DVI vs ADC & VGA

Hi all
I have a G4 AGP with ADC/VGA video card ATY Rage(16mb)128pro connected to my 19" X2gen monitor via the VGA port. I'm not getting that sharpness with true colors. I heard DVI is the better video option for true colors and quality. Will i get better colors if I upgrade my video card to DVI? Or is my monitor very cheap quality and should I buy a ADC monitor?
Please help
Thanks
Web dude

To clarify, yes DVI offers the best quality as bit for bit information is passed for each pixel, it is truly digital as the acronym implies. Comparable to a lossy versus lossless in the media compression world... jpeg vs png, mp3 vs aiff etc
ADC, as with HDMI is simply a combination of DVI and other separate communication lines packaged into one cable with a different single connector.
ADC was Apples attempt at combining DVI with USB and FireWire into one connection for simplicity, but for various reasons including compatibility they finally switched to the standard DVI connection and gave a separate connector for each lead but continued to wrap them in the same insulation for neatness :P
HDMI is the same deal but with audio... they are also generally considered to produce lower quality imagery, even though the interface is the same, purely due to the generally poor quality of HDMI cables and connector.

Similar Messages

  • VGA (pc) to DVI or ADC monitor

    Is there a way to possibly accomplish this feat? Looking at getting a G5 and want to keep only one monitor on the desk top if possible.
    Steven

    Hi-
    You cannot go from VGA to DVI or ADC.
    VGA is analog only. DVI-I and ADC is both digital and analog, but DVI and ADC monitors are digital.
    You can convert DVI and ADC to analog VGA for an analog monitor, but you cannot convert VGA analog to digital from VGA.
    Looking at getting a G5 and want to keep only one monitor on the desk top if possible.
    A G5 will most likely have DVI and ADC.
    If your monitor is VGA, use an inexpensive DVI to VGA adapter.

  • In terms of performance. Which adapter works better ? ADC-VGA or DVI -VGA

    Or are parameters different ? Presently my CRT 20" Sony requires an adapter
    for my G4. My graphics card suggest that I can add another monitor. It will be a LCD with DVI output. Is the performance better from the ADC-VGA option for the CRT ?
    Thanks

    ADC is a digital output so you will get the best performance from a digital panel LCD. An adapter will always costs a little on performance, but if you go VGA you lose quality by default in some area.

  • DVI to ADC adapter doesn't work

    Greetings folks,
    I have an Apple DVI to ADC adapter going to a Formac 17" ADC display or alternatively an Apple 17" LCD ADC display. The displays do not function with either my MacBook Pro or my MacBook. I can't figure out which the Macs are having a problem with, the displays or the adapter. It all works fine with my PowerBook G4 and both of my PowerMac G4's. Also, regular DVI and VGA displays work fine with the MacBook Pro and the MacBook.
    I have talked with tech support and they have not been able to find a solution. I will bring the adapter to my Apple store to see if they can determine the problem.

    Okay, here's an update: the DVI to ADC adapter does work with the Apple displays that I have tried, but it won't work with the Formac. I have tried multiple time to contact them, but to no avail... they don't even respond to threats of posting my opinion of them, which is this:
    DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM FORMAC! They make quality products, but their customer service is a big time joke! They won't take care of you.

  • DVI to ADC Adapter question

    I've got a Quicksilver 933 (2002) and want to get the ATI Radeon 9600 Pro PC & Mac Video Card. I have a 17" Apple Cinema Display and want to add the new 20" Apple Display for an extended desktop. The ATI card has 2 DVI outs. I will need a DVI to ADC adapter. My question is, the adapters (see below) say they are good for connecting to DVI-D out and the 9600 card is DVI-I. Does this make a difference? Does anyone out there have experience running a set-up like this? I would hate to spend $200. on this card and $80. on the adapter only to find out I couldn't use the 17" Display.
    My other choice is the 64MB ATI 9000 Pro Mac edition. (This has both a DVI out and an ADC out so I would save ~$200.) I will not be doing any gameing, just extended desktop work with Photoshop, Flash and Dreamweaver. Would there be any noticeable difference between the 9000 and 9600 in these activities? As always, thanks for your input.
    AddLogix DVI - ADC Video Adapter
    Addlogix's DVI-D to ADC adapter allows Apple ADC LCD monitors to be connected to virtually any DVI computer systems and retain the USB hub feature as well.  The adapter combines the DVI and the USB signals from your computer and provides DC Power to the Apple Display.
    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/AddLogix/MCADVIADC/
    Dr. Bott's
    DVIator, DVI to ADC adapter
    http://www.drbott.com/prod/db.lasso?code=0111-DVAD

