Macbook Pro connecting to Samsung monitor

[jrdba]

Hi all. I have a late 2009 Macbook Pro 13" with a mini display port. I am trying to connect it to my Samsung Syncmaster 731BF. To get that done i bought a mini displayport to DVI adapter. Now i want to mention that my Samsung monitor only has a VGA cable but i've been connecting it to my gaming desktop's EVGA graphics card via a DVI converter (successfully). So currently what i'm doing to connect it to my Macbook Pro is this:-

mini displayport-->dvi converter-->vga cable on samsung

Now it does not work ('check signal cable' box) and i'm confused as the same monitor works with my gaming desktop where the dvi converter was utilized as well. Thanks folks!

 

[skorpien]

First things first, DVI is digital and VGA is analog. The problem with your setup is the difference between DVI-D and DVI-I.

DVI-D(igital) is digital only whereas DVI-I(ntegrated) integrates an analog signal as well. DVI to VGA adapters will only work if the DVI source is a DVI-I source (unless it's an actual converter ?), meaning that there is an analog signal being transmitted in addition to the digital signal. The adapter converts the analog part of the signal to VGA and thus works with VGA monitors.

The Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter is strictly digital as the Mini DisplayPort is a digital port (not sure of that last part, but most Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapters are strictly digital as I suspect yours is). Even though you have a DVI to VGA adapter in place, there is no analog signal to convert to VGA.

 

[jrdba]

The dvi adapter came with my EVGA graphics card, so it's just a regular dvi-vga adapter, nothing special. So thanks for clarifying, basically it won't work so i gotta buy a mini displayport-->vga adapter now.

 

[skorpien]

Yeah, that's probably the simplest and cheapest solution, and definitely the one with the least headache. If you want to save on the Apple premium, MonoPrice has one listed for ~$14.

 

[jrdba]

Thanks, but i can get it for about $9.50 shipped from ebay

 

[skorpien]

Even better!

 

[jrdba]

Appreciate all your help Skorpien!

 

[skorpien]

My pleasure. Glad I could help (or at the very least save you the headache of trying to figure out why it wasn't working).

 

[jrdba]

Hey, quick follow up question. i just picked up the proper vga adapter from best buy to 'test' out for a month and i notice that the max resolution i'm getting on my samsung is 1280x1024. I know for sure when i'm connected to my windows desktop with this same samsung monitor i get much higher resolutions. Is there a way to get a higher resolution? Do i need updated drivers? The max i'm seeing under 'displays' properties is 1280x1024. Thanks again.

Update:- Just figured out that the native max resolution is 1280x1024 so nothing can be done. I will say though that the output looks much better on my windows desktop. Gotta get a better screen i suppose...