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is a new Mac Mini compatible with a bravia 32n4000 tv?

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ljjames

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That's it.

I haven't bought the minimac yet but heard it would be good with a monitor.

the TV is under my couch - teehee - been there for years.

thank you so much!

clueless gamma,

lorraine

p.s. if this is the wrong site to ask this, please let me know where to ask.
 
ljjames said:
what do you think of these 2?

LG 27UL550-W 27 Inch 4K UHD IPS LED HDR Monitor with Radeon Freesync Technology and HDR 10, Silver

$346.99

.

You had mentioned this one early in our convo and CAcreeks just mentioned it again but (see below) does that mean it isn't backed by A or some other reason it's not a good choice
…

Philips 288E2E 28" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD 3840x2160 IPS, 120% sRGB, FreeSync, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement

Amazon'sChoicein Computer Monitors by Philips Computer Monitors

$359.99

Ships fromAmazon

Sold byS&D Exchange
Click to expand...
"Ships from Amazon, sold by S&D Exchange" means that S&D Exchange is storing some monitors in Amazon's warehouses, and paying Amazon to do warehouse and shipping operations for them.

In this case, you can get a better price ($279.99) for the Philips monitor by buying it from Amazon.com itself. I'm guessing that the reason that the page comes up with the higher S&D price listed more prominently is that Amazon is trying to keep the business of their "Fulfilled by Amazon" (or similar) vendors. Sort of like how many camera vendors only offer list price on their sites, even if many camera stores sell the same cameras at a discount.

Amazon's description says that the Philips monitor comes with a 4-year warranty (in the U.S.). LG's site says that their monitor comes with a 1-year warranty.

Reviews and specifications make it sound like either could work for you. (You may want to run either monitor in a Retina "like 2560x1440" or "like 1920x1080" mode when doing text work.)

https://monitornerds.com/lg-27ul550-review/

https://www.displayninja.com/lg-27ul500-review/

https://monitornerds.com/philips-28...ips-monitor-for-daily-use-highly-recommended/

https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/philips-288e2uae-288e2e/

Since you can get the Philips monitor for $280 (with a 4-year warranty), versus getting the LG one for $347 (with a 1-year warranty), the opportunity to save $67 (+ sales tax on $67) might indicate that the Philips monitor would be a better choice for you.
 
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Tom_N said:
Since you can get the Philips monitor for $280 (with a 4-year warranty), versus getting the LG one for $347 (with a 1-year warranty), the opportunity to save $67 (+ sales tax on $67) might indicate that the Philips monitor would be a better choice for you.
Click to expand...
When i search for a phillips for $280, this is what i get:

Please give me the amazon page you mean.
 
ljjames said:
Please give me the amazon page you mean.
Click to expand...
It's the same Amazon page to which you gave a link earlier:
Tom_N said:
Philips 288E2E 28" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD 3840x2160 IPS, 120% sRGB, FreeSync, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement
Click to expand...
It opens up with
  • $359.99
  • Ships from Amazon
  • Sold by S&D Exchange
and that's the seller and price that you'll get if you click on the big "Add to Cart" button. It's not the best deal you can get, though!

You need to scroll down the page, and look for the box that says "New & Used (7) from $279.99 & FREE shipping." Click on the "New & Used," and a pop-up window comes up. This window includes "6 other [purchasing] options", including one that says
  • New
  • $279.99
  • Ships from Amazon.com
  • Sold by Amazon.com
I can't give you a direct link, because it's a pop-up that doesn't have its own URL.

If you want to buy the monitor directly from Amazon.com, for the $279.99 price, click on the appropriate "Add to Cart" button in the pop-up window. (The "Other Sellers on Amazon" box, on the main page, has a "$279.99 … Sold by: Amazon.com" box that looks like a shortcut to the same thing. I prefer to bring up the "New & Used" pop-up window because that one also tells you whether the price is for a new monitor or a used one.)

Double-check your shopping cart afterwards to make sure that you clicked on the right offer. I think you should see the $279.99 price right away, and you'll see both the price and the seller in the final review screen (final chance to cancel) before placing the order. There's another seller offering a used monitor for $409 (!!!) and a new one for $499 (!!!), and I suspect that you wouldn't want to take either of those offers by mistake.
 