    Hi Justin,
    Can I further the questioning instead of starting my
    own new thread?
    No, worries, Mate!
    I am in a similar situation.
    I have a 2003 Quicksilver 933 with dual display
    currently running.
    (Using a 17" Apple Display & a 17" Sony CRT).
    I eventually wish to either upgrade to a 20+ cinema
    display and use the 17" Apple display as my extended
    desktop, but that may still be down the road a bit.
    Until then, Im looking to ditch the CRT for a 15 (or
    so) LCD to dave on desktop space and make an attempt
    to match the 17'' Apple Display.
    Ok, on to the question.
    I purchased a ATI Raedon 9800Pro Mac Edition and then
    noticed it only have two DVI connections. This won't
    be a problem for the eventual LCD upgrade (which has
    DVI connection), but I need to purchase a DVI to ADC
    convertor for the 17" Apple display.
    The Radeon 9800 has DVI and VGA and S-Video output, I believe. If you want to run 2 LCD monitors, one of them will have to have a VGA input (which you can't get on Apple monitors).
    1) Can I expect any loss in quality/performace due to
    the conversion between DVI and ADC?
    No, if the adaptor funcftions properly, there is no loss from DVI to ADC.
    2) I believe there are mulitple brands out there
    doing this conversion. (Apple, Geffen, etc..) Any
    brand looking to be more preferred over the other?
    The Geffen adaptor is presently the only one which will support the 17" ADC CRT studio monitor (as well as the ADC LCD monitors).
    3) With the convertor will I still be able to power
    my mac on and off with the use of the display power
    button?
    You can power the Mac on, however, some adaptors don't allow you to power it off.
    Thanks for any help.
    Justin
    Cheers!
    Karl

  • Mini-DVI to DVI to ADC problem

    I have recently acquired a 20" Apple Cinema Display with an ADC connector. I wish to hook it up to my 12" PB G4 with a Mini-DVI port. I have read, however, that Apple's included Mini-DVI to DVI adapter is DVI-D, and that Apple's DVI to ADC adapter is DVI-I. Does this mean that I need to plug a DVI-D to DVI-I adapter into my Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, and plug my (as yet unpurchased) DVI to ADC adapter into that?
    On the Apple store it is stated that the DVI to ADC adapter is useful for connecting a grand old ADC Cinema Display to a Powerbook G4. Is this correct? Or does this only apply to the 15" and 17" models with full DVI ports? Must a Powerbook 12" user buy another (third party) adapter to get this hulking great monitor to work? Will it even work with three adapters between the machine and the screen?

    I don't have much to suggest, except to ask if you can try with a different mini-DVI to VGA adapter. (i.e. do you have more than one on hand to make sure yours isn't just defective?) Make sure it is firmly seated into the iMac.
    I use the same adapter to provide an extended desktop on an old CRT monitor and the display is great.

  • DVI to ADC Adapter problems.... Hopefully

    Hi Everyone.
    I recently upgraded to a G5 with the ATI 9600 default card. I have a 19" crt (connected to via VGA/DVI cable) and my 20" Cinema display (ADC - connected via DVI to ADC convertered - brick ($100)).
    Until recently everything has been great. Until my Cinema display screen has a reddish/ pinkish tint to it. I am going to guess that it it the DVI converter - have read a few posts here and found similar posts - because the screen does revert back to normal - eventually. I have cleared the pram and unplugged the brick to let it cool down etc. I think it seems to be a overheating problem. Just wondering if anyone else has similar experience with the dvi to adc converter. I would bring it back to the apple store but of course it will probably work by the time I got it there. I did take some snaps with my digital camera as proof - gee should have thought of that earlier.
    thanks

