My 15" Powerbook and my 17" Formac LCD...

[saunders45]

So I have a 15" powerbook that I hook up to my Formac LCD Display. It's the older style with the ADC connector, so I use an Apple ADC to DVI Converter. I have had it since mid-December, usually running with no problems. Last week I was rendering some stuff in FCP and I left the room as It was gonna be like 25-30 mins.( friggin' dvGarage dvMatte pro, love/hate relationship.)
So anyway, I come back to wake up the screen and it "wakes" up, to black screen. No matter what I do, i can't get anything to register on the screen. Even with my powerbook being open, it "Knows" that the lcd is there, even when I change resolutions, the light flickers, the backlight goes off, then comes back on, but it's still black. I haven't had much luck at the Apple support site, or with Formac. I have already trashed the display prefs in the Library folder, and it didn't help. I hooked my powerbook up to another monitor, and it worked just fine. I even hooked my Formac up to a PC with the DVI convertor, and that worked too.
I'm really starting to get frustrated, and I would GREATLY appreciate any help.

 

[stubeeef]

I am ignorant on this issue, but am curious, could it be the converter?

 

[saunders45]

I thought it might be, but it worked fine on a PC.

 

[saunders45]

anyone???????

 

[mrgreen4242]

I don't have any specific knowledge or advice for you, but I will make some guesses/suggestions.

Since you know the Formac works (tried on a PC), then the trouble is either the PBs output or the ACD converter. I would check these both by connected a regular VGA display to the PB and seeing if it works, and then I would try a new VGA->ACD converter.

If the VGA monitor works on the PB, and the Formac works on a PC, then the converter cable must have gone bad. (I've had DVI to VGA cables go bad on me, it happens).

If the VGA monitor won't work on the PB then I would guess something is wrong with the PBs external display connection and I would call AppleCare.

Have you tried the obvious software things, like rebooting the system, etc? Running any system updates may help, too, not some much to fix something (it worked before, so shouldn't need fixing) but to get yoru graphic cards drivers reinstalled/reset/whatever, hopefully kicking the display back on. I've had PC graphics cards do similar things to me before, and uninstalling the drivers, and then reinstalling them fixed it.

Good luck,
Rob

 

[saunders45]

I did hook my powerbook up to a VGA monitor. Also, to even get the Formac to work on the PC, I had to use the ADC to DVI convertor. And yeah, i did a the software stuff that i know of, even trashing the display preferences in the library folder.

 

[mrgreen4242]

I did hook my powerbook up to a VGA monitor. Also, to even get the Formac to work on the PC, I had to use the ADC to DVI convertor. And yeah, i did a the software stuff that i know of, even trashing the display preferences in the library folder.

So, to clarify, the Formac display worked with a ADC to DVI convertor on a PC. The PowerBook displayed on a VGA display, presumably with a mini-VGA to VGA adaptor?

If that's the case it's gotta be the miniVGA to ADC converter... I would try to get another one and test that.

Rob

 

[debroglie]

So, to clarify, the Formac display worked with a ADC to DVI convertor on a PC. The PowerBook displayed on a VGA display, presumably with a mini-VGA to VGA adaptor?

If that's the case it's gotta be the miniVGA to ADC converter... I would try to get another one and test that.

Rob

Actually, first of all, I believe that his powerbook has a DVI output, just as his PC does. Therefore, if the DVI-->ADC converter works with his display, it must not be damaged, and therefore it must be an issue with his p'book unfortunately. I would suggest giving Apple a ring

 

[saunders45]

yeah, I think I may have to. An yes, it does have the DVI adapter, and I connected it to a DVI monitor and it worked, thats why I'm so frustrated.

 

[mrgreen4242]

Oh, ya, I knew PBs had a DVI connector, I just wasn't thinking.

Hm, so a DVI display works on the PB. The formac coupled with the dvi->ADC connector works on a PC. But the formac with DVI->ADC adaptor doesn't work with the powerbook.

Very odd. I would still suggest trying a different DVI->ADC adaptor, just to be sure. I had this DVI to 2 VGA connector for these computers I work with that woudl work on some machines, but not the ne it was originally connected to.

Turned out that the cable was bad, but you had to twist it in a particular way to cause the internal disconnect. The machine it was connected to way positioned in a way that made it twist like that, but when I would take it (the cable) to the workbench and try it on another machne it would work.

Anyways, it's a long shot, but I'd try it if I could find another adaptor. Maybe a nearby Apple store will let you use one if you bring the whole setup in? If that fails, I s'pose call Apple or talk to a guiness at the closest store and see what they think.

Rob