Last edited:
Tom_N said:
Double-check your shopping cart afterwards to make sure that you clicked on the right offer. I think you should see the $279.99 price right away, and you'll see both the price and the seller in the final review screen (final chance to cancel) before placing the order. There's another seller offering a used monitor for $409 (!!!) and a new one for $499 (!!!), and I suspect that you wouldn't want to take either of those offers by mistake.
Click to expand...
hmmm... in the final review screen (final chance to cancel) before placing the order:

Philips 288E2E 28" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD 3840x2160 IPS, 120% sRGB, FreeSync, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement

$279.99 Prime FREE Delivery & FREE Returns

Qty: 1
Sold by:Amazon.com

Services LLC
 
Last edited:
ljjames said:
Sold by:Amazon.com

Services LLC
Click to expand...
Amazon is a huge conglomerate that is in various businesses. After they developed all of the stuff to operate their own retail business, they realized that with a bit of work, they could make extra money by selling services to other businesses.

For instance, Amazon sells a lot of cloud services (computing, database, storage), and in that business, they compete directly with the likes of IBM.

Like Google, Amazon has organized itself into several companies, with a parent company that controls the others. Amazon.com Services LLC appears to the the one that runs the retail marketplace. (The LLC stands for Limited Liability Corporation – having a separate company is one way of minimizing legal risks.)

When you see Amazon.com Services LLC as the seller, I believe that means that Amazon itself (this part of the Amazon conglomerate) is the retailer.

eBusinessBoss – What Is Amazon LLC? (What You Need to Know)
 
Last edited:
Tom_N said:
ljjames said:
Sold by:Amazon.com

Services LLC
Click to expand...
Amazon is a huge conglomerate that is in various businesses. After they developed all of the stuff to operate their own retail business, they realized that with a bit of work, they could make extra money by selling services to other businesses.

For instance, Amazon sells a lot of cloud services (computing, database, storage), and in that business, they compete directly with the likes of IBM.

Like Google, Amazon has organized itself into several companies, with a parent company that controls the others. Amazon.com Services LLC appears to the the one that runs the retail marketplace. (The LLC stands for Limited Liability Corporation – having a separate company is one way of minimizing legal risks.)

When you see Amazon.com Services LLC as the seller, I believe that means that Amazon itself (this part of the Amazon conglomerate) is the retailer.

eBusinessBoss – What Is Amazon LLC? (What You Need to Know)
Click to expand...
so this IS the ine i should buy?
 
I DID IT!!! :-) :-) :-):-) :-)

.

Philips 288E2E 28" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD 3840x2160 IPS, 120% sRGB, FreeSync, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement

$279.99 Prime FREE Delivery & FREE Returns
Sold by:Amazon.com Services LLC

.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
 
Last edited:
ljjames said:
I DID IT!!! :-) :-) :-):-) :-)

.

Philips 288E2E 28" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD 3840x2160 IPS, 120% sRGB, FreeSync, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement

$279.99 Prime FREE Delivery & FREE Returns
Sold by:Amazon.com Services LLC

.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Click to expand...
Congratulations. You should have both the Mini and a monitor in a few days.

Have you gotten a keyboard and a mouse yet? You don't need an Apple keyboard, but I would recommend either an Apple keyboard, or a third-party keyboard whose key caps are marked with Mac names and symbols for the Control, Option, and Command keys; and with Mac symbols for the function keys (F1 – F12).
 
Tom_N said:
Congratulations. You should have both the Mini and a monitor in a few days.

Have you gotten a keyboard and a mouse yet? You don't need an Apple keyboard, but I would recommend either an Apple keyboard, or a third-party keyboard whose key caps are marked with Mac names and symbols for the Control, Option, and Command keys; and with Mac symbols for the function keys (F1 – F12).
Click to expand...
i have a mac kb. cute little plug-into-port-on-computer for my wireless mouse. I don't have a printer ... yet.

.

you recommended these but i don't know if i need them for this computer/monitor combo:

You can get inline plug adapters that let you plug USB-A peripherals like keyboards, mice, and printers into the USB4 ports. For instance, Amazon sells two-packs of Syntech USB-C plug adapters that operate at USB 3.0 speed and cost $10 – $13 per pack (depending on the color you choose). https://www.amazon.com/Syntech-Adapter-Thunderbolt-Compatible-MacBook/dp/B07CVX3516/?th=1

There are USB-A hubs that plug into a USB-A port or a USB-C port and give you several – typically four - USB-A ports. This would be a simple way of adding more USB-A ports for the use of a keyboard, mouse, printer, memory card reader, or external SSD or HDD.
 
Hooking up the monitor, keyboard, and mouse shouldn't require any more ports than the Mini has.

Once you add
  • A USB card reader
  • A printer
  • A couple of portable hard drives (for backing up your data)
you may need more USB-A ports, and you can consider the options for doing that (many of which are inexpensive) at that time.
 
