Apple DVI to Video adapter - does it use the digital or the analog signal?

[snowlord]

I have a Mac Mini which I sometimes connect to my TV with the Apple DVI to Video adapter. As I don't like to switch cables all the time, I bought a DVI-I to DVI-D and VGA splitter on EBay.

But to my horror, I can not connect the DVI-to-Video adapter to the DVI-D part of the splitter. I now have two ways to go:

1) Try to do that anyway, with an adapter or by modifying the DVI-D port in an ugly way.

2) Find a VGA-to-DVI-I (or DVI-A?) adapter.

Which way to go depends on what signal the Apple DVI to Video adapter uses. So that is my question:

Does it use the digital signal or the analog signal (or both)?

 

[trainguy77]

Its not just an apple DVI. DVI is the same on all systems. Most DVI ports handle both VGA and digital signal. All the DVI to VGA plug does it extract the pins that are for VGA. So you bought a DVI-I that splits to a VGA and DVI-D port? All this does is splits the DVI-I which contains both the VGA and DVI signal into VGA and digital. I am confused what you are trying to do though....so your trying to connect your tv that has VGA? or RCA?

 

[snowlord]

Its not just an apple DVI. DVI is the same on all systems.

You misunderstand me. I am talking about a product called "Apple DVI to Video Adapter" that is available through the Apple store. You can read more about it here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303236

I am confused what you are trying to do though....so your trying to connect your tv that has VGA? or RCA?

I am trying to use my "Apple DVI to Video Adapter" with my splitter (that does what you described). But the "Apple DVI to Video Adapter" has a male DVI-I connector while the splitter has a female DVI-D and a VGA connector. My TV has S-Video in, but the "Apple DVI to Video Adapter" takes care of that.

So I want to know which signal the "Apple DVI to Video Adapter" uses, the digital or the analog?

 

[robbieduncan]

The Apple DVI->Video adaptor requires the analogue signal from a DVI-I output to function.

It does not contain the considerable hardware required to render the DVI-D part of the signal to a frame buffer and regrab that as analogue RGB. As you have split the signals to VGA (analogue) and DVI-D (digital) signals you cannot expect the apple adaptor to work on the digital branch of this.

 

[snowlord]

The Apple DVI->Video adaptor requires the analogue signal from a DVI-I output to function.

It does not contain the considerable hardware required to render the DVI-D part of the signal to a frame buffer and regrab that as analogue RGB. As you have split the signals to VGA (analogue) and DVI-D (digital) signals you cannot expect the apple adaptor to work on the digital branch of this.

Thank you!!!

Is it stupid to think that I could find a VGA to DVI-A adapter (like this: http://www.abccables.com/ca-002048.html) and use that to attach my Apple DVI->Video adaptor to the VGA part of the splitter?

Thanks again!

 

[slosh]

"Is it stupid to think that I could find a VGA to DVI-A adapter (like this: http://www.abccables.com/ca-002048.html) and use that to attach my Apple DVI->Video adaptor to the VGA part of the splitter?"​

i don't know if the dvi hook ups will match up on that. do you have dvi on your regular monitor (not your tv)? if so, it would make more sense to get something like this: a vga to s-video/rca hook up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/VGA-Card-to-S-V...5QQihZ020QQcategoryZ31531QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

that way you can cut an adapter adapter in the chain (the apple dvi to video one). hook up your tv to that side of the splitter; your monitor to the dvi-d side of the splitter.