    Hi Paul,
    A tinge on the monitor can sometimes be due to a single bad connection. This has been documented in the Flat Panel iMac discussions where a single loose wire (in the neck swivel assembly) caused much the same problem.
    The issue is more likely to occur with a DVI to ADC adaptor because you have twice the number of connections, hence twice the chance of a faulty connection. The connection may be sufficient for normal function initially, but, as things heat up, the connection might go faulty (probably due to heat expansion).
    If all connections are OK, heat should not be an issue with the DVI to ADC adaptor.
    It might be a good idea to check all contacts and connections in the video card port to adaptor to monitor plug sequence for dirt, corrosion or damage/distortion. Once that has been done, make sure that all connections are tight and properly seated.
    It would also be a good idea to have a quick look at the video card also, maybe even reseat it, to make sure that all connections are OK there too.
    Cheers!
    Karl

  • DVI to ADC adapter

    This one is a little tricky...i have a 20" Apple Display with an ADC connection.....my friend who owns an older G4 believeed to have a DVI-D and VGA connection wants to buy it but we're wondering if there is any way to hook it up.....I have an Apple DVI to ADC adapter but I don't know if it works for just DVI-I or what...he lives a few hours away so we can't just try it out....if anybody knows anything please let me know.
    thanks.
    JP

    Ok, here is what I know about the computer...
    G4 400mhz PowerPC
    GRAPHICS CARD:
    ATY,Rage128Pro
    Chipset Model: ATY,Rage128Pro
    Type: Display
    Bus: AGP
    Slot: SLOT-A
    VRAM (Total): 16 MB
    Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
    Device ID: 0x5046
    Revision ID: 0x0000
    ROM Revision: 113-63001-108
    Displays:
    900U:
    Resolution: 1152 x 870 @ 75 Hz
    Depth: 32-bit Color
    Core Image: Not Supported
    Main Display: Yes
    Mirror: Off
    Online: Yes
    Quartz Extreme: Not Supported

  • DVI to ADC adapter forcing powerbook to shut down on connection

    Hi there,
    I have been using my powerbook 1.25GHz for about 8 months with my DVI to ADC adapter to connect to my 22" cinema display with no troubles whatsoever. Yesterday evening when I came home as soon as connected the adapter to my powerbook- it shut down my powerbook within a couple of seconds. Not only that I was blasted with a 3-5 second low tone from my powerbook as it attempted to restart. At the same time the sleep light (one that purrs softly in sleep mode on the powerbook) flashed in quick succession for the length of time that my powerbook made the the long beep noise.
    Following this the computer then makes the usual start up noise but nothing happens on either my powerbook display or the 22" display. I am then required to take out the adapter connection from my powerbook and my computer restarts normally after holding down the start button again.
    I have tried a few times now to connect the adapter with the same problem. Has anyone else experienced this or have any idea what the sound being emitted is all about and the disco light display from my powerbook?
    Would be grateful for some hints... Thanks!
    1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 Powerbook   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

    The exact same things (low tone, furiously flashing sleep light) has happened to me on several occasions, and it happened again today. I just googled up the symptoms and this is where I landed. The only thing I can correlate among our experiences is that the DVI connection on the powerbook is involved (the problem may or may not have anything to do with the ADC adapter).
    For my problem, it's usually occurred after I've either just connected or disconnected a second display using an Apple dvi-->adc powered adapter or a small unpowered dongle (dvi -->vga) for an lcd projector. The restart after either one fails can take quite awhile.
    Twice in the past six months, I've been at the "two minute warning" before a presentation, and the book has crapped out just as I connect it to the projector and then it's gone into the psycho light and sound mode you described. Today's failure occurred after unhooking from the powered Apple DVI-->ADC adapter at my desk to go down the hall for a meeting. The computer went into blue screen and stayed there after it was disconnected from the Studio Display and DVI-->ADC adapter. Attempting to hard reset/powerdown by holding down the power button initiated the tone/light flashing.
    These few cases may seem pretty isolated, but perhaps a pattern will emerge if people keep adding their experiences.
    15" G4 1.67gHz powerbook   Mac OS X (10.4.6)  

  • Power Mac Mirror Door DVI or ADC to SINGLE RCA VIDEO OUT to a TV...adapter?

