DVI vs VGA? Worth the expensive cable?

So I've got a Dell large monitor external to the MBP. I also have a new video switch. Attached to the switch is the MBP and my desktop Vista machine. The Vista machine produces a beautiful high res output on the Dell that is crisp, and clear. The Mac, however, produces something quite a bit less than that, even set at 1440 x 900. I cannot seem to get the external monitor to match the screen resolution of the Mac, even when I connect VGA directly to it. I wonder whether it will be worth it to buy the DVI cable, at considerable more cost, and hook up, which the monitor does have the ability to do. The Mac store in Seattle had no clue if it would improve the quality. What's your thoughts on this? Is the DVI actually able to produce a better picture coming from the mac than the VGA conversion cable does?
Thanks in advance.

So I found out that my local store had one for $15, made by Cables Unlimited, which is vastly less than the big box stores and the Apple Stores were selling them for. It's 10 ft. and it makes a huge difference in quality. Thanks for letting me know. It's amazing that both Apple stores I talked to hadn't a clue that this is better than VGA. The floor staff must not understand and they are probably just hooking up DVI-D to all the floor machines. Now a happy camper....

Similar Messages

Is Mobile Me Worth the Expense?

This is only my second post here, so please go easy on me!
I just got my new iPhone last week. I signed up for Mobile Me, but I am wondering if it is really worth the expense. Can a few people out there lend their expertise as to why or why not I should go ahead and subscribe when my free trial is over?
Thanks!

You should probably wait to see what Apple say's on Monday. They released a press release stating that "iCloud" - their next generation cloud services offering will be unveiled.
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/05/31wwdc.html
How this impacts MobileMe remains to be seen.

Mini DVI to VGA Adapter w/ extension cable

I would like to get a Mini DVI to VGA Adapter for my macbook. Does anyone know how it would would if I used it with a VGA extension cable. Any experience will be helpful

Depends on how long the cable is, and if it was of sufficient quality for computer use. The higher resolutions require better quality and shorter cables. You may get some signal loss for long cables. A standard monitor cable that comes with a computer monitor should be fine, but what kind of length extension cable are you talking about?

Mini dvi to VGA adapter to HDMI cable

i have a mini dvi to vga adapter for my macbook (bought in 2007) and that works but I want to connect to hdmi cable to this? But don't exactly know how to do this or if it is possible?

It is my understanding that 'VGA' is analog and HDMI is digital....from what I have read it won't work without a convert
I use a Mini DVI to DVI adapter and then a DVI to HDMI adapter to run the HDMI cable to to TV
the converter...VGA to HDMI...
http://www.vgatohdmi.net/
Mini DVI to DVI
http://store.apple.com/us/product/M9321G/B?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MTA4NDU1MTM
DVI to HDMI
http://store.apple.com/us/product/TR842LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MTA4NDU1Mjk
Personally I would shelf the VGA adapter and go with the new cable set up...if you already have the HDMI cable then an adapter from DVI to HDMI would be in order

Problems with the mini DVI to VGA connection

Hi I have a macbook, when I connect to the projector the screen is unconfigured and not projected properly keynote presentations. I Probed change the cable adapter mini dvi to vga but the result is the same.

Hi Robert, I cannot answer for you, as I have the same problem, which only came to light yesterday.
The same problem is discussed in the MacBook Pro community and none of the solutions there has solved the problem for me. Maybe one of them will for you. The link to this other set of problems is:
https://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?peopleEnabled=true&userID=&containerTy pe=&container=&spotlight=false&q=projector
Peter

"miniDVI-DVI adaptor" + "DVI to VGA cable" can't detect LCD TV

Hi,
I just bought a "miniDVI-to-DVI" adapter, and then a DVI-to-VGA male-to-male cable to connect my MacBook to Viewsonic 19" monitor but my MacBook didn't detect the 19" monitor. (This 19" monitor has only VGA but no DVI input!)I tried it on my friend's 32" LCD TV but it couldn't work too.
Then I tried to connect my MacBook by using "miniDVI-DVI" adaptor + "DVI-DVI male to male" cable to DVI socket of my frind's 32" LCD TV. It worked! So I think it's not the problem of the "miniDVI-DVI" adaptor.
I worried that it's the problem of the "DVI-to-VGA" cable so I went to the shop to exchange another new "DVI-to-VGA" cable. But my MacBook still couldn't detect all these 2 monitors via VGA socket.
Can anybody help me? Please advise! Thanks!

Hi,
Thanks for your response.
The shopman told me that "miniDVI-VGA" adaptor was out of stock, only "miniDVI-DVI" adaptor was available yesterday. At that time I thought I had to buy a connecting cable also (no matter it's VGA-VGA or DVI-VGA cable).
Since my friend has a DVI-DVI cable, if I buy this "miniDVI-to-DVI" adapter I may share my MacBook with his 32" TV too. So I bought these adaptor & cable.

