Hi this is my first post and my question is about connecting my alum macbook to a monitor i have. I bought the mini display port adapter to dvi but i realized my monitor does not have a dvi port but luckily i have a dvi to vga adapter that i can hook up to the dvi cable. when i plug in the cable to my external monitor nothing happens but my computer recognizes the monitor and in the settings it says that my computer found out the brand and model number, i can even change the resolution settings too. But nothing is showing on my monitor, the screen just stays on standby. I kno the monitor isnt the problem because i tried it on another monitor and it recognizes it but it still has the same problem. Does anyone know if there is a setting i am missing or something else? Thanks
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Problems with external display
- Thread starter ohhs
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What you're trying to do won't work because the signal coming out of the Macbook is a DVI-D (where D stands for all digital) versus a DVI-I (where the I represents a digital and an integrated analog signal). In other words the analog part is missing and that's the part that gives you the picture when you use a DVI-I to VGA adapter. Since the other pins still carry information that's why your Macbook can still detect your monitor information but can't send the VGA signal to it.
That will work, yes. It's Apple's way of forcing us to buy two adapters if we need both DVI and VGA
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i just read the reviews on the apple site about the mini display port to vga adapter that people still seem to have problems on some monitors and lcd tvs (i also tried connecting my mini-display to dvi with the dvi to vga converter to my lcd tv and it doesnt work either). so id rather just save up for a new lcd monitor with a dvi input instead of paying $30 on a new adapter that might now work on an old monitor
For your first bit there, it didn't work because you flat out, cannot go mini-display port--> DVI, then use a DVI-->VGA dongle. It just won't work due to a lack of analog signal on the line.
For the second bit, the MDP-->VGA connector did not work with my Samsung TV. Most of the reviews having issues appear to be with Samsung LCD TV's. It did however work with my 17" Dell LCD monitor. It has something to do with the MDP-->VGA adapter not carrying enough power for a large display to recognize the signal input.
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