Tom, could you see whether i need any of these thingys, now that we know what computer i bought?

you recommended these but i don't know if i need them for this computer:

You can get inline plug adapters that let you plug USB-A peripherals like keyboards, mice, and printers into the USB4 ports. For instance, Amazon sells two-packs of Syntech USB-C plug adapters that operate at USB 3.0 speed and cost $10 – $13 per pack (depending on the color you choose). https://www.amazon.com/Syntech-Adapter-Thunderbolt-Compatible-MacBook/dp/B07CVX3516/?th=1

There are USB-A hubs that plug into a USB-A port or a USB-C port and give you several – typically four - USB-A ports. This would be a simple way of adding more USB-A ports for the use of a keyboard, mouse, printer, memory card reader, or external SSD or HDD.

..,.,.,.,,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

Philips 288E2E 28" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD 3840x2160 IPS, 120% sRGB, FreeSync, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement

.

Mac mini

Simultaneously supports up to two displays:
  • One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI
Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
  • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)
HDMI display video output
  • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
  • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
Audio
  • Built-in speaker
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • HDMI port supports multichannel audio output
Connections and Expansion

Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for:

DisplayPort
Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)
USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI, and VGA supported using adapters (sold separately)

Two USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s)
HDMI port
Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
3.5 mm headphone jack



18786bdd678a45afb4f50f88d70c7932.jpg.png
 
Tom_N said:
Hooking up the monitor, keyboard, and mouse shouldn't require any more ports than the Mini has.

Once you add
  • A USB card reader
  • A printer
  • A couple of portable hard drives (for backing up your data)
you may need more USB-A ports, and you can consider the options for doing that (many of which are inexpensive) at that time.
Click to expand...
i was composing the last one i sent when you sent this. LOL!

what would i use a USB card reader for? I found this, but i think my brain broke b/c i don't know what it means in terms of examples.

Alternatively known as a media card reader, a card reader is a hardware device for reading and writing data on a memory card such as a multimedia card. Some card readers only have one card slot, and some have multiple card slots for different cards and media.
 
Tom_N said:
Hooking up the monitor, keyboard, and mouse shouldn't require any more ports than the Mini has.

Once you add
  • A USB card reader
  • A printer
  • A couple of portable hard drives (for backing up your data)
you may need more USB-A ports, and you can consider the options for doing that (many of which are inexpensive) at that time.
Click to expand...
SHOOT! i couldn't delete those.

which one would you buy?

Anker USB C Hub , 341 USB-C Hub (7-in-1), with 4K HDMI, 100W Power Delivery, USB-C and 2 USB-A 5Gbps Data Ports, microSD and SD Card Reader, for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, XPS, and More

$34.99

or

Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub , Ultra-Slim Data USB Hub with 2 ft Extended Cable [Charging Not Supported], for MacBook, Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Surface Pro, XPS, PC, Flash Drive, Mobile HDD

17.99
 
ljjames said:
what would i use a USB card reader for?
Click to expand...
Since this is a digital photography site, I thought maybe you had a digital camera. Most dedicated digital cameras (as opposed to smartphones) have removable memory cards. A lot of people like to transfer photos from these cameras to their computers by taking a memory card out of the camera, putting it in a card reader, and importing the photos.

A USB card reader is simply a memory card reader that plugs into a USB port. Most card readers that aren't built-in plug in this way. The M1 Mac Mini doesn't have a built-in card reader, so I assumed that you might be needing one.

If you're taking all of your photos on a smart phone (like an iPhone or an Android phone), and transferring them to your computer via "the cloud", you wouldn't need a card reader.
ljjames said:
I found this, but i think my brain broke b/c i don't know what it means in terms of examples.

Alternatively known as a media card reader, a card reader is a hardware device for reading and writing data on a memory card such as a multimedia card. Some card readers only have one card slot, and some have multiple card slots for different cards and media.
Click to expand...
If you search for "USB card reader" on Amazon, you'll find lots of examples. Key things to look for:
  • What type(s) of memory cards a reader supports. Most cameras that you are likely to have at home use SD, SDHC, or SDXC. Some smart phones and tablets can take "micro" versions of SD, SDHC, and SDXC. Looking at your camera's manual – or the cards you are currently using with it – should give you an idea of what you need.
  • Whether a card reader has a USB 3.0 interface. Some support only USB 2.0, which is much slower at transferring large numbers of photos.
  • Whether you want a desktop card reader (that has a short cable), or a laptop card reader (a tiny device that plugs directly into a USB port). They work the same, but one that has a cable (so you can bring it around to the front/side of the Mac Mini) would be more convenient to use.
For professional photographers who routinely deal with large numbers of photos, things like UHS-I, UHS-II, or UHS-III support are sometimes worth paying extra money to get. In your case, IF you need a card reader, any USB 3.0 one should be plenty fast – and even a USB 2.0 one would likely be tolerable.
 
ljjames said:
Tom_N said:
Congratulations. You should have both the Mini and a monitor in a few days.

