be good.

Pretty sure a USB keyboard and mouse are a must.

Scott

[PorscheGuy79]

They gotta be usb? Not wireless i take it?

I believe im running DVI to VGA, i have outputs for both S-video and the yellow cable...

[stomachmonkey]

99% sure USB. Can be any keyboard/mouse from an old PC even.

The VGA should be fine. When you have it hooked up does it report the TV as a display?

Question? Why not get an iTV? Friend of mine picked one up and loves. He gets all his content online and streams everything these days.

[Porsche]

I connect my black Macbook to my TV and sound system all the time - I basically close it 99% - not completely shut so it sleeps, but almost - works for me. I think that you can disable the sleep feature on cover closing somewhere but I haven't been bothered.

[Drew001]

What you are trying to accomplish is something called "clamshell mode" - lid closed operation to a TV or monitor.
Check this link

Basically you hook up your external monitor to your MBP with a USB mouse and/or keyboard attached, close the lid, then use the mouse to wake up the monitor.

With your external drive attached to the MBP, you should now be able to use the external monitor as you would normally use the MBP's monitor.

I think I'm understanding what you need to accomplish. If I don't have it right, let me know and we'll dig deeper.
Good luck!

[Deschodt]

And I might add that it's a good idea to put 4 little felt pads under your mac to give it some flow under the the case if you are going to run in clamshell mode !