Is that actually a mini-DVI port on my G5 iMac?

So I can't seem to figure this out...
Is the Mini-DVI connector on the back of the G5 iMac (2 GHz, pre-camera or remote) a jack (male) or a port (female)? I bought one of the Apple mini-dvi -> S-Video & RCA adapter cables, but the mini-DVI end seems to be identical to the machine's connector, and thus they won't mate. Did I just buy the wrong adapter? I doubt this because Apple would have no reason to even make such an adapter, as all its models of computer should have the same sex of plug built-in, and thus no need for a choice between mini-DVI (M) -> whatever versus mini-DVI (F) -> whatever.
Any help or advice?
The mini-DVI connector on the cable has a rectangular metal rim with rounded corners on the bottom. Inside that is a C-shaped (like 3 sides of a long, low rectangle) plastic element with 8 axially parallel contacts on each of: the outside of the top of the C; the inside of the top "..."; the inside of the bottom "..."; and the outside of the bottom "..."; this totals 32 contacts.
This doesn't appear to work with the port on the iMac. The whole in the machine's external frame doesn't immediately contact the outer metal rim of the jack; it appears there's enough space for the sleeve of the connecting plug to slide in betweeen them. Also, the rim seems slightly more rounded/angled than that of the adapter above. Thirdly, the plastic center element is a wide, low rectangle with barely rounded/angled bottom corners (4-sided versus the adapter's 3-sided/C-shpaed central plastic element). Lastly, there are 14 (not 32) contacts in a staggered (not axially parallel) layout which only exist on the inside (not the inside and outside) of the center plastic element.
So what's the story? Do I actually have a mini-VGA port (as in some of the laptops which were advertised as having a mini-DVI port but which were actually mini-VGA)?
Help! I need to get split screens going to start building the audio>visual>audio interface I need for a major installation/performance piece I'm working on.
Thanks,
RealJake

Real, Welcome to the discussion area!
Sorry to douse your enthusiasm but that is NOT a mini-DVI connector. It is a mini-VGA connector.

Similar Messages

  • How can I connect my 2009 Mac Mini to a TV that only has the Component inputs available? My Mac Mini has a Mini DisplayPort and Mini-DVI port. Thanks.

    How can I connect my 2009 Mac Mini to a TV that only has the Component inputs available? My Mac Mini has a Mini DisplayPort and Mini-DVI port. Thanks.

    Composite is analogue with one connector. That is why it is called composite
    Component is analogue with three connections. I think one for each color
    Here is the one for component. I misread composite for component
    http://www.amazon.com/DVI-I-Component-DisplayPort-Female-Adapter/dp/B003OBOJC2

  • Mini-DVI port not working: wear and tear?

    I had been happily using the mini-DVI port to play content on TV, using a DVI to Video adapter : plugging and unplugging probably twice a week.
    Now it seems to have stopped, abruptly: no signal at all is reaching the TV. (Adapter still works fine on my MacBook.)
    What are the chances of wear and tear damaging the DVI port? Is this a complicated fix? Any other thoughts? No recent upgrades or updates.
    "About this Mac" reckons it's mirroring fine, so it feels like a hardware thing. Many thanks in advance.

    Hello ewfelton
    It is very possible that the DVI port on the iMac has been damaged from wear and tear, as it's harder to get at than the MacBook.
    I would disconnect everything from the iMac, grab a clean towel and turn it face down on the desk. Then with a magnifying glass and light inspect the DVI port for a broken or bent pin. In the process of inspecting the port your SMC will also be reset, follow the instruction for "How to reset the System Management Controller" when your done.
    If the port seems OK and the SMC reset doesn't get it going use Disk Utility to Repair Disk Premissions and try it again.
    Your local Apple Store or local Apple Service Provider can replace a bad or damaged DVI port.
    Dennis

  • Mini DVI port not working on Macbook

    I often watch movies streaming on the internet by connecting my Macbook to my television via my Mini DVI to S-video adaptor cable.
    Last week, however, it suddenly stopped working. The television can still detect the display, but the image is super distorted and moving in a static-ey way. I can only vaguely make out the icons on my desktop on the TV screen.
    I thought that perhaps my adaptor cable was at fault, so I bought a new one - but the problem remains. I have also tried resetting the PRAM, repairing the disc and permissions with Disc Utility, and cleaning the Mini DVI port. I am pretty certain that it is a hardware problem with the port itself.
    One of the pins on my Mini DVI port looks like it could be out of place. It is kind of squished at the bottom of the port instead of laying flat like the others. I’m thinking that this might be the culprit. However, I have tried to straighten it out using a safety pin and I’m not really able to do it.
    Am I right to assume this is a hardware problem with my port? Any advice about how I might go about fixing this? Is there a way to repair the port without having to replace the whole logic board?
    The Macbook in question is a 2008 Core 2 Duo running Lion.
    Any suggestions at all would be much appreciated!

    Do not dismiss the possibility that the problem may be with the TV.  Based on what you have tried so far, an appointment at an Apple store genius bar is your best option.  The evaluation will be FREE and then you should be in a position to make an informed decision.
    Ciao.

  • My mini DVI port suddenly stopped working! :(

    Hi! I hope everyone is doing well. I bought a mini DVI port to connect my macbook pro to the projector. It was working perfectly until yesterday, it suddenly stopped. I mean the laptop won't show on the projector. when I play around with the port and the cord and move them, they show a blue screen like the one that appears when the laptop detects a projector but NOTHING happens then. The laptop normal screen comes agian! I know that there is a problem maybe with the cord or the laptop mini DVI slot! How can I know where the problem is? I don't wanna buy a new port then the problem appears to be from the laptop.
    Peace and thanks in advance!

    They tested it with their cable and mine.  First off, they connected an external screen to the mini port.  With their cable and mine, they could not get the "detect display" to see the screen.
    Then they rebooted the machine from an external drive/os and it immediately recognised the external screen.
    So the diagnosis was that it was a software thing.  I asked them if they could refresh the drivers or clear the settings but they were pretty unhelpful - did not want to go there.  Basically they said rebuild the OS from the ground.
    I find this somewhat frustrating as surely there is some soft settings that can be done without rebuilding.  Are there any "preferences" or similar types of things that I can delete out of the library file.....?  (I am not a Mac tech guy - I am a user.....).
    Mark

  • Mini DVI port

    Please,
    Recently I have noticed that the mini dvi port of my MacBook shows some gold metal parts absent. Is it normal or should it be repaired/fixed?
    Because nobody has a macbook here, I do not have how to make a comparison. I made an schematic position of the miniDVI port metal parts of my macbook, where "I" represents the presence of a metal part and "." represents metal part absent.
    top
    I I I I I I I I
    I I I I I I I I
    I I I I . I . I
    I I I I I I I I
    botton
    I have also tried to find out a picture in internet for comparison and I had no success.
    Thanks in advance,
    LabZen

    That's the way mine looks. On top all are present and on the bottom there are two spaces vacant of the metal connections.
    I"ve never plugged mine in so I'm fairly sure that's the way it should be. Of course we might have both lost the exact same connections but that's unlikely!

  • Mini-DVi-port to Mini DisplayPort

    In July 2009 i bought my first Macbook 13". And then on the 4th of october i ordered a new 24" LED Cinema Display. Then after waiting for 1 month i received my items to day only to find out that my Macbook has an mini-DVI-port and not an Mini DisplayPort as the Cinema Display. But if i had waited 1 month i could have bought the new Macbook 13" with a Mini DisplayPort - but who could have known!
    How do i get an adapter for mini-DVI-port on my Mac to Mini DisplayPort on the LED Cinema Display?? Is it possible or should i contact Apple and ask them to trade my new Macbook to a apparently newer version free of charge?
    Please help me - not the best way to start the weekend, and find out that your 899$ Display is useless! :o(

    You need a Mini-DVI to DVI adapter
    <http://store.apple.com/us/product/M9321G/B?fnode=MTY1NDA5OQ&mco=MTA4MzU1NjQ>
    and a DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter
    <http://www.atlona.com/Atlona-DVI-to-Mini-DisplayPort-Converter-p-17859.html>
    <http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=8913>

  • Mini DVI Port has stopped working

    Hi
    I am using a fairly new MacBook Pro 15".  Up until recently, the DVI port was working fine with an external monitor.
    Now all of a sudden, it does not detect an external display at all.
    I am using the Apple Mini DVI port adaptor and the DVI connection to the monitor.  (I have two similar monitors and my wife's machine works fine on both of them so I don't think its the monitor.)
    Running 10.6.8
    Anyone able to help?
    Ta, Mark

    They tested it with their cable and mine.  First off, they connected an external screen to the mini port.  With their cable and mine, they could not get the "detect display" to see the screen.
    Then they rebooted the machine from an external drive/os and it immediately recognised the external screen.
    So the diagnosis was that it was a software thing.  I asked them if they could refresh the drivers or clear the settings but they were pretty unhelpful - did not want to go there.  Basically they said rebuild the OS from the ground.
    I find this somewhat frustrating as surely there is some soft settings that can be done without rebuilding.  Are there any "preferences" or similar types of things that I can delete out of the library file.....?  (I am not a Mac tech guy - I am a user.....).
    Mark

  • Mini DVI port stopped working

    I often watch movies streaming on the internet by connecting my Macbook to my television via my Mini DVI to S-video adaptor cable. Last week, however, it suddenly stopped working. The television can still detect the display, but the image is super distorted and moving in a static-ey way. I can only vaguely make out the icons on my desktop on the TV screen.
    I thought that perhaps my adaptor cable was at fault, so I bought a new one - but the problem remains. I have also tried resetting the PRAM, repairing the disc and permissions with Disc Utility, and cleaning the Mini DVI port. I am pretty certain that it is a hardware problem with the port itself.
    One of the pins on my Mini DVI port looks like it could be out of place. It is kind of squished at the bottom of the port instead of laying flat like the others. I’m thinking that this might be the culprit. However, I have tried to straighten it out using a safety pin and I’m not really able to do it.
    Am I right to assume this is a hardware problem with my port? Any advice about how I might go about fixing this? Is there a way to repair the port without having to replace the whole logic board?
    The Macbook in question is a 2008 Core 2 Duo running Lion.
    Any suggestions at all would be much appreciated!

    I think you may be right, it's a hardware related MiniDisplay port connector problem.
    I think you can't fix it up by replace MiniDispaly port connector, however fix it by replace whole logic board.

  • New Macbook Pro, no mini-DVI port? (HDTV connect question)

    Most online resources suggest that Mac users can connect their computers to their HDTV's through the mini-DVI port, but I examined my Macbook and saw that the new version (purchased 2 months ago, roughly) doesn't have this port. This being the case, what can I use to connect my laptop to an HDMI cable? Thanks in advance for any and all help!

    MacBook Pros now have a "Thunderbolt" port that is supposed to be backwards compatible with Mini DisplayPort (not Mini-DVI they've used the Mini DisplayPort since 2008) and, likewise, supports an external display at 2560x1600 and passes an audio signal.
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/H1824ZM/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY

  • HT4951 Can i use a Thunder bolt display with an iMac from the mid 2009 ? Would it work if connected to a mini dvi port in a scaled down mode or is it compulsory to have a thunder bolt port ?

    I have a mid 2009 iMac that doesn't have Thunderbolt display, but has a mini-dvi port.
    Will the Thunderbolt cinema display 27" still work when connected to this mini-dvi port ?
    I thought it would be better going for a thunderbolt display monitor rather than the older version, so when i upgrade my machine in the future it stays compatible.

    I have a mid 2009 iMac that doesn't have Thunderbolt display, but has a mini-dvi port.
    Will the Thunderbolt cinema display 27" still work when connected to this mini-dvi port ?
    No.  A TB display can only be connected to a TB source. 
    Confusing Mini DisplayPort with Thunderbolt
    As indicated in that artical a displayport device can be connected to a TB source.  But that is not your situation.

  • I cannot use any external monitor, it appear like the port doesn't work , i'm using the mini-dvi port with a VGA adaptor ,

    I've always used the port normally with different monitor but by a couple of weeks it appear like no signal come out.
    Does Anyone knows what can i do ? i.e. How to check or reset the Mini-dvi port ? or if there's any key on the keyboard that can habilitate it or not ?
    Any Help will be appreciate
    Thanks

    Welcome to Apple Support Communities
    You don't have to do anything to make the port work. Reset the SMC > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
    If it doesn't work, try with another monitor to see if it works or another cable. If you haven't got another display, take the MacBook Pro to an Apple Store or reseller, so Apple will test the port and see if it works correctly

  • Mini-DVI port: monitor goes black for a moment if wiggle the adaptor

    I have an Early 2009 mini 2.0GHz, which I'm using with the included Mini-DVI to DVI adaptor.
    I've discover that if I press down on the adaptor plug just right, the monitor flickers to black for a moment, as if the adaptor were pulled out of the Mini DVI port.
    I know: don't do that.
    But it can also happen if the monitor cable gets tugged on just right (how I discovered it), and I'm concerned that the Mini DVI port may be loose on the motherboard, that it may get worse, that it may flicker intermittently without provocation, etc.
    On the other hand, maybe this is just how the mini is built and I'll be wasting my time getting service.
    So I'm hoping some of you can poke at your minis and see if it happens to you too.
    Instructions For Proper Poking:
    º Have everything plugged in with computer and monitor on
    º Press down gently on the plug that is plugged into the mini's Mini DVI port
    º Try a little wiggle, press from the end of the plug where the wire comes out to get a little leverage, etc.
    º Try gently picking the mini up a few times, so that the monitor cable is hanging down from the mini
    It only happens sometimes for me.
    Thanks

    So I just ran through the little test matrix you outlined in your first post with my Early 2009 mini. Result: no trouble whatsoever with intermittent connection. I would say what yours is doing isn't normal. Maybe some other people will try and report their results.
    Mini DVI has been out there for a long time, albeit not on the Mac mini, but on other Apple notebook products. I have not heard that the connection is not "robust" ever. And I've been following the MacBook and MacBook Pro display forums for a couple years now.

  • Possible to use old macbook (mini dvi port) with 24 in LED display?

    Is there a combo of adaptors that will allow me to use my older macbook (mini-DVI port) with the new apple LED screens- i.e. adaptors allowing mini-DVI to mini displayport connector that comes with monitor?

    You need this component and a mini DVI to DVI adapter.
    (53913)

  • Is it possible for a mini DVI port on the graphics card to stop working while the DVI port works fine?

    I have a 27 inch cinema LED display that will not work when I plug into a Mac Pro (10.6.8) mini dvi port. But it will work fine on another Mac Pro with the same system and other Mac Pros with Lion and Mountain Lion. I can get a 20 inch LCD monitor to work in the DVI port on the mentioned problem Mac.
    I've ran all software updates and troubleshooting utilities.

    Real, Welcome to the discussion area!
    Sorry to douse your enthusiasm but that is NOT a mini-DVI connector. It is a mini-VGA connector.

Maybe you are looking for