New Apple Displays DVI Connnection Type

Question

Does anyone know what DVI connection type are the new Apple displays equipped with? I know that it recieves digital signals, but can it recieve analog signals too? In other words, is the DVI connector DVI-D or DVI-I on the new displays?

Answer 1

Hi Ethan,
I'm not sure I understand exactly what you want to do, so I'll try another approach (hope it helps this time :))
A DVI-I socket (off the graphics card) provides digital and analogue output. The DVI-I plugs off the DVI Apple Displays (except the 30") physically fit this socket, but don't utilise any of the analogue output. These DVI-I plugs will also plug into a DVI-D socket.
A DVD-D socket provides digital output only. The DVD-D plugs that the 30" Apple Displays use will only fit this socket and will not connect properly to a DVI-I socket.
There are very few Mac graphics cards around at the moment that have the required DVI-D socket for the 30" Apple Display. The majority of them are Apple OEM.
You said:
"Like I was saying if it has a DVI-I input, it can receive analog signals using a VGA to DVI adapter."
Because it is going through an adaptor, it is not receiving analogue signals (as these signals have already been converted to digital). A VGA to DVI adaptor is a little complicated, with a hardware based translation of the analogue signal to digital being required - this can result in some loss of signal quality. This is why it (physically) is a box with an input cable and plug and an output cable and socket.
However, a DVI-I to VGA adaptor is much easier (because of the analogue component in DVI-I that you have mentioned). All this adaptor does is to pick up the analogue signal already there and ignore the rest. This is why it (physically) is just a cable with a DVI-I plug at one end and a VGA socket at the other end. These adaptors will not work with DVI-D sockets.
Some (non-Apple) LCD displays accept both digital and analogue input, but they do this through separate DVI-I and VGA plugs. When using VGA input, they utilise an internal converter to translate the analogue signal to digital. An LCD display has an absolute requirement that the video input that it eventually processes is digital. Only CRT monitors really use analogue.
If you want to use a 30" Apple Display, you need DVI-D output. If you want to use any of the other Apple DVI Displays, you can use DVI-I, DVI-D or DVI-I via a VGA to DVI-I adaptor.
Hope this is what you were after!
Cheers!
Karl