Mac mini - Mini-DVI to DVI to VGA?

My Mac mini just arrived today, and I'm rather chomping at the bit to get working with it (it's my first Mac). First, some background - I'm currently at work and am attempting to hook it up to a VGA monitor. Since I wasn't planning on really using it with a VGA monitor at home, I didn't bother buying a Mini-DVI to VGA adapter - instead I was planning on using an existing DVI to VGA adapter I had from one of my previous graphic card purchases. However, once I saw that the Mac mini comes with a Mini-DVI to DVI-D adapter (was expecting DVI-I) I went out and picked up a Mini-DVI to DVI-I adapter at lunch (made by Dynex), since that would suffice both at home and work.
However, now that I'm back in the office it's not working - the monitor, a Compaq 7550 CRT, can tell that something is plugged in as I'm not getting a "no signal" error, but I don't get anything on the screen. I'm currently doing Mac Mini > Mini-DVI > DVI-D > VGA, with the VGA going into the monitor. I hear the Mac boot but nothing ever appears on screen. Is this simply a case of one too many connectors? In hindsight I probably should have just gotten the Mini-DVI to VGA cable (I didn't since I wasn't sure how much I'd bring the mini into work), but I didn't see a reason that this wouldn't work.
Any feedback is appreciated.

Reports on other sites indicate that the Dynex adapter, although looks like it is transmitting DVI-I, is actually dropping the non-analog pins in which case it won't work with a DVI to VGA adapter. Your best bet is almost certainly going to be getting a true mini-DVI to VGA adapter.
Regards.

Problemas con la conexión mini DVI a VGA

Hola tengo una macbook, pero cuando la conecto al proyector se desconfigura la pantalla y no se proyectan adecuadamente las presentaciones en keynote. Probe cambiar el cable adaptador de mini dvi a vga pero el resultado es el mismo.
Hi I have a macbook, when I connect to the projector the screen is unconfigured and not projected properly keynote presentations. I Probed change the cable adapter mini dvi to vga but the result is the same.

Hola Axel,
¿Porque no usas la conexión de la DI API hacia la base de datos que deseas? De esta manera simplemente indicas en el servertype que trabajas con hana y te establece la misma.
Espero que te sea de ayuda.
Saludos,

No video signal using mini dvi to vga adapter.

I just bought a macmini,the last generation. Separately I bought on the apple store a mini dvi to vga adapter because when I bought the macmini I forgot to buy that....once the adapter arrived I tried to turno on the mini,everything seems to be normal,the mini works,the audio signal is normal and after the startup it asks me to choose the language,but the screen says there's no INPUT SIGNAL. I tried another mini dvi to vga adapter,the vga wire works with my pc so I didn't try another one,I tried the reset of the mini,nothing....do I have to try with "miniport to vga" adapter or is there something else I can try?

I got my Mac Mini yesterday and I am having the exact same problem as you are having.
I've tried on two different TV's but it is just not sending a signal. Is it faulty?

Mini DVI to VGA cable doesn't send signal to the projector

I just received a mini DVI to VGA adapter cable today.
I connect mini DVI side of cable into my Macbook v. 4.1 and connect the other side into DGA cable, which connected to LCD projector.
When I connect the cable to my Macbook, the opened application streched out to a full screen (seems like computer detets the cable) but projector says 'no signal'.
Can any one tell me what is wrong it is?
Thanks much
Mike

I'm still stucked.
By reading some articles, it says even using mini DVI adapter, the signal is still digital and if the projector doesn't accept digital signal then it's no use....
My projector is Epson EX3200 and it doesn't have any DVI or HDMI input.
Does this mean my projector doesn't accept a digital signal?
But, but, but if even uing mini DVI adapter cable it still doesn't conver to analog signal then why they call the cable a mini DVI to VGA cable???
Why should this world be so complecated.....

What is the correct cable for iMac 11,2 Intel core i3, mini dvi to vga or mini display port to vga?

What is the correct cable for iMac 11,2 Intel core i3, mini DVI to VGA or mini display port to VGA to hook up to projector? Thanks!

mini-DisplayPort.
Regards.

I have a MBPro mid 2013 with 1 Thunderbolt port. Just bought a Mac monitor and want to daisy chain a PC monitor to it. Use a Mini DVI to VGA adapter from MBP to PC monitor. How do I daisy chain the 2 monitors?