    I have a Mirror Door G4 tower that I would like to use as a media center, with an old(er) Magnavox 19" television that only has the single yellow VIDEO IN jack, and the red and white audio L and R. Is there a converter cable that is similar to the one I used to use with my old G4 Powerbook which took the mini DVI and turned it into either composite video out? (I think it was Mini DVI, maybe ADC, whatever that little square video out on the Powerbook G4). I am prepared for low-res results, mostly just want to look at the itunes window and occasionally view utube clips or DVDs.
    Also, does the G4 take the original Airport card (not the extreme), and if so does it need a separate antenna the way some G5s do?
    And finally should I get good results with a Bluetooth dongle plugged into a USB port on the rear of the G4 when connecting a white Apple wireless keyboard?
    Some of these answers will of course sort themselves out with experimentation, but any tips or experience in doing these things would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks, m.

    I expect the weasel-words in Apple's description are there to be sure that whatever Video card you choose, the card does actually provide the signals needed. These are the VGA-equivalent signals around the Bar at one end of the connector. That gets you Red, Blue, Green+Luminosity, H-Sync and V-Sync. Those signals in combination are all that is needed to build S-Video or Yellow-RCA composite video On-the-Fly (not buffered).
    The signals can be sliced and diced to get slightly different versions of Analog Video using adapters built around the SKART interface. There is a cheap one-chip wonder converter used in lots of converters, also loosely called SKART.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SKART
    This does NOT do conversion to Digital Video, DVI, or HDMI when starting from VGA. That kind of converter has memory and scanning hardware that pushes the cost up higher than the price of an display card.
    Message was edited by: Grant Bennet-Alder

  • G5, DVI to ADC Adapter & Belkin Switch

    I've got a Dual core 2ghz G5 running 10.4.11, currently connected to a 23" old style cinema display.
    I have bought a DVI to ADC adapter (the one with power) and a Belkin DIV-D Switch so that I can run a PC and the G5 through the display.
    The problem that I'm having is that the G5 won't start up when connected through the switch, it just turns off when OS X is booting.
    If I boot the mac and the connect the the screen via the switch then I get no picture on the diplay, although the keyboard and mouse appear to work.
    Everything works fine for the PC.
    Any ideas?
    Thanks

    I just bought a KVM and this time I went with a Gefen, and while it is just for DVI, it works quickly and reliably. In the past I always bought cheaper units and was never satisfied.
    http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=1301
    http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/ada-adc-2-vga.html
    Slim pickings but maybe something stands out.

  • ADC - VGA

    Hi
    i have the G5 powermac oct 2004. The last G5 to carry the ADC and DVI ports i believe. hence my problem, as i don't want to pay for a very expensive apple display but i would like to dual monitor.
    i already have the DVI going to VGA going to phillips 17". I plan on having that on my ADC port (converted to VGA) and convert the DVI port to VGA and use one of many old CRT's floating around the house.
    I live in Australia and i would appreciate any info on the best way to get the combo i want. I already have a DVI to VGA converter
    Thanks
    Don King Resurrected

    Hi Karl,
    i think i might have accidentally posted in the wrong forum in state of confusion with lots of windows open.
    Essentially i want to have two VGA ports. The G% i have comes with one ADC and one DVI port. I'm already using the DVI port with a VGA converter. We have another DVI to VGA converter lying around. To have some flexibility, if we ever get a DVI monitor, i thought of buying an ADC to DVI adapter, and then using the spare DVI to VGA conector with that. So i'd have three adapters sticking out the back of my computer with two VGA ports in the end.
    The blasted ADC to DVI cable we bought doesn't have the four pins around the horizontal pin. As you indicated it sounds like we got a DVI-D port and obviously we want one with the four pins so we can use our spare adapter.
    Hopefully i'm making more sense.
    Thanks
    DKR

