# How many Macintosh video output ports are there?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-macintosh-video-output-ports-are-there/302227>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 3, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-macintosh-video-output-ports-are-there/302227 "2005-05-03T14:16:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-macintosh-video-output-ports-are-there/302227/1 "2005-05-03T14:16:16Z")

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I do some work as an A/V tech, and more and more people are bringing Mac laptops to use in giving presentations. There seem to be a bewildering profusion of output ports on the various Mac models, however. There’s the standard VGA (HD-15 connector), DVI, mini VGA, and mini DVI. I would like to stock all of the cables needed to adapt the various Macs to the VGA connector my projectors require. Am I missing any others?

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**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-macintosh-video-output-ports-are-there/302227/2 "2005-05-03T15:16:45Z")

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I’m not sure of a complete list off the top of my head, but maybe check what other vendors carry?

[http://www.mcpb.com/html/macvid1.html](http://www.mcpb.com/html/macvid1.html)

[http://www.griffintechnology.com/archive/video/](http://www.griffintechnology.com/archive/video/)

[http://www.macmall.com/macmall/search/search.asp?id=136243840&search=Video%20Cables](http://www.macmall.com/macmall/search/search.asp?id=136243840&search=Video%20Cables)

For example

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**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-macintosh-video-output-ports-are-there/302227/3 "2005-05-03T19:42:20Z")

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IIRC, the current and recent Apple portables use either mini-VGA (iBooks), mini-DVI (12" Powerbooks) or DVI (15" and 17" Powerbooks) video outputs.

> **[Mac](https://www.apple.com/mac/)**
>
> Explore the world of Mac. Check out the all-new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, and more.

> **[Mac](https://www.apple.com/mac/)**
>
> Explore the world of Mac. Check out the all-new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, and more.

You can get adaptors from [Apple’s online store](http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore/) (look on the left-hand column for “Displays,” then scroll down to the bottom of the page).

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-macintosh-video-output-ports-are-there/302227/4 "2005-05-05T04:13:00Z")

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The elderly Macs will have a DB-15 video out (the old Mac standard video port). If you anticipate seeing anything dating back to the mid-90s, stock some Mac-video-to-VGA adapters.