Display problems using mini-dvi to video adapter

I recently purchased the mini-dvi to video adapter for my powerbook to use my TV as a monitor and to play pictures and videos from the laptop to the TV. I am getting a full color display on the TV, but it's only the screen saver. None of my files, text, or any other desktop folders or menus appear when I open them up on the laptop. The only screen that opens is the display preferences when I open that up, but it's a different set of preferences than what's in my computer's display preferences, as it's header is "NTSC/PAL". But other than that 1 menu, nothing is appearing but the screen saver.

OK, I discovered that I didn't know what I was doing. With the Mini-DVI to video adapter, you need to use an S-Video cable that plugs into an S-video jack on the TV, and then you need a separate cable to plug into the audio out jack on the MacBook to plug into the TV.
I think you could also use an S-video to RCA component cable if you have a TV with component video input, but I couldn't get that to work so I went to the s-video to s-video cable.

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Resolution using Mini-DVI to Video Adapter

I have a Mini-DVI to Video Adapter that I connect to a television set. When I connect it my resolution drops from 1280x800 on my MacBook to 1024x768 on the television. On the MacBook tech specs screen it says: "Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 1920 by 1200 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colours".
Is it just something that I'll have to live with when switching to the television, or is there any way that I can increase this resolution?

You can make the TV the main monitor by dragging the menu bar to it in the "Arrangement" pane of "Displays" System Preference, or if you connect the power adapter and an external mouse and keyboard, just close the lid. It will sleep, but will wake when you use the mouse or keyboard.

IPhoto slideshow using mini-dvi to video adapter

When using the mini-dvi to video adapter to connect to my widescreen tv (via composite), to show iPhoto slideshows, the transistions between slides dont apear and there are no ken burns effects. The slideshow runs fine on my MacBook display (ie when not conected to the tv), and the is no other distortion or flickering (as reported in other threads), this seems odd to me or is it just a limitation of analogue output.
2Ghz MacBook, White Mac OS X (10.4.7)

It means that the issue resides in your existing Library.
Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords, faces and places back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

Iphoto crashing after using mini-dvi to video adapter

Hi, IPhoto on my Macbook is crashing. I can open it, then as soon as I scroll down it locks up and I have to force quit.
This started happening right after I used a Mini-DVI to Video Adapter cable to hook my macbook up to my TV. The adapter/s-video connection worked and I was able to see the video on the tv. But iphoto immediately locked up the computer when I went to slide show and now it locks every time I open it.
Any ideas?
Thank you:)
Dorothy

It means that the issue resides in your existing Library.
Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords, faces and places back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

How to connect my PB to TV using Mini-DVI to Video Adapter

I went through the posts, so I'm sure this is a stupid question, but:
I have a mini-dvi to video adapter for my powerbook, which I want to connect to my TV. What's the extra cable I need to connect the adapter to the TV?

"I'm hoping that simply connecting the two via a firewire cable will create some sort of mini-network?... but that sounds to easy..."
But it is that easy. Network the iBook and PowerBook via IP over FireWire:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1845.html
PowerBook G4 (15 FW800); 17 iMac G5; Mac mini 1.42 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Problem using the DVI to Video adapter

I am using a MacBook Pro. I am using the DVI to Video cable to connect my MBP to the TV. It was working fine and I was watching movies and videos. Suddenly I am having problem and its not working.
I hooked up the DVI to Video adaptor on the PC side . Black and white signal which is blurred/blocked/and modes across the screen. I tried playing with refresh settings, resolutions, etc but nothing is happening
Even in the display I am not able to see the NTSC
settings anymore. When it was working before the display changes automatically once i connect the adapter. But now it refresh but the display is not changing. currenly my display is set to 1440 * 900.
any idea why the display is not working, is it a driver issue.

Have you played with the "Mirror Displays" option in the arrangement tab?

