Quick question DVI vs VGA

I'm getting a mini and I intend to use it on my 46" Panni. I still have an empty HDMI slot but my TV also has a VGA slot as well. Since I have to buy a cable adapter does it matter which direction I take VGA or HDMI?
One other bit of info, my tv is 1080P, if that matters to the answer.
Thanks,
Bear

The mini ships with the Apple mini-DVI to DVI adapter. I use a simple DVI to HDMI cable to connect it to the HDMI port on my LG LCD HDTV.
Remember that the video ports do not carry an audio signal, so you will need an audio cable as well, whether analog or digital. Or this adapter to combine the video and audio to HDMI.
Dah•veed

Similar Messages

20" Cinema DVI to VGA KVM Question

Hello all,
Wondering if anyone has come across this. What I am trying to do is use a kvm switch for both my powermac g5 and my pc. Both are compatable with vga/dvi. The issue I have is I want to buy a linksys vga kvm switch (http://microcenter.com/singleproduct_results.phtml?productid=0148182) which only has vga ports. I would love to buy a dvi kvm switch, but the price is too high.
So the question is, is there any way I can convert the dvi connector comming from the 20" cinema display i have to vga to be plugged in to this linksys kvm switch, which will in turn be directed to connect through vga connectors on my mac and pc? If so, do you know where I may buy the connector?
Also, does anyone know if the cinema displays are capable of dvi-d or they dvi-i? If they are just dvi-d, then I would think it may be immpossible to connect this monitor to any analog source.
Thanks again!
Tim

Tim -
Any time you go from DVI to vga you limit your potential maximum resolution. Once you have imposed a limit, you cannot go back. I was facing the same problem and ended up with a Geffen KVM switch that supports the 30" ACD display resolutions just fine. A little pricey, yes, but compare that to the price of a second monitor...
Ed

IMac Adapter Out Questions (Mini-DVI to VGA)

Hi everyone,
I've got a 2.4ghz C2D 24" iMac. For two years I had the iMac hooked up to my LCD tv via this route: iMac -> Mini-DVI-to-VGA adapter -> 75' VGA Cable -> LCD TV. I recently upgraded my TV, and no longer have a VGA port on the TV. I'm not looking to replace any cables because it's quite costly, and at this point in my life I'm not willing to spend that much to replace the setup.
My new TV has a DVI-D port on it. This is a very random connection, and yes, it is DVI-D (NOT DVI-I or DVI-A). What I'm wondering is if I get another adapter, a DVI-D male to VGA female adapter, will the iMac recognize the TV? I'm not sure how the video card treats the exterior Apple Mini-DVI to VGA adapter and am wondering if a simple $5 adapter will suffice.
Any help or information regarding this would be great.

That is a common adapter and it works, but the way it works is digital-to-analog. In other words, you plug the male DVI end into your computer and the female VGA end into the VGA cable (which then goes to your monitor/TV/whatever). Unfortunately it would not work if you went DVI(Mac)-to VGA cable-to DVI(TV) because it cannot convert the analog signal back into digital.
Those adapters are handy to have anyway so you could always buy one and try it out, but I'm sure you'll just get a blank screen (or the dreaded "no signal" message). Sorry

DVI to VGA question

I recently bought 32" Panasonic 720p for the bedroom, I also have my computer set up there as well and I would like to connect it to my G4 MDD FW800 and have a media center set up.
The TV has a PC VGA input and my mac has a ATI Radeon 9600 Pro PC Mac Edition, would I get a full screen HD quality resolution from my using a DVI to VGA cable?

Hi-
What you need is a DVI-D or DVI-I to HDMI.
The DVI on the Radeon is DVI-I, though a male DVI-D will work with the female DVI-I port.
Can I use what I have on the dual link port of my Mac, or should I get a dual link DVI-D cable to HDMI?
Yes, you can use that port. You don't need a dual link DVI to HDMI, as the TV cannot support high resolutions. The single link male DVI will connect properly with the dual link female.
I use the Monster Cable.
Shop around, as the 2 meter cable can be had for as little as $50.
BTW, quality cables are paramount to performance.

Adaptator mini dvi to vga but which one ?

