Optical output not working

[axel77]

Hello All!

I got this nice new mac mini, and I got a nice surround system, and I got a nice decoder station. I even organized myself a Minitoslink to Toslink Adapter to connect the mac mini to the decoder station.

However I try as I might, my mac mini does not recognize if I plug the 3.5" Minitoslink cable into it. From my searches I realize OS X should automatically recognize a cable plugged in and show the digital output in the sound options. But it does not.

The other end of the cable a faint white light is visible if one end is plugged into the mac. But nowhere near red as I guess it is supposed to be.

What am I doing wrong?

BTW: The mini-toslink calbe is from sony. But 3.5" mini-toslink is 3.5" mini-toslink, or is it?

 

[Dan04MCS]

After you plug the cable in go to System Preferences > Sound and under the Output tab you should have digital.
When using my digital out from the mini to the preamp, the preamp shows nothing until I start itunes and actually play a song then the preamp shows a connection.

Hope this helps.

 

[axel77]

The problem is, the Mac doesn't even recognize if the cable is connected.

 

[axel77]

Solution: Just use the correct slot! I kinda supposed the right one on the back of the mac mini is electrical (like used so far) and the left one is optical. Not! Elektrical and optical are the same slot. The left one is input. Yes, I kinda feel stupid now ;-)