# Question re: Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter



## let down (May 17, 2005)

Hi, I was at eaton centre the other day and I picked up an Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter, because I asked the guy there I wanted to hook up my macbook to either tv or my separate dell flat panel, and he gave me the adapter with a TV logo and S-VIDEO output. I don't have the s-video cable so i connected just a regular round shaped connector to "composite" input of the dell display, and it looks quite awful. did i get the wrong adapter to use with external display monitors? please help. thank you.


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## lostchild (Jul 25, 2005)

let down said:


> Hi, I was at eaton centre the other day and I picked up an Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter, because I asked the guy there I wanted to hook up my macbook to either tv or my separate dell flat panel, and he gave me the adapter with a TV logo and S-VIDEO output. I don't have the s-video cable so i connected just a regular round shaped connector to "composite" input of the dell display, and it looks quite awful. did i get the wrong adapter to use with external display monitors? please help. thank you.



composite < s-video < HD component RGB < HDMI

something like that

lets just say you used the bottom of the bottom of the bottom. composite is tolerable for low res video like TV or VCR/VCD. 

s-video is sharper. 

Don't forget it depends on the resolution of the TV you're putting it too.


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## Jestered (Aug 18, 2005)

I am sure your Dell Flat Panel has HDMI which is the best you can use. So to use the computer with that you would need a mini-DVI to DVI adapter and then a DVI to HDMI adapter.

If you plan on using the computer on a regular tv, then you got what you need and yes it is going to look horrible.


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## ender78 (Jan 23, 2005)

Let us know specifically which monitor you have.


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## TommyC (Apr 9, 2005)

there are 3 possible mini-dvi adapters you can get

1)mini dvi->video (the one you got) - used for connecting to televisions or other devices with composite or s-video input (such projectors,vcrs, some monitors, etc)

2)mini dvi->vga - used for connecting to monitors or other devices with a vga (15 pin) input

3) mini dvi->dvi - used to connect to monitors (mainly LCD) or other devices with a DVI interface.


if you only wanted to buy one adapter then you got the right one. unfortunately the composite/s-video in on dell displays looks pretty bad. This is because standard tv signal only has a limited resolution and the monitor has to scale it up. to make things look a bit better, make sure that the monitor is set to 1:1 or aspect scaling. 1:1 will give you a better looking picture but it will have a significant black border. aspect will give you a bigger picture size but (so it wont look as good) but it will prevent the image from becoming stretched. Even with 1:1 it wont look perfect just due to the way computers output video signal.

ideally you want to get a second adapter either #2 or #3. if you have a choice, go with #3 which will give slightly better image quality then #2. However the difference is negligible so you should also consider if there is going to be another computer connected at the same time and if so what connector it uses.

P.S. Im assuming you've got a 2005/2007 fpw or 2405/2407 fpw since those are the only two dell monitors that have video input. if you are referring to a dell flat panel TV then you may need a dvi-hdmi adapter as jestered mentione


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## hhk (May 31, 2006)

Doesn't the mini-DVI to VGA adapter come with the MacBook Pro? I'm sure it was in my box when I bought my MBP.


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## duper (May 7, 2006)

hhk said:


> Doesn't the mini-DVI to VGA adapter come with the MacBook Pro? I'm sure it was in my box when I bought my MBP.


The MBP comes with regular DVI, not mini-DVI. It comes with a DVI to VGA adapter.


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