DVI questions
in [UK Mac]
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From: eastender on 6 Apr 2010 07:47 I'm getting confused about DVI cables - to connect a monitor with a DVI port to a Mac Mini or Macbook Pro do I need a DVD-I or DVD-D male to male cable or will either do? Also, will the cheapish MiniDisplayport DVI adaptors on ebay do or is it best to buy an Apple one? The monitor is an EIZO L685 I've just got from ebay for �25 and has two DVI ports. I have a DVI to VGA cable and the Displayport to DVI adpator that came with the Mini and also a Displayport to VGA, and the monitor works OK with VGA but I'd like to connect it to the Macbook Pro and have no Minidisplay port adaptor yet - is it best to just get a VGA one or will DVI to DVI be better? Also, what happens if I connect the Mini to it via the Minidisplayport at the same time as connecting to my other monitor via the Displayport? thx E.
From: David Empson on 6 Apr 2010 09:09 eastender <nospam(a)nospam.com> wrote: > I'm getting confused about DVI cables - to connect a monitor with a DVI > port to a Mac Mini or Macbook Pro do I need a DVD-I or DVD-D male to > male cable or will either do? Also, will the cheapish MiniDisplayport > DVI adaptors on ebay do or is it best to buy an Apple one? You want single-link DVI-D, assuming you are dealing with a 24" or smaller display (maximum resolution 1920x1200). Higher resolution displays (e.g 30" Cinema Display) require a dual-link DVI-D cable, and the computer or adapter must support dual-link DVI. For Mini DisplayPort, you need a special adapter, and you can't get dual-link DVI from a Mini-DVI port. I can't see any reason to have a DVI-I cable. It won't plug into a DVI-D socket, and the extra pins don't achieve anything as the analog signal they carry will be ignored. > The monitor is an EIZO L685 I've just got from ebay for �25 and has two > DVI ports. I have a DVI to VGA cable and the Displayport to DVI adpator > that came with the Mini The 2009 Mac Mini models are supplied with a Mini-DVI to DVI adapter. The other video output port on the Mac Mini is a Mini DisplayPort. Apple hasn't used the regular "DisplayPort" connector. > and also a Displayport to VGA I assume you mean Mini-DVI to VGA. > and the monitor works OK with VGA but I'd like to connect it to the > Macbook Pro and have no Minidisplay port adaptor yet - is it best to just > get a VGA one or will DVI to DVI be better? DVI has better noise immunity (sharper image) and is likely to have better colour reproduction (VGA can drift somewhat due to signal loss in the cable, and it requires an extra analog to digital conversion stage in the display). > Also, what happens if I connect the Mini to it via the Minidisplayport > at the same time as connecting to my other monitor via the Displayport? I assume you are asking what happens if you connect two displays to your Mac Mini (via Mini DisplayPort and Mini-DVI). They will default to operating as separate displays in an "expanded desktop" configuration. Same concept as plugging a second display into any MacBook, MacBook Pro or Intel iMac. One will be regarded as the primary display (with the menu bar), and the other will default to being off to one side. You can move the mouse across to the other display, and drag windows over to it. You can use System Preferences > Displays to arrange the displays logically (e.g. which one is on the left and which one on the right, and to change the primary display), or turn on "mirroring" mode, where the same image is displayed simultaneously on both displays. You can also turn on a display menu extra which appears near the right end of the menu bar, for quick access to the settings. -- David Empson dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz
From: eastender on 6 Apr 2010 10:11 In article <1jgjzeo.w1jzzl1se73fhN%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz>, dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote: > I can't see any reason to have a DVI-I cable. It won't plug into a DVI-D > socket, and the extra pins don't achieve anything as the analog signal > they carry will be ignored. Ah thanks. I realise now it was staring me in the face as the adaptor I have (Mini-DVI to DVI) has the analogue pins filled in at the female DVI end. And indeed, I was confused � I thought there were two types of Displayport on the 2009 Mac Mini, one Mini and one 'regular'. I presume that the cable I have � DVI-I to VGA - that came with the monitor just uses the analogue pins. > I assume you are asking what happens if you connect two displays to your > Mac Mini (via Mini DisplayPort and Mini-DVI). Yes > They will default to operating as separate displays in an "expanded > desktop" configuration. Same concept as plugging a second display into > any MacBook, MacBook Pro or Intel iMac. > > One will be regarded as the primary display (with the menu bar), and the > other will default to being off to one side. You can move the mouse > across to the other display, and drag windows over to it. > > You can use System Preferences > Displays to arrange the displays > logically (e.g. which one is on the left and which one on the right, and > to change the primary display), or turn on "mirroring" mode, where the > same image is displayed simultaneously on both displays. You can also > turn on a display menu extra which appears near the right end of the > menu bar, for quick access to the settings. Very interesting. Many thanks. E.
From: David Empson on 6 Apr 2010 17:13 eastender <nospam(a)nospam.com> wrote: > In article <1jgjzeo.w1jzzl1se73fhN%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz>, > dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote: > > > I can't see any reason to have a DVI-I cable. It won't plug into a DVI-D > > socket, and the extra pins don't achieve anything as the analog signal > > they carry will be ignored. > > Ah thanks. I realise now it was staring me in the face as the adaptor I > have (Mini-DVI to DVI) has the analogue pins filled in at the female DVI > end. And indeed, I was confused – I thought there were two types of > Displayport on the 2009 Mac Mini, one Mini and one 'regular'. > > I presume that the cable I have – DVI-I to VGA - that came with the > monitor just uses the analogue pins. Yes. [details about multiple display behaviour] > Very interesting. Many thanks. You're welcome. Glad to be of service. -- David Empson dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz
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