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propower

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 23, 2010
731
126
Hey all,

My mini is in a recording studio environment. I use a Thunderbolt Display near the mini but have two remote displays (one is 35 feet away and the other is 50feet).

I have these hooked up now with a vga switch box at the computer and one has a long vga cable and the other does vga over cat5. The overall quality of this set up has always been sketchy.

So now with the new mini I don't want to give up a TB port for VGA and a HDMI VGA adapter is like $60! So what is the better way?? Also one monitor has only DVI-D in and other is DVI-D or HDMI

1) HDMI to powered splitter at first monitor - then run HDMI to second?
2) Use ipad to hdmi to mirror screen at far away monitor.

other ideas??

thanks!
 

jsw

Moderator emeritus
Mar 16, 2004
22,910
44
Andover, MA
To clarify: are all three of these monitors separate desktops, or do you (as I assume) only use one at any given time?
 

propower

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 23, 2010
731
126
To clarify: are all three of these monitors separate desktops, or do you (as I assume) only use one at any given time?

Good question...

All are mirrored monitors - just desktop clones, no extended desktops!
 

jsw

Moderator emeritus
Mar 16, 2004
22,910
44
Andover, MA
I don't suppose you have another laptop/desktop available, do you? Screen Sharing would likely work at least as well as VGA over those distances.

If not, how about AirPlay mirroring from the mini and an AppleTV on the HDMI-compatible display? Granted, that's a $100 investment, but it would simplify the cabling.
 

propower

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 23, 2010
731
126
I don't suppose you have another laptop/desktop available, do you? Screen Sharing would likely work at least as well as VGA over those distances.

If not, how about AirPlay mirroring from the mini and an AppleTV on the HDMI-compatible display? Granted, that's a $100 investment, but it would simplify the cabling.

No extra computers but.... apple tv! Does that work for just mirroring the screen?? if so.. I am liking that for the very far away one. I have been using Lion on a 2011 MBP and don't see the airplay option. Is this a ML specific thing? Is the mini up to the task?

Maybe just HDMI + HDMI Coupler + HDMI DVI-D adapter for the closer one.

Good idea!
 

jsw

Moderator emeritus
Mar 16, 2004
22,910
44
Andover, MA
No extra computers but.... apple tv! Does that work for just mirroring the screen??
Assuming your mini can do AirPlay (seems like it can if it has Thunderbolt, but you'll need ML), then absolutely it works. Or, more specifically, I can mirror my 2011 MBA screen via AppleTV just fine, so I suspect you'd be fine as well.
 
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