  • Negative Color on Apple 17" DVI to ADC Box

    Hello all, I would like to get any help with my 17" Apple LCDs. I have a G5 2.0 with a ATI 9600 Pro 64 megs video card, one ADC and one DVI port. I have the Apple converter DVI to ADC with both USB and DVI cable. It adds power to the Monitors also.
    I have two 17 Monitors 3 month apart when I purchased them.
    One works (converts) fine on my G5 and MacBook Pro 17", even on a PC with an ATI Wonder Card, (one DVI port one VGA), but the other Monitor will not!
    The display looks, well best described as Negative, like a photo (film) negative. When I directly plug the Apple Monitor Cable into my G5 ATI 9600 Pro ADC port its completely fine? It returns to a normal Display.
    I am completely puzzled!
    Any thoughts would be very well received. Cheers DonH

    I have tried the key commands when connected to my MacBook Pro 17" but it sends the Mac Pro into negative mode! The same with two monitor set upon my G5. It has to be the Monitor? I have two 17" purchased 3 month apart. The other is fine even connected to my PC and using the Apple converter.
    I think your problem is a defective DVI to ADC adapter, since your display works correctly from a computer with ADC. There have been others with the same problem with the adapter. A single bit error can cause color inversion with the encoding used for DVI video.

  • Nothing simpler, smaller, less expensive than Apple's DVI to ADC adapter?

    My 2001 vintage 466 MHz PowerMac G4 with 15" Studio Display has served me well over the years. But, alas, she's running Panther (10.3.9) and lacks the requirements to move on to Leopard, which I'm ready to do. So, I decided to upgrade the machine. Since the other parts of the system (monitor, keyboard, mouse & printer) were just fine, I decided that a new Mac Mini would fit the bill nicely. (I'm also a Scotsman, always looking for ways to save money. Perhaps that's part of the problem. )
    I received it yesterday and wasn't expecting the ADC-monitor to DVI-computer dilemma. (Which shows you just how out of touch I am with technology's incessant march forward.) So, I investigate solutions.
    Imagine my surprise when I discover that the only solution out there is by Apple, in the form of a brick almost as big as my Mini! And, another $100 to boot! I did find a third party solution through a link on Apple's website, but that's $150! (Thanks for the referral, Apple!) My mind is boggled - there must be other available solutions but, if there are, they are evading me.
    Does anyone know of any solution that is simpler, smaller and less expensive than Apple's DVI to ADC adapter?
    Thanks for any and all info.

    The Apple adapter is the only solution if you really want to keep that display. It might be a good time to look for a larger display, with DVI.
    I am using the Apple adapter with my seven year old 22" display, but I wouldn't want to run OS X on anything smaller.

  • Apple says dvi ro adc adapters are the problem

    I posted with the correct title, exucse me missing our thr "to adc adaptor " part.
    anycase
    They sent this person with there mac mini, 22" plastic cinema display and DVI to ADC adapter to be looked at by 4 different centers in europe, no on-sight or pick up mail support at all, and none culd get the screen panel functions to work.
    They told him that they have no solution to the problem and they where aware of it since they manufactured the mac mini, but that its minor for a recall and the only way apple could do anything to help him is if he would purchase a extended plan for $200 more!!!
    "this is new to my ears",
    has anyone else had this problem or where the posts deleated here before?

    A poor help to people sitting on useless Apple products. To me it looks like a lot of people do have display problems. Any normal person should be able to spot when something is more than a minor problem in a forum like this – if you understand what I mean.
    I'm about to help someone make a switch and buy a mini. But I hesitate, knowing the display problems so many seems to have.
    Having problems with a noisy G5 CPU fan I've come to realize that Apple actually do cover up problems. Wonder why? However the most disturbing fact is why Apple can't give their customers some answers. They should have some clues to what is going on. Be sure that they read this forum and that they know when a problem is a real problem.

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