Need some help with second display on my powerbook

[kevh182]

Hi,

I'm new to the whole mac scene and what I am trying (have been for awhile now) is to connect my Gateway FPD1500 DVI flat panel monitor to my powerbook thru the DVI port as a second display to expand the desktop. Whenever I connect it to the powerbook seems to detect it because the screen will flicker and then nothing comes up on the monitor just on the display of the powerbook. I've tried the detect displays option and still nothing. I know the DVI port is good becuase i tried the DVI to VGA adaptor the powerbook came with, and it works with that. I don't have a VGA monitor of my own to use as a second display, just the flat panel. It also works when I hook it up to the TV with the s-video port. I hooked up the monitor to another desktop (windows) pc and the monitor works fine. I just dont know what to do. Do I have to buy a special adaptor or converter?

My setup: (if that helps any)
15 inch Powerbook G4 1GHZ
Mac OSX 10.3.3
Gateway FPD1500 15 inch Flat Panel Monitor

 

[Thomas Anderson]

Once you hook up the monitor to your powerbook and it does the flicker thing make sure you hit the "source" button on the front of the monitor. It is the one on the far right I believe. That gateway monitor tends to default to the analog input. I used that same set-up for awhile until I finally gave in and bought a 23" HD apple display. Hope this helps.

 

[bursty]

i am having the same problem with the same monitor. I dont think there is a source button like youre talking about....just a power button and two brightness buttons

 

[redAPPLE]

by flicker, you mean, it flickers continuously? or just for a few seconds and you get a "black" screen without any current?

with my powerbook, if i plug in an external monitor, i automatically get the spanning mode.

 

[JasonL]

I don't have to do anything. It automatically goes to spanning mode, although odd things have happened from time to time where I have had to detect display through system prefs.

This is probably a stretch, but does your diplay have multiple inputs? If you are plugged into the DVI input you may have to select the DVI input on the display for anything to show. My LCD works like this, although there is no flicker when the wrong input is chosen to display.

You definitely don't need any sort of converter/adapter unit as your PB has DVI-out and your monitor has a DVI input.

 

[bursty]

i know when i plug the gateway LCD into the PB, i get a blue screen on the PB for a few seconds (i guess that means its recognizing the LCD) but then the LCD just sits with a black screen, as if it were hibernating.