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27" ACD and a Minidisplay Port Extender

lbeck

lbeck

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 5, 2009
381
0
The 27" ACD cords are too short for me. I have to have it go behind my desk and up around my tower cabinet to connect and stay out of the way.

My question is, does anyone have a recommendation for a mini-display port extender? My fear is that the extender will either degrade the quality of the monitor picture or it will have issues with working.

Does anyone have an extender that they use and have no issues with. Below are two I've found. One is through Apple ($39.95) the other is through Monoprice ($8.40)

http://store.apple.com/us/product/H2477ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MTg5OTIwMTE
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10246&cs_id=1024602&p_id=5502&seq=1&format=2

Any help is appreciated, thanks
 
i do not believe either of those transmit audio. if i'm not mistaken there are no MD cables out yet that do that, but i may be incorrect in that statement.

i'd check with apple and monoprice before buying.
 
w00tini said:
i do not believe either of those transmit audio. if i'm not mistaken there are no MD cables out yet that do that, but i may be incorrect in that statement.

i'd check with apple and monoprice before buying.
Click to expand...

Good point, I"ll check. I would think it does though.
 
According to the Apple person I just had a chat session with, the extenders will support the speaker system on the ACD, at least it does for the new 27" ACD.

I hope he was right., can anyone confirm this for me who is using a mini display extender?
 
lbeck said:
According to the Apple person I just had a chat session with, the extenders will support the speaker system on the ACD, at least it does for the new 27" ACD.

I hope he was right., can anyone confirm this for me who is using a mini display extender?
Click to expand...
that's great news.
 
lbeck said:
The 27" ACD cords are too short for me. I have to have it go behind my desk and up around my tower cabinet to connect and stay out of the way.

My question is, does anyone have a recommendation for a mini-display port extender? My fear is that the extender will either degrade the quality of the monitor picture or it will have issues with working.

Does anyone have an extender that they use and have no issues with. Below are two I've found. One is through Apple ($39.95) the other is through Monoprice ($8.40)

http://store.apple.com/us/product/H2477ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MTg5OTIwMTE
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10246&cs_id=1024602&p_id=5502&seq=1&format=2

Any help is appreciated, thanks
Click to expand...

There wouldn't be a noticable drop in quality until you ran the cable for about 60m as it's a digital signal, so an extra few meters won't matter. The trick it seems is finding the cable itself!
 
I got the monoprice one and it works fine. And the other one isn't made by Apple, they just sell it. It seems to expensive IMO.
 
I use a couple of 24" LED Cinema Displays, and use the Dr. Bott Mini DisplayPort 15046 Monitor Extension II Cable with USB, which is 1
meter long. It extends both the Mini DisplayPort and the USB cables, and has worked great.

It's about $25 on Amazon.
 
strausd said:
I got the monoprice one and it works fine. And the other one isn't made by Apple, they just sell it. It seems to expensive IMO.
Click to expand...

I too have used the monoprice extension and it works flawlessly on the 24" ACD. Don't know about audio though...
 
I should probably have added above that I'm getting perfect display audio using the Dr. Bott MiniDisplay + USB cable.
 
Vylen said:
Given that the page specifically says it does not support audio... i would have to say no....
Click to expand...

Oh crap! I missed that myself. StrausD, can you confirm that it does not support audio?
 
Actually it says "DisplayPort v1.1 * Does not support audio". Does the new display port on the MP and 27" ACD have a newer version, like v1.2 or v2.0?

I cant imagine it does not support audio since the regular mini display port on my ACD supports it.

EDIT: Just talked to monoprice and they confirmed it DOES NOT support audio :( Anyone have one that does that is not $40?
 
lbeck said:
Oh crap! I missed that myself. StrausD, can you confirm that it does not support audio?
Click to expand...

I have that same cable from Monoprice as well, and despite what it says on the site, it DOES indeed send audio over the MDP cable, at least for me. Not sure why they'd specifically say it doesn't... better safe than sorry, maybe? I can't say I've tried to blast it or anything... but I definitely get sound.

Keep in mind that even if it didn't, the audio is also sent over USB as long as you have that plugged in as well.

When I get home and can take screenshots, I'll show the audio system preferences pane. I've tested it with both USB Audio and the MDP Audio... they sound essentially identical to me. Anyone know pros/cons of either one?
 
jhmirage said:
I have that same cable from Monoprice as well, and despite what it says on the site, it DOES indeed send audio over the MDP cable, at least for me. Not sure why they'd specifically say it doesn't... better safe than sorry, maybe? I can't say I've tried to blast it or anything... but I definitely get sound.

Keep in mind that even if it didn't, the audio is also sent over USB as long as you have that plugged in as well.

When I get home and can take screenshots, I'll show the audio system preferences pane. I've tested it with both USB Audio and the MDP Audio... they sound essentially identical to me. Anyone know pros/cons of either one?
Click to expand...

Are you serious, that cable does work for audio? Maybe they told me that so I'd buy the $35 one.

But I cant have the USB plugged in without an extension for that as well so I bought the Dr Bott extension pro. It has all the extenders for the 27" ACD. $40 though .... cant believe the cheap one from monoprice works. I feel like I got ripped off
 
lbeck said:
Are you serious, that cable does work for audio? Maybe they told me that so I'd buy the $35 one.

But I cant have the USB plugged in without an extension for that as well so I bought the Dr Bott extension pro. It has all the extenders for the 27" ACD. $40 though .... cant believe the cheap one from monoprice works. I feel like I got ripped off
Click to expand...

Okay- I got home and tried it again, and apparently I was just flat out lying before. I could have sworn that I got sound through the "DisplayPort" LED Cinema sound output setting... but I'm trying it again now, and there's nothing. Weird. Turns out Monoprice wasn't lying to you, so that should make you feel better. :)

Oh well... sorry to lead anyone off the path!
 
jhmirage said:
Okay- I got home and tried it again, and apparently I was just flat out lying before. I could have sworn that I got sound through the "DisplayPort" LED Cinema sound output setting... but I'm trying it again now, and there's nothing. Weird. Turns out Monoprice wasn't lying to you, so that should make you feel better. :)

Oh well... sorry to lead anyone off the path!
Click to expand...

Ha! It does make me feel better :) thanks for checking it again!
 
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