Can the Apple miniDisplayPort-DVI adapter be used with a 2018 Mac mini?

No the Mini DisplayPort adapter will not work with the 2018 Mac mini.

Also are you sure about the TV's input connection..?

Because it seems like the Sony TV should have HDMI input and not DVI input.

For a TV with HDMI input you will need is a USB-C to HDMI adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-BENFEI-Thunderbolt-Compatible-MacBook/dp/B08KWG243P/ref=asc_df_B08KWG243P?

For a Monitor or TV with DVI input you will need a USB-C to DVI adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/Thunderbolt-Adapter-Converter-Compatible-MacBook/dp/B0768RFQ83/ref=asc_df_B0768RFQ83?

Apologies MartinR.

I failed to recognize that you were the OP in my second post.

If that Sony TV is the only display connected to the 2018 Mac Mini..?

Then just use an HDMI to HDMI cable from the Mac mini to the Sony TV.

If you are doing a dual display setup and both require HDMI input..?

Then use an HDMI cable for one and a USB-C to HDMI adapter to the other.

Again I do not recommend cobbling old Mini DisplayPort adapters into the later setup.

FWIW I have several old Mini DisplayPort adapters that I keep around for troubleshooting old Mac's.

MartinR wrote:

I have an Apple miniDisplayPort-to-DVI adapter that I have used for many years with my 2014 Mac mini. It plugs into one of the Thunderbolt 2 ports on the back of the 2014 mini and connects to my Sony TV. It works perfectly.

Can it be used with a 2018 Mac mini that has Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports?

Possibly, but I wouldn't. Just get a USB-C to DVI adapter. The description of the Apple adapter indicates that it "supports display resolutions up to 1920 x 1200", which means that it is a single-link adapter. Plenty of those.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=usb-c+to+dvi+adapter

[EDIT: Better yet, get a USB-C to HDMI adapter, given that the TV has a HDMI input.]

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=usb-c+to+hdmi+adapter

I assume it would need to be daisy-chained with the Apple Thunderbolt 3/USB-C to Thunderbolt 2 adapter?

No! Old Macs are set up so that their Thunderbolt 1 or 2 ports, which have Mini DisplayPort connectors, can act either as Thunderbolt ports or as Mini DisplayPort ones, depending on what is plugged in. That adapter doesn't know how to present a plain Mini DisplayPort signal on its Thunderbolt 2 side.

Or, as Apple says in the article to which you linked,

[The Apple Mini DisplayPort adapters] "don't work with the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter, which doesn't support Mini DisplayPort displays."

If you insist on daisy-chaining, get a third-party USB-C to Mini DisplayPort (female) adapter. They cost a lot less than that Apple TB3-to-2 adapter. I still think going from USB-C to DVI or HDMI in one step is the way to go.

The Apple support page for the TB3-TB2 adapter says it is "not compatible with displays that use DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort" ... which seems to indicate that it does not pass through a DP/MDP signal ... but in my case I'm using DVI.

The Apple Support page is correct.

The adapter only translates Thunderbolt. Video will only appear on the TB2 side as Thunderbolt-encapsulated video. That is what the old 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display (model A1407) wants to see. While Apple does not mention it, if you had an old powered Thunderbolt 1 or 2 dock, and connected it to the adapter, that dock could probably get a video signal to offer on a DisplayPort or HDMI port.

But your Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter does not speak Thunderbolt. Connect it directly to the TB2 side of the Apple TB3-to-2 adapter and you will be feeding it a signal that it cannot possibly understand or use.

👍 Yea' it's not clear if the OP is using the Sony TV as the only display or as a second display.

I actually considered suggesting the TB adapter, but it didn't make sense to pay that much and then cobble 2 adapters together.

MartinR wrote:

Thanks, everyone.

You're welcome.

I'll get a USB-C to DVI adapter just in case; they are inexpensive enough.

Doing a USB-C to DVI adapter and then using the old DVI to HDMI adapter is counter productive.

It will do noting except cause connection problems and lower output resolutions.

The mini is the video streaming server in my home theater, so the Sony TV is the only display connected to it. I am about to replace the 2014 mini (i5, 8GB, High Sierra) with a 2018 mini (i7, 32GB, Sonoma) in order to get a few more years use out of the setup before I have to spend real money on an Apple Silicon mini.

Again, that setup should work fine using a good quality HDMI cable between the Mac mini and TV.

Keep up the good work. You'll only figure out what works the best, by trying different things.

At this point I'll add, that not all HDMI cables are created equal.

Best bet is to use the shortest possible Certified High Speed HDMI cable.

Stay away from long cheap HDMI cables that are made for DVD players or cable boxes.

.