I have a MBPro mid 2013 with 1 Thunderbolt port. Just bought a Mac monitor and want to daisy chain a PC monitor to it. Use a Mini DVI to VGA adapter from MBP to PC monitor. How do I daisy chain the 2 monitors?

Hall Palm Desert,
if your Mac monitor has Thunderbolt ports, and the PC monitor is on the end of the daisy chain, then you might be able to do it by connecting your PC monitor’s VGA cable to a Mini DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter (e.g. Apple, NewerTech), connecting that cable’s Mini DisplayPort end to one of the Mac monitor’s Thunderbolt ports, and then connecting a Thunderbolt cable between the other port on the Mac monitor and your MacBook Pro.

Mini-DVI to VGA cable... LCD TV has female input

I recently bought a mini-DVI to VGA adapter from an Apple store, to connect my MacBook with a broken screen to a UMC LCD TV. When it came to plugging the VGA end into the TV, I realised it has exactly the same connector (female I think) as the TV. This obviously means they will not connect, and I haven't been able to find a connector that will do the job. I was surprised to find that after a fair amount of searching no one else appears to have had this problem, so maybe I'm being stupid somewhere here. Thanks for help.

You need a VGA male-to-male cable to connect the Apple mini-DVI to VGA adapter to your LCD TV:
MacBook > Mini-DVI to VGA adapter > VGA male to male cable > LCD TV

Mini DVI to VGA cable won't fit. Too big for slot on 12 PowerBook G4

Are there more than one type of cable?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2369 shows only one kind of mini-DVI port for the 12" Powerbook. Sounds like you got something that is not an mini-DVI port based cable. Mini-VGA cables look very similar, and can be misidentified. What are you connecting to from the Powerbook G4? Make, model # is important. Often DVI-HDMI adapters are better than DVI to VGA if there is an option. Cause DVI-VGA you need a proper digital/analog converter in the cable in question.

DVI to AV ...and... DVI to VGA... at the same time?

A Mac Mini was purchased for use with a "student TV station" run by an elementary school classroom. It will need to output a composite video signal quite often, as well as be used a standard VGA monitor.
Except the Mini can't do this. At least not normally. Apple sells two adapters for the DVI port, and it appears that we can only use one or the other, but not both:
- Apple DVI to Video Adapter, $19
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6234003/wo/T26cQ NkfGcGT3Pxe2vN1uH3OqJ9/1.0.19.1.0.8.25.7.11.3.3
- Apple DVI to VGA Display Adapter, $19
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6234003/wo/T26cQ NkfGcGT3Pxe2vN1uH3OqJ9/1.0.19.1.0.8.25.7.11.0.3
However, if I go look around on the Internet, it is possible to find a way to split the single DVI port on the Mini into two or more DVI ports, and then plug in both adapters at the same time:
StarTech 2-Port DVI Digital Video Splitter/Amplifier, $115
http://www.provantage.com/startech-st122dvi~7STRV00N.htm
I note that this is only a single-link DVI splitter, good up to only 1600x1200. I have no idea if single or dual link matters for this application, but if dual-link is required, here is a more expensive dual-link DVI-splitter option:
Kramer Electronics VM-2DVI 1:2 DVI Distribution Amplifier, $267
http://www.internet-security-inc.com/catalog/productinfo.php?productsid=486245
The question here is... can this work?
Apple is known for doing strange things with its own proprietary hardware, incorporating hidden signalling and so forth, and I'd expect nothing less of this odd little DVI to composite video adapter.
If there's some backchannel communications going on between the video adapter and the Mini, then things may get confused if I try to split the signal and use a VGA monitor at the same time.
In a worst-case scenario, this could possibly damage the Mini, the monitor, or the adapter. Or at minimum, perhaps the video adapter won't work at all.
Has anyone tried splitting the Mini's DVI port like this?
-Dale Mahalko
Mac Mini Mac OS X (10.4)

This sounds like it could work. One restriction is that both displays would have to be displaying the exact same image at the same resolution. Since it sounds like one of the devices will be a TV, you will probably be running 640 x 480. That's a pretty low resolution to be running on a VGA monitor.
You don't need dual-link. Single link will be fine. The mini doesn't support dual link. You might want to call on startech.com and get some pre-sales information about your application. I think you are justified in your worries that the setup of this box with a mini might prove tricky. I was reading the manual for the ST122DVI and came across this cryptic note: "If you install the DDC monitor for the splitter, the rest of the monitors must be the same resolution as the DDC monitor." That sounds like a bad translation from another language to English. The mini relies on DDC (backchannel communications, as you put it) so the box needs to pass this info correctly or you will have set up trouble and would probably have to resort to a utility like DisplayConfigX or SwithRes X to manually set a resolution.

DVI vs VGA? Worth the expensive cable?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for