Have you gotten a keyboard and a mouse yet? You don't need an Apple keyboard, but I would recommend either an Apple keyboard, or a third-party keyboard whose key caps are marked with Mac names and symbols for the Control, Option, and Command keys; and with Mac symbols for the function keys (F1 – F12).
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
this is the keyboard i have. Is it what you described? (don't know what mac's look like)



7aae6a5e1efb4226bbd3672110896fb7.jpg
 
Tom_N said:
you may need more USB-A ports, and you can consider the options for doing that (many of which are inexpensive) at that time.
Click to expand...
like these? I can't find a simple USB-A port thingy.
 
ljjames said:
this is the keyboard i have. Is it what you described? (don't know what mac's look like)

7aae6a5e1efb4226bbd3672110896fb7.jpg
Click to expand...
The labels on the Control, Option, and Cmd (Command) keys match those on my Apple keyboard. The position and spacing of those keys is a bit different – but assuming that you have no problem touch-typing on the keyboard, you should have no problem with identifying which of those keys to use for common menu shortcuts.

The Fn key markings are different:
  • F1 – F2 have the same brightness control markings as my keyboard.
  • F3 has the same window management marking as my keyboard.
  • F6 – F11 have the same multimedia control markings as my F7 – F12 – but with all of the markings shifted one key to the left.
 
Tom_N said:
you may need more USB-A ports, and you can consider the options for doing that (many of which are inexpensive) at that time.
Click to expand...
in case you missed this one...

like these? I can't find a simple USB-A port thingy.
 
ljjames said:
Tom_N said:
you may need more USB-A ports, and you can consider the options for doing that (many of which are inexpensive) at that time.
Click to expand...
in case you missed this one...

like these? I can't find a simple USB-A port thingy.
Click to expand...
If you had a device with a USB-A cable, and you wanted to plug it into your Mini, using one of these adapters would let you use one of your Mini's Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports (which have USB-C type connectors) as a USB-A / USB 3 port. Effectively, you could treat your Mini as if it had up to four USB-A/USB 3 ports.

One disadvantage is that if you plugged four USB-A devices "directly" into your Mini, with the help of these plug adapters, you might find later that you needed to reclaim one of your Thunderbolt/USB4 ports for something like adding a second monitor. Then you'd need to scramble to find another way (e.g., a traditional four-port USB-A/USB 3 powered hub) to connect your four USB-A devices.

If you only needed, say,
  • A HDMI port (the Mini's HDMI port) to plug in a monitor,
  • A USB-A port to plug in the receiver for your wireless mouse
  • A USB-A port to plug in a wired keyboard
  • A USB-A port to plug in your printer, and
  • A USB-A port that you're willing to "rotate" between other devices (backup HDDs, a card reader, USB flash drives), as needed,
the plug adapter route might work for you.
 
Last edited:
ljjames said:
Click to expand...
These are examples of USB-A hubs. Such hubs typically
  • Plug into a USB-A port. (A few plug into USB-C ports.)
  • Provide four USB-A (2.0) or USB (3.0) ports
  • Come in powered and unpowered versions
  • Have a short cable, which might let you plug them into the back of the Mini, but position them on your desk in such a way that their downstream ports are facing forward. (Convenient if you're temporarily plugging in a device like a hard drive that you use for making backups, or a USB flash drive.)
  • Are inexpensive and available from a variety of manufacturers
USB 2.0 is much slower than USB 3.0. This isn't a problem for keyboards or mice or even printers. It is an issue if you're using external SSDs or HDDs. You'd think that by now, all new USB-A hubs would support USB 3.0, but vendors keep selling USB 2.0 ones. Caveat emptor!

Unpowered hubs draw all of their power from the laptop. The amount they can draw is rather limited – and they must share it between all of their ports. This might be a problem if you were connecting two portable hard drives to the same unpowered hub. Powered hubs have their own AC adapters and so can provide a full supply of USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 power to each of their downstream ports.

Both of these hubs appear to be unpowered, and the first one is also a USB 2.0 hub. A better choice might be
This is by the manufacturer of the first hub that you mentioned, but it supports USB 3.0 and is powered.

One caveat: the description says
ljjames said:
ljjames said:
Please Note: 2.4Ghz wireless devices, such as wireless keyboard and mouse adapters, may not work near USB 3.0 devices or hubs. Connecting to a USB 2.0 port is recommended.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Hopefully, by now, most/all USB 3.0 ports and cables are properly shielded to keep the RF noise from interfering with WiFi, Bluetooth, and/or your mouse's wireless receiver.
 
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