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Help with Dual Monitor Set up (only one working)

J

jeepstylexx

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 20, 2011
52
3
I'll preface this by saying i've spent hours online trying to find a solution to no avail. I've used the forum before for advice and suggestions when needed, so i'm hoping someone can help.

I picked up (2) 27 inch LG IPS LED Monitors as part of Best Buy's Black Friday sale. I'm looking to use my MBA in clamshell mode and utilize both monitors. When i try, only one monitor is recognized.

I'm connecting a 2013 13" MacBook Air with an Apple Keyboard and mouse connected wirelessly via usb. Also, the MBA is running off external power. I have the MBA connected to the first monitor using an Apple Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter. The 2nd monitor is daisy chained to the first monitor using VGA. The monitors have VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs. I have also tried daisy chaining both monitors using HDMI and connecting to the MBA using a mini display port to VGA adapter, and both setups only allow the first monitor to work. The 2nd monitor says "connect to video source." I attempted this with the MBA open, and in clamshell mode. Neither made a difference.

Any help is appreciated.
 
jeepstylexx said:
I'll preface this by saying i've spent hours online trying to find a solution to no avail. I've used the forum before for advice and suggestions when needed, so i'm hoping someone can help.

I picked up (2) 27 inch LG IPS LED Monitors as part of Best Buy's Black Friday sale. I'm looking to use my MBA in clamshell mode and utilize both monitors. When i try, only one monitor is recognized.

I'm connecting a 2013 13" MacBook Air with an Apple Keyboard and mouse connected wirelessly via usb. Also, the MBA is running off external power. I have the MBA connected to the first monitor using an Apple Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter. The 2nd monitor is daisy chained to the first monitor using VGA. The monitors have VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs. I have also tried daisy chaining both monitors using HDMI and connecting to the MBA using a mini display port to VGA adapter, and both setups only allow the first monitor to work. The 2nd monitor says "connect to video source." I attempted this with the MBA open, and in clamshell mode. Neither made a difference.

Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...

How are you "daisy-chaining with VGA"? I don't even understand how this is possible, you can't daisy chain with anything but thunderbolt.

What i suggest is, if you're running Mavericks, go out and buy an Apple TV. Use that to run one of the displays and use the MiniDP to HDMI to run the other. With AirPlay the Apple TV can now be used as an additional monitor. Problem solved :)
 
mattferg said:
How are you "daisy-chaining with VGA"? I don't even understand how this is possible, you can't daisy chain with anything but thunderbolt.

What i suggest is, if you're running Mavericks, go out and buy an Apple TV. Use that to run one of the displays and use the MiniDP to HDMI to run the other. With AirPlay the Apple TV can now be used as an additional monitor. Problem solved :)
Click to expand...

That's an expensive (in reality) just for adding another monitor.
As well as your MBA cost, 2 extra monitor cost, and thunderbolt to HDMI you then would spend an extra £100 to add another monitor. Not argueing;) with you by all means just not a probable solution I don't believe and not cost effective.
Plus in this day and age you should be able to do two external monitors from a laptop :D
 
mattferg said:
How are you "daisy-chaining with VGA"? I don't even understand how this is possible
Click to expand...

He said the monitors had HDMI, VGA and DVI ports, so I guess he is plugging a VGA cable into monitor 1 connected to monitor 2. That could never work, those aren't "pass through" ports, they are only inputs. And even if it was a pass-through (analog) port, all you would get is an identical image on monitor #2 (the computer would only "see" one monitor).

But maybe that's what you want? If so, there should be some cheap splitter boxes that let you connect two DVI or VGA monitors.
 
mattferg said:
How are you "daisy-chaining with VGA"? I don't even understand how this is possible, you can't daisy chain with anything but thunderbolt.

What i suggest is, if you're running Mavericks, go out and buy an Apple TV. Use that to run one of the displays and use the MiniDP to HDMI to run the other. With AirPlay the Apple TV can now be used as an additional monitor. Problem solved :)
Click to expand...
This is your only possible solution, and I'm not sure if that will work, if it does, it may mirror one of the screens, since it is only capable of driving two monitors, not sure. I've seen the Apple TV on apple.com store's refurb section for $75.

The MacBook Air supports up to two monitors, the built-in monitor and ONE external monitor. Close it and you have one external monitor. That is all. http://www.apple.com/macbook-air/specs.html

The newest MacBook Pros support three monitors, up to TWO external monitors. That is all. http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/

----------

Actually, I just remembered seeing this, I don't know much about it, but, there is one more option...via USB: http://eshop.macsales.com/search/NWTVIDU
 
I have an Apple TV, but I don't want the tv as a monitor. I need two monitors side by side. Thanks everyone for the input, I'll continue to research options.
 
jeepstylexx said:
I have an Apple TV, but I don't want the tv as a monitor. I need two monitors side by side. Thanks everyone for the input, I'll continue to research options.
Click to expand...
(This is my 4th attempt at posting a reply, not sure if it's the forum or my mac).

