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Catholic Education Ministries

Computer Support

Video Port/Cable Connections

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Nothing ever stays the same in technology, especially the port/cable connectors used to connect devices. At the turn of the century there were moves to standardize connections across all computer models, but new variants are regularly appearing as technology improves.

old Macintosh video

DB-15 (Mac Video)

Used on beige Macintosh computers until 1999. It was replaced by VGA.

S-Video

S-Video

Main use is connecting to TV's. Higher quality than "composite".

Warning: This is not ADB (Apple Desktop Bus), a type of keyboard/mouse connection used on old beige Macintosh computers.

VGA

VGA (Video Graphics Array)

A standard for connecting monitors and projectors to computers.

Note: Unknown to many people, most slot-loading iMac G3's have a VGA port hidden within a panel on the rear of the machine.

mini-VGA

mini-VGA

Basically the same as VGA (see left), but miniaturized.

This connection is common on iBooks, eMacs, and iMac G4/G5's.

Common adapters are "mini-VGA to VGA" and "mini-VGA to S-Video/Composite". Apple has published a compatibility chart.

DVI (Digital Visual Interface)

DVI (Digital Visual Interface)

DVI comes in five varieties. See WikiPedia for a technical breakdown.

mini-DVI

mini-DVI

Basically the same as DVI (see left), but miniaturized.

This connection is found on MacBooks and iMacs.

Common adapters are "mini-DVI to DVI", "mini-DVI to VGA", and "mini-DVI to S-Video/Composite".

ADC (Apple Display Connector)

ADC (Apple Display Connector)

Similar to DVI (see above), but it also included USB-style data flow. Although a good design, it lacked popularity.

micro-DVI

micro-DVI

This picture might not be accurate.

Basically the same as mini-DVI (see above), but ultra-minaturized.

This connection is found on the MacBook Air.

Common adapters are "micro-DVI to DVI", "micro-DVI to VGA", and "micro-DVI to S-Video/Composite".

Composite

Composite

A series of 1-3 RCA-style connections (red, yellow, white). One cable is for video and two are for audio. Composite video is lower quality than most other options, but it is popular.

Component

Component

A series of 3 RCA-style connections (red, green, blue). Although these connections look a lot like composite (see above), they carry a different signal.

Other

There are many other connection types!