7 pin mini-DIN female connector at the computer.
Dell’s 7-pin mini-DIN TV-out connector is a proprietary extension of the standard 4-pin S-Video socket (IEC 60933-5), consolidating composite video and S/PDIF digital audio alongside S-Video luminance and chrominance into a single connector. It was used across a broad range of Dell laptops from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, including the Inspiron 8000, 8100, 8200, 8500, 6400, 640m, 9400, E1405, E1505, E1705, XPS M1710, M1730, and Precision M90 series. The official breakout adapter (Dell 044CTV, DS/N CN-044CTV-47110-159-0044) splits the connector into a 4-pin S-Video socket, an RCA composite output, and an RCA coaxial S/PDIF output. S/PDIF digital audio is only active when pin 5 is shorted to ground by the adapter cable.
| Pin | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GND | Ground |
| 2 | GND | Ground |
| 3 | Y | S-Video Luminance (Y) |
| 4 | C | S-Video Chrominance (C) |
| 5 | N/C | used as S/PDIF Ground in DELL Inspirion? |
| 6 | VIDEO | Composite Video |
| 7 | GND | used as S/PDIF Data in DELL Inspirion? |
Notes
- Pins 1, 2, and the shell are shorted together.
- Pins 1–4 correspond directly to the standard 4-pin S-Video pinout; a standard 4-pin S-Video male plug fits mechanically into this 7-pin female socket.
- Pin 5 carries S/PDIF digital audio data; S/PDIF output is only enabled when pin 5 is shorted to ground (pin 7) by the adapter cable.
- The Dell 044CTV adapter (DS/N CN-044CTV-47110-159-0044) is the official breakout accessory, providing 4-pin S-Video, RCA composite, and RCA coaxial S/PDIF outputs.
Signals
- GND — Signal ground; pins 1 and 2 are both ground and are shorted to the connector shell.
- Y (DLUMA-L) — S-Video luminance signal, equivalent to the Y line of a standard 4-pin S-Video connector.
- C (DCRMA-L) — S-Video chrominance signal, equivalent to the C line of a standard 4-pin S-Video connector.
- SPDIF — Sony/Philips Digital Interface serial audio data; carries two-channel digital audio to the adapter’s RCA coaxial output. Active only when the adapter shorts pin 5 to pin 7 (SPGND).
- VIDEO (DCMPS-L) — Composite (CVBS) video output; 1 Vpp into 75 Ω, routed to the adapter’s RCA yellow output.
- SPGND — Dedicated return ground for the S/PDIF signal on pin 5.