The suggestion is to connect the LG monitor to an Apple TV. Mavericks is capable of using Apple TV as another separate monitor. This is instead of connecting directly to the MBA, uses wifi/airplay.

...did you see my last note, an afterthought...Newer tech makes something that gives you more monitors via USB (see my last link)
 
benji888 said:
The MacBook Air supports up to two monitors, the built-in monitor and ONE external monitor. Close it and you have one external monitor. That is all.
Click to expand...
You should be able to use two Thunderbolt displays, according to this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5219?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US#dispnum

Thunderbolt-capable Macs that can support up to two connected Apple Thunderbolt Displays.


MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012) and later4
MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012) and later4
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (15-inch and 17-inch, Early 2011) and later
MacBook Air (Mid 2012) and later
iMac (Late 2012)2
iMac (Mid 2011)2
Mac Mini (Late 2012)4
Mac Mini (Mid 2011), 2.5 GHz3
Click to expand...
 
Boyd01 said:
You should be able to use two Thunderbolt displays, according to this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5219?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US#dispnum
Click to expand...
two Thunderbolt displays, perhaps, but, as I read it (in your link), that is only Thunderbolt displays, not (mini) display port or (mini) display port adapters. Also, the MBA is limited to a resolution of 2560 by 1600 on external display(s), so, even if a person were to connected two Apple Thunderbolt displays to that Air, they would have to be set at lower resolutions, i.e. 1280x800 each.

"Intel HD Graphics 5000
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
Thunderbolt digital video output
Native Mini DisplayPort output
DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)
Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately)
HDMI audio and video output using third-party Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (sold separately)"
(http://www.apple.com/macbook-air/specs.html)
 
You should be able to use the MiniDisplay to your monitor and then purchase something like a UShow that allows you to output from your USB port. Especially since you should have USB 3.0, the delay should be unnoticeable.

I have heard about some issues with Mavericks breaking UShows though. So be sure that the device that you purchase is compatible with Mavericks before purchasing (or at least until disposing the receipt).
 
Thanks Everyone. I picked up a usb to hdmi adapter today at radio shack and attempted to use the 2nd monitor via this adapter. Still nothing, Doesn't recognize the 2nd monitor as being there. I also picked up a usb to vga adapter from best buy, and it won't work either.

The only other suggestion i have found from browsing is a hard drive with thunderbolt pass through that splits the signal and allows the 2nd monitor to be recognized. Even then, I think the 2nd monitor would only mirror the first. I need a fully functional 2nd monitor. I'm at wits end trying to get it to work, guess i'll just return the 2nd monitor.
 
SUCCESS!!! i am now running both monitors successfully. I downloaded the new driver online for the J5create USB adapter. Here's the link for the J5 in the event someone else stumbles across this post in search of help setting up 2 monitors.

http://www.j5create.com/our-products/external-video-adapters/jua210.html

I took the MBA out of clamshell mode and all of a sudden the display setting showed 3 monitors. I then put the MBA back into clamshell mode and voila the 2nd monitor started up!

so in short, I'm running 2 (27inch LG IPS monitors). One using the mini display port to HDMI adapter, the 2nd using the j5create USB 2.0 to VGA adapter.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Hopefully this will help someone in the future.
 
benji888 said:
two Thunderbolt displays, perhaps, but, as I read it (in your link), that is only Thunderbolt displays, not (mini) display port or (mini) display port adapters.
Click to expand...

That is true. I was just responding to your claim that the MBA cannot support two external displays. As far as your assumption about two thunderbolt displays needing to be set to 800x1280, that doesn't sound right to me. But I really don't know because I can't even afford one thunderbolt monitor! :D
 
jeepstylexx said:
SUCCESS!!! i am now running both monitors successfully. I downloaded the new driver online for the J5create USB adapter. Here's the link for the J5 in the event someone else stumbles across this post in search of help setting up 2 monitors.

http://www.j5create.com/our-products/external-video-adapters/jua210.html

I took the MBA out of clamshell mode and all of a sudden the display setting showed 3 monitors. I then put the MBA back into clamshell mode and voila the 2nd monitor started up!

so in short, I'm running 2 (27inch LG IPS monitors). One using the mini display port to HDMI adapter, the 2nd using the j5create USB 2.0 to VGA adapter.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Hopefully this will help someone in the future.
Click to expand...

Sometimes PCs will do that too. I believe you have to change a sleep setting so that it does nothing when the lid shuts. I don't have mine right now to check what that setting is on a Mac.
 
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