What optical audio cable to use with Mac Mini (late 2009) to receiver?

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Level 2

405 points

What optical audio cable to use with Mac Mini (late 2009) to receiver?

I want to do the following (removing TiVo for something else is NOT an option, EVER):

1) I want to watch TV through my HD TiVo (better than sex, better than chocolate, better than sex, chocolate, and anything else you can combine together).
2) I want to watch DVDs plus iTunes videos plus listen to iTunes audio through my Mac Mini.
3) I want to have digital optical audio (TOS?) 5.1 dolby for both

On the Mac Mini it says it has digital audio out. Isn't that the same thing as digital Optical audio out?

Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53 GHz Oct 2009 Mac Mini with 4 gb of RAM, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Nov 6, 2009 7:33 AM

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Answer 1

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,547 points

Nov 6, 2009 8:28 AM in response to OlsonBW

You need a regular optical digital cable, often called a Toslink, with a 3.5 mm miniplug adapter on the Mac mini end. The port is a combo port. When you insert the optical cable's miniplug into the port, because it is a tiny bit longer than a regular 3.5 mm miniplug, it activates the digital audio. Usually the port's output is analog by default.

Dah•veed

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Answer 2

sidssp

Level 1

101 points

Nov 6, 2009 9:08 AM in response to OlsonBW

Something like this will work.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002JFN1K/ref=ordcart_shr?encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

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Answer 3

Nov 6, 2009 11:11 AM in response to sidssp

You should get a right angle adapter (or a cable with the right angle prefabbed). Having such a long cable sticking out the back on the mini could be asking for problems. If you get a right angle adapter, it can let the TOSlink cable rest on the DVI connector providing more stability for the cable.

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