I have a macbook white of 2006 ( macbook 2,1)
I know im not on the good part of the forum but i need a quick answer:
- i want to use an external screen so i ve been told i need a mini dvi to vga adapator, my question is - is there only only adaptator or several for differents vga outputs ?
Ty to give me purchase link in france if possible !
Thanx a lot

If you have the old DVI (not mini DVI) you would need a different adapter which Apple no longer sells. The DVI is a much larger 28 pin (I think) connector much larger than any other output port. A mini DVI is smaller that a USB port.
If you have the mini follow OGELTHORPE's link if not here is a link that you might be able to purchase from, as well as a look at it.
http://www.amazon.com/APPLE-M8754G-DVI-Display-Adapter/dp/B00006I51I

Mini-dvi to vga to YPbPr

Hi. I have an Intel-based Macbook (mini-dvi) and I bought an LCD-TV which has a VGA and a Y/Pb/Pr input. I was planning on using my mini-dvi to vga adapter to connect my mac to my Trutech lcd-tv/monitor. My question is whether it is worth going through all this trouble. With which connection (VGA or Component Video in) will the quality of the image change significantly?
thx

Actually, I bought it on Friday. I knew it was cheap quality because it is a no-name and it is from Target. I bought it for 200 $ so I didn't expect much (Will be used in my college dorm anyways).
This is the one: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/ele/488030589.html
I just want to get the most out of it.
If you recommend me a better one for approx. 200$, I would bring the cheap one back in a second.

Mini-DVI to VGA flicker with Snow Leopard and 2nd monitor

I have a 24" iMac (fall 2007) and recently purchased a 26" Vizio (VMM26F10I) and connected it as a 2bd monitor for my iMac using the Mini-DVI to VGA adapter Apple sells.
The new monitor will flicker now and then and some times will go to no signal. I have to change resolutions to something else and then back to standard setting to get it to come back or unplug adapter and plug back in.
Is there a fix for this?

26" VGA...? Which resolution/frequency? Have you tried a fresh cable with clean connectors, etc....
What did Vizio say when you contacted them with this question about your new purchase?

Mini-DVI to VGA adapter length

I'll be officially switching from microsoft to mac this month and i cant wait.
after much thought as to whether i should buy a MBP or a MB i decided to go MB
I plan to use my MB as a desktop while im in my dorm. I already have a 17 inch HP LCD monitor that works perfectly fine
I know that in order to hook the monitor and the MB up i need to get the mini-DVI to VGA adapter.
My question is, how long is the actual cable for the adapter? The picture on the website looks kinda short and I don't know whether or not the cable will reach from the back of the monitor to macbook. Will the cable be long enough so my macbook can rest freely on my desk, a few inches in front of my monitor, or am I going to have to put the monitor on top of/in front of my macbook.
Thanks!
~Dan

The cable on the adapter is only 2.5 inches long.
I wish that Apple would make a mini-DVI extension cable so I could get the big bulky adapter off of my desk.
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1183/dsc02113cg3.jpg

Preferred adapter for VGA? Mini DisplayPort to VGA or Mini-DVI to VGA?

Which is the preferred adapter for connecting a VGA-only LCD display to the new Mac mini?
The official Mac mini accessories page <http://www.apple.com/macmini/accessories.html> prominently features the Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter.
However, the Tech Specs knowledge base article <http://support.apple.com/kb/SP505> suggests the Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter.
I'm sure Mac OS X will work fine with either. But is one more likely to work better with Windows XP using Boot Camp?

I've come up with my own answer to my earlier question...
It's the Mini-DVI to VGA adapter.
I ended up trying both adapters, and got the results I described here: [http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9255959].
Besides the simple fact that the Mini-DVI to VGA adapter is the only adapter that fully worked for me, it's also cheaper.
Also, from a mechanical point of view, the nuts to secure a VGA cable to the DisplayPort version of the adapter are recessed into the end of the connector housing. This prevented my VGA cable from being able to be properly secured to the adapter--although this might be a defect with my cable!

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.

Apple DVI to VGA out adaptor

Hi All,
I got an Apple DVI to VGA out adaptor and I have a Radeon 9000 video card with ADC and DVI output, the thing is that when I plug that in, it sees it as a VGA output, but when I connected the other end to an input on my tv, it displays nothing and when I click DETECT DISPLAY