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Aluminum MacBook and VGA adapter issues...Help Please!

M

MacBook08

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 10, 2008
248
0
California
So, I have the 2.0 Aluminum MacBook and I have an old 15" HP LCD Monitor. I connected it to my MacBook using the Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter and it works great. No problems at all.

But...when I tried to connect my MacBook to my 42" Samsung Plasma TV (has a VGA port), my TV screen reads, "Check Signal Cable." I don't understand. I've connected a Toshiba and an HP laptop to this TV in the past with no problem. Why won't my MacBook connect with it? Anyone know what to do about it?
 
My guess would be that your macbook's display resolution is one that the samsung does not support over VGA.

What screen resolution do the other notebooks use?
 
'Connecting to an old external screen, however, could be problematic. The DVI port has been replaced by a mini DisplayPort in both new laptops. As for your old monitor, no biggie, if it's 24-inches or smaller just use a mini-DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter ($30). But if you're driving a 30-inch monitor, you'll need a mini-DisplayPort-to-dual-DVI adapter, which isn't bundled with either laptop and runs $100 on its own. Ouch. We're hoping for an aftermarket solution.'

I read this review, its really put me off buying one now...
http://gizmodo.com/5063492/macbook-and-macbook-pro-dual-review
 
minky1234 said:
'Connecting to an old external screen, however, could be problematic. The DVI port has been replaced by a mini DisplayPort in both new laptops. As for your old monitor, no biggie, if it's 24-inches or smaller just use a mini-DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter ($30). But if you're driving a 30-inch monitor, you'll need a mini-DisplayPort-to-dual-DVI adapter, which isn't bundled with either laptop and runs $100 on its own. Ouch. We're hoping for an aftermarket solution.'

I read this review, its really put me off buying one now...
http://gizmodo.com/5063492/macbook-and-macbook-pro-dual-review
Click to expand...

Unless you currently own a 30" display with DVI-D I don't see how this is an issue. Future displays will contain display ports (the dell 30" already does), and I assume it will be easy to find mini-DisplayPort -> DisplayPort cables (even though I can't seam to find any yet!).
 
Andrmgic said:
My guess would be that your macbook's display resolution is one that the samsung does not support over VGA.

What screen resolution do the other notebooks use?
Click to expand...

The Samsung supports 1024x768. When I connect the MacBook, the MacBook's resolution changes to 1024x768 for mirroring I guess. The HP used 1280x800 also and the Toshiba, 1440x900.

minky1234 said:
'Connecting to an old external screen, however, could be problematic. The DVI port has been replaced by a mini DisplayPort in both new laptops. As for your old monitor, no biggie, if it's 24-inches or smaller just use a mini-DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter ($30). But if you're driving a 30-inch monitor, you'll need a mini-DisplayPort-to-dual-DVI adapter, which isn't bundled with either laptop and runs $100 on its own. Ouch. We're hoping for an aftermarket solution.'
[/url]
Click to expand...

So, I need a mini-DisplayPort-to-dual-DVI adapter and a DVI to VGA adapter to see something worth wild on my TV. I find that rather absurd especially since my TV's resolution is only 1024x768. I guess all the business people out there who who need to connect their laptops to low resolution projectors, will have to dish out $100 to $119 to do so. I'll try to contact an Apple Support person.
 
The same thing happened to me with my 40" Samsung LCD. No matter what resolution I set it to, it wouldn't work. I read somewhere its because the VGA dongle can't output enough power (one guy's TV told him "insufficient voltage" or something of the like) I think the VGA dongle has a DAC built in, because if I remember right, DisplayPort only carries a digital signal, no analog. That would explain why the VGA dongle can't drive a huge TV display. Still lame in my opinion.

I ended up just getting the DisplayPort-->Dvi dongle and then a DVI-->HDMI cable. Works much better, as now I can output 1080i to the TV whereas the max my TV accepted over VGA was 1366x768 (on a 1080p panel...bleh)
 
MacBook08 said:
The Samsung supports 1024x768. When I connect the MacBook, the MacBook's resolution changes to 1024x768 for mirroring I guess. The HP used 1280x800 also and the Toshiba, 1440x900.



So, I need a mini-DisplayPort-to-dual-DVI adapter and a DVI to VGA adapter to see something worth wild on my TV. I find that rather absurd especially since my TV's resolution is only 1024x768. I guess all the business people out there who who need to connect their laptops to low resolution projectors, will have to dish out $100 to $119 to do so. I'll try to contact an Apple Support person.
Click to expand...

Do not hook a DVI-->VGA adapter upto the DisplayPort--->DVI dongle, it will NOT work due to the only digital signal coming off the DisplayPort and the DVI-D port Apple uses. You don't need the dual-link adapter for the TV. The 30" monitors he meant are computer ones with resolutions up in 2560xwhatever.

Read my above post :)
 
So does that mean that the new macbook need two converters to connect two different screen sizes?
 
hey i had this same issue, also with a 42 inch samsung. all i had to do was switch the tv source to "pc" before your actually hook up the computer. let me know if it works.
 
likemyorbs said:
hey i had this same issue, also with a 42 inch samsung. all i had to do was switch the tv source to "pc" before your actually hook up the computer. let me know if it works.
Click to expand...

Thanks but it didn't work. The TV won't recognize the source "PC" unless it's getting a signal from a computer.

NewMacbookPlz said:
I ended up just getting the DisplayPort-->Dvi dongle and then a DVI-->HDMI cable. Works much better, as now I can output 1080i to the TV whereas the max my TV accepted over VGA was 1366x768 (on a 1080p panel...bleh)
Click to expand...

This sounds like the best option. I'll see if I can talk to someone from Apple to verify this.

NewMacbookPlz said:
Do not hook a DVI-->VGA adapter upto the DisplayPort--->DVI dongle, it will NOT work due to the only digital signal coming off the DisplayPort and the DVI-D port Apple uses. You don't need the dual-link adapter for the TV. The 30" monitors he meant are computer ones with resolutions up in 2560xwhatever.

Read my above post :)
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks.
 
MacBook08 said:
This sounds like the best option. I'll see if I can talk to someone from Apple to verify this.
Click to expand...

So, I talked to someone from Apple. The technician told me that because my MacBook connected just fine with my HP monitor, the settings are correct on my Mac and therefore there is nothing wrong with my Mac, leaving the problem to reside only with my TV itself. So, he recommended that I call Samsung one of these days and see if they can figure it out for me.
 
There should be no reason why it doesn't work, other than the TV. You don't need the Dual Link DVi for 1920 x 1080 or whatever the TV is.
 
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