External preview display via. Mini-DVI to video adapter QUESTION

Hello, I have been browsing this forum for a while, and this is my first question.
I have a Macbook Core2duo running Final Cut Pro. I purchased a Mini-DVI to S-video/composite video adapter.
I cannot get my work to preview on this external monitor. I would like to view the canvas on the monitor while working. I had this setup at school on a G5, but I cannot get it to work on my macbook. The only way apple suggests doing this is by setting up a camera via. firewire and then run from the camera to the NTSC video display (television). I would just like to do it via. mini-dvi to my television for previewing.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you,
Morgan Bressler

From what I've been told, using the computer's video output isn't outputting a true NTSC picture. I was told when talking about how the Macbook Pros dropped the S-vdieo port that I shouldn't use that anyways, but rather to go the firewire route. THat was actually converts the video source to true NTSC instead of taking a computer output to a TV. While I have no doubt that it works, I'm willing to bet that you'll see a noticeable difference between the G5 S-video and your MB using firewire. Most consumer camcorders from the past several years do digital (firewire) to analogue (NTSC) conversion, so you probably don't even need a new box.
-Brian

Screen goes black when hooking up to TV via mini-DVI to video adapter...

Hello,
Ever since I upgraded my PB12" to 10.5.x (now running 10.5.5, but this issue has been there since upgrading to 10.5.1), when I hook up the mini-DVI to video adapter (different adapter than for hooking up to an external display as the mini-DVI to video adapter has composite and sVideo out) to my TV, the PB screen goes black. It's set up to mirror the PB on the TV, and the PB continues to run, picture works on the TV, but I loose picture on the PB. Only way to get it back is to reboot the PB (with the mini-DVI to video adapter unplugged). So, basically, if I try and use the mini-DVI to video adapter, I loose picture on the PB. This never happened under 10.4.x — only since upgrading to 10.5.x.
Anyone have this issue? Know of a fix?
Thanks,
Kristin.

If you connect the MacBook using a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter you will probably need to use external speakers or a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack to RCA sound plugs connected to a stereo sound system if your TV doesn't have separate RCA input plugs or a 3.5mm stereo input plug for audio with the HDMI plug. The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI doesn't carry audio unless you have the Mid 2010 model 7,1 and there're no audio plugs on most TVs to work with HDMI since it's expecting audio with the HDMI.
If you have the Late 2008 model 5,1 Aluminum Unibody or Late 2009 model 6,1 White Unibody with the Mini DisplayPort rather than the Mini-DVI there is an adapter that can combine video and audio to HDMI.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=1042802 &p_id=5969&seq=1&format=2

Macbook + mini-DVI to video adapter problems!

Hi,
My roommate and I both have Macbooks - I got mine in June '06, it's one of the older black 80 gb models and hers is a white 120 gb that she got in August '07. We bought a mini-DVI to video adapter so we could watch DVDs and video files on our TV, but have been having some trouble with it lately. At first, it worked perfectly with her computer, but in the past few weeks has been malfunctioning - when she plugs it in, the default background shows up on the TV screen but nothing else, any windows she has open only show up on the TV if she drags them to the right on her screen until she can't see them on her computer anymore, so we're unable to watch anything fullscreen. Any tips on how to fix this?
Also, the adapter has never worked with my computer - any time I plug mine in, my computer display becomes enlarged and slightly distorted, and on the TV screen is distorted by horizontal lines that move up and down the screen. Any ideas here?
Thanks so much for the help!

Hi cbeth,
welcome to macbook forum.
For your friend macbook, try to press F7 back and forth to switch between mirror and expanded mode.
Try to update your macbook hardware firmware and software using software updater and repair permission after that...application/utilities/disk utility/repair permission.
Also reset your PRAM and PMU.
Open your friend system preference / display and try to compare and set yours similar to hers, including resolution, color depth, refresh rate.
Good Luck.

Mini-dvi to video adapter changing display on macbook?

I recently purchased a mini-dvi to video adapter for my macbook to be able to view photos and video on my tv. I'm having trouble with the display on my computer when I use the adapter. As soon as I plug in the mini-dvi video adapter into the computer the display on my computer switches from 1280 X 800 to 640 X 480. Attached to the adapter I have an s-video cable to my tv. The display shows the same on the tv but in black and white.
Any ideas? Thanks!

Turn mirroring off. That way the two displays can run independently from one another. The mirroring check box is in Displays Preferences under the Arrangement tab.

Not detecting tv display when connected with Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapte

I am connecting my macbook to my older tv using a Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter to an RCA (yellow video prong) and then into the tv. The red and white audio prongs hang loose, not hooked into anything on both ends. When I go into Displays there is no option for mirroring displays. I hit 'detect displays' but nothing happens. The Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter is brand new, just ordered it from apple. And I use the RCA cord all the time with other machines into my tv and it works fine.
Any help is really appreciated. Thanks!

Which generation MacBook do you have because at some point Apple dropped support for that adapter. Here is a link to a list of Apple adapters and compatible computer models:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3235

Using S-Video w/ the Mini DVI to Video Adapter

I just purchased a MacBook last week and I also purchased a Mini DVI to Video adapter for it so I can use the built-in DVD player to watch movies on my TV. I have a composite to composite cable and that worked fine when I connected the cable between the Mini DVI to Video Adapter and my TV. However, when I tried to use a S-Video cable and connected that between the Mini DVI to Video Adapter and my TV; then I got no picture at all. All I saw on the TV was a picture of the MAC desktop w/o the dock and the movie or nothing else played at all.
Is the composite connection a better connection for the MAC, or, are there some settings I need to work with on the MAC to get the S-Video connection to work?

I managed to figure this one out, by fluke. The MacBook has to be powered on and ready for user input prior to connecting the mini DVI to video adapter with the s video already connected to it, and to the TV. Once I did it this way, it worked fine. I just thought I'd share this.

Messed up color display and resolution because of mini-DVI to video adapter

Once I connected the mini-DVI to video adapter to the tv and got weird colors on my screen for a while but then it worked out, then after a while I disconnected the cable and turned my computer off. After that, everytime I turned my macbook on, the color is fine for two seconds and then it turns into a weird offset color, really bright colors, kinda sketchy and just a few colors, and a weird resolution and display obviously, but then I just connect my Mini-DVI to video adapter and disconnect it again (quickly) and the color returns to normal. How can I make the normal colors stay and not have to connect the mini-DVI to video adapater everytime I want to see the normal color display and resolution??
please help!

Open the Universal Access pane of System Preferences, click on Seeing, turn off the White on Black, VoiceOver, and Zoom options, and drag the Contrast slider all the way to the left. If the issue persists, create a new folder on the desktop, drag half of the items from the Library/Preferences/ folder of the item in the Finder's sidebar with the house icon into it, and narrow down the files until you've isolated the one responsible.
(30807)

Problem with apple mini dvi to video adapter cable

I recently bought an apple mini dvi to video adapter cable and all that it would display on my television screen was black and white colors. The quality of the screen seemed to be okay but it was hard to tell since i did not have any color. Is there something that i can do to fix this problem

Your probably not doing anything wrong. There are thousands of users with Similar issues and it seems to be with many different adapters.
We have Mini DP to VGA (3 different brands) and they all fail most of the time. This seems more prevalent with LCD Projectors. I've tested some (50+) with VGA Monitor (HP) and they all worked, LCD Projector (Epson, Hitachi, and Sanyo) and they all fail, DLP Projector (Sanyo) and one worked.
My Apple Mini DP to DVi works most of the time. My Mini DP to HDMI (Generic non Apple) works every time.
The general consensus is that Apple broke something in the OS around 10.6.4 or 10.6.5 and its not yet fixed. As we are a school we have logged a case with the EDU Support group so will see what happens.
Dicko

MacBook connecting to Mini-DVI to Video Adapter problems- HELP!!!

I just purchased the mini-dvi to video adapter. Immediately upon connecting the device, it makes the connect sound, followed immediately by the disconnect sound, accompanied with a flashing black screen. This repeats until I remove the adapter. I just updated my graphics driver, but that didn't help. I'm running windows XP on a macbook purchased in august 2007. please help!

Does the adapter work if you're in OS X? If so, you may get better help over in the Boot Camp forum here:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=237
~Lyssa

Display problems using mini-dvi to video adapter

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