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What cables and adapters do I need and can I get an explanation of the gender of each port? I have the following already:

MALE to MALE
mini dvi to VGA
mini dvi to DVI (dual link)
mini dvi to s-video/coax (RCA)

I want to make sure I get audio as well.

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Short practical answer tied to the thread: use the mini‑DVI adapters for video, and run separate audio from the Mac’s headphone/line‑out (or optical if that particular Mac has it). As noted, DVI (and passive DVI→HDMI cables) carry video only, so the TV won’t get sound down that lead by itself. (sony.com)

Connector/gender basics you asked about: “male” = plug with pins that goes into a receptacle; “female” = the socket/receptacle. Most Apple mini‑DVI adapters have a small male mini‑DVI plug that inserts into the Mac and a female DVI or VGA socket where a standard male‑ended cable plugs in. In other words, many adapters are male (mini‑DVI) to female (VGA/DVI). (en.wikipedia.org)

Video-quality and jack differences: composite (yellow RCA) is standard‑definition single‑wire video; S‑Video separates luma/chroma and looks better than composite but is still SD; VGA is analog RGB; DVI/HDMI are digital and give the best picture. If the TV supports HDMI, use mini‑DVI→DVI (or mini‑DVI→DVI→HDMI cable) for video and keep audio separate. (en.wikipedia.org)

Hookup steps + options

  1. Plug mini‑DVI adapter into the Mac.
  2. Attach DVI (or DVI→HDMI) cable to the TV for video.
  3. Run a 3.5mm stereo (headphone) → RCA (red/white) cable from the Mac to the TV or receiver for sound; set Sound output in System Preferences to the correct port. If the Mac’s jack is a combined optical/analog port you can use a mini‑TOSLINK cable instead — check your Mac model’s specs. If you want a single HDMI cable with audio, use a DVI+audio→HDMI embedder/active converter (third‑party units exist from AV vendors). ()

Quick cautions: don’t force mismatched plugs, verify whether your mini‑DVI→DVI is DVI‑D vs DVI‑I if you plan odd adapters, and test by selecting the TV input and choosing mirror/extend in Displays.

Member Avatar for rubberman

Since the system has a DVI and not HDMI adapter, I don't think it will give you audio over the link. You will probably have to use the computer's audio mini jack to output audio to wherever. You should be able to find mini-to-regular stereo coax cables that will connect the computer to a stereo, monitor, or TV with audio capabilities. Assuming the MacBook has the mini-dvi port, then you need to determine what input devices your tv/monitor supports. If DVI, or HDMI, then get the appropriate cable for that. If only VGA and/or s-video/coax, get those cables. If both, then go for the digital connection - mini-dvi to dvi or hdmi as needed.

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