Connecting a VGA monitor to new Mac Mini?

Thank you so much for this post - I'll have to try this.

I bought a new Mac Mini because I was excited about the HDMI hookup - only to be very frustrated that the HDMI image on my tv was HORRIBLE. I had my old mini hooked up to the same tv through VGA, and was hoping to be able to easily switch from one machine to the other through simply changing the tv's input from VGA to HDMI. Now, I think I'll have to get this adapter and try the VGA route for the new mini, which will mean cumbersome cable switching if I want to use the old machine again.

I really hope Apple can develop a fix for the poor HDMI picture quality of the Mini soon!

Many TVs just have horrible HDMI pictures. I have multiple HD tvs, and some are just blurrier via HDMI than via VGA. No idea why. A DVI/Displayport signal has more density, but should support the same things, but the device has to treat the signal right. One of our HD tvs (one given to me by Microsoft, of all) is notably blurry on HDMI compared to VGA, and doesn't give the option not to display the tvsafe margins. But on VGA, it lets the connected device choose the exact pixels.

Weird, but not helpful, huh?

-Crissa

I think we need to dig a little bit more in this issue.

I have an old (2010) Mac Mini, that I was using up to last week, with two monitors:

(1) Apple Led Cinema Display - 24" ===> Through MDP output.

(2) Packard Bell VGA Monitor (19"). ===> Through HDMI output using a KANEX ATV PRO HDMI > VGA converter.

Now I upgraded into a new Mac Mini, I7, 16GB RAM, and obviously replaced it just like it was... BUT:

The VGA monitor does not work with it. Apparently the monitor detects the connection, the computer detects something is being connected but NO-SIGNAL warning appears in the Packard Bell monitor. Tried unplugging and reconnecting with no good result. Then I started some investigation, and found that this adapter will not work, because this computer does not provide power in the HDMI connector, and therefore it will not work because it has no power to convert and decode HDMI signal...

So for all that people like me that is already using the thunderbolt output, this is not a solution. We do need something to walk around this issue. We do need some way to convert HDMI signal out of the Mac Mini 2012 or mid 2011 into a readable VGA signal. I do not beleave there are no devices at all that could do that process... So far I was not able to find anything acceptable.

(BTW) Cross checked HDMI converter still works in the old Mac Mini, but since I do not have any HDMI monitor or TV I cannot check if the HDMI por is working properly in the Mac Mini... 😟

Then you need something like this. t also connects to USB for power for the converter.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270492&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL 072414&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL072414-_-EMC-072414-Index-_-AudioVideoSplitters-_-122704 92-L022C

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812699001&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL 070414&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL070414-_-EMC-070414-Index-_-AudioVideoSplitters-_-126990 01-L019B

As previously discussed in the discussion the HDMI output on the 2012 Mini is digital only (DVI-D) while VGA is all analogue.

The only way from a DVI-D output is to use a converter like in the links I provided in my previous reply. A simple DVI to VGA adopter will not work,

devnieL wrote:

I have just tried a HDMI to VGA adapter and this doesn't work with the mac mini 2012 and the ASUS MX279, I will try with the thunderbolt to VGA adapter next weeks

As far as I was able to research, the actual problem is not that simple.

The previous Mac Mini models (and also AppleTV) can convert through an HDMI > VGA converter (like this: http://www.kanex.com/products/item2.aspx?id=4852) and work perfectly fine.

Actually in this very moment I'm looking to my 19" monitor representing the desktop of my old Mac Mini (mid-2010 C2D) connected to the HDMI through that converter, while in the MDP output I have another VGA monitor through a MDP > VGA adapter.

Well, when I bought this new Mac Mini, I tried to use the same configuration that I had in the previous one:

Thunderbolt output > Apple Cinema Display 24".
HDMI > [KANEX ATV Pro converter] > 19" WideScreen 19:6 VGA monitor.

But it simply didn't work.

Then I started researching a little bit, and finally I found several comments out there explaining that this converter takes power from the HDMI connector that the Apple TV has but is not part of the standard, and the new Mac Mini apparently do not support that power supply in the HDMI port. Thus making this converter not to work appropriately. As a matter of fact, the Mac Mini detects that something is connected to it, the monitor detects that something is connected to it, but no signal reaches the monitor. This could be obviously a failure in the HDMI or simply an expectable correction to the HDMI into standards.

Have still to check it, but I have no HDMI TV at home, so I will try it at the store, to confirm the HDMI port is working ok.

The DVI > VGA adapter did not work even in the old Mac Minis, nor the Apple TV. That's because no analog signal is present in the HDMI, Illaass is absolutely correct at that point.

Thanks for this post. in looking at the ports, I wondered how to hook things up, and the only real question was the monitor. Now it is clear. I plan to pick up a referb for my wife. She has a dying windows unit. She only uses the web and a word processor. Period. She has an iPad Air, and an iPhone 6 so replacing her dying windows unit is a no brainer with a Mac Mini. She will catch on right away and have a shiny new toy to enjoy.

Thanks for the tip. An Amazon salesperson advised me to buy a VGA to HDMI cable when I purchased the mini. ($14 on Amazon and as you know, it didn't work). Too bad she didn't know to sell me the Apple product, which I would have gladly added onto my order. $29 but at least it does the job. My old 15 inch 'flatscreen' (10 years old now but still works just fine) saved me at least $300 bucks.

Hi. does having a dvi-d interface on the monitor suffice to accept macmini? I saw a used monitor (Samsung s19b300b) online and from the photo there appear to have a dvi-d interface next to VGA socket . My first monitor (breaks down) has a sticker that says "hdmi ready" so I had no issues in plug and play. This time shall I take chance by just the dvi-d interface? TIA.

Yes. You will need a mini displayport to DVI adopter. The mini displayport pend plugs into the Mini's Thunderbolt port.

If the monitor resolution is greater than 1920x1200 you need the $99 dual-link adopter

What model Mini do you have?

How to identify Mac mini models

Connect the HDMI TV to the HDMI port on the Mini

Then purchase mini displayport to VGA adopter for the other TV

Then to setup/use see:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5891

Thank you!

I have to try one of them, and see.

I have just tried a HDMI to VGA adapter and this doesn't work with the mac mini 2012 and the ASUS MX279, I will try with the thunderbolt to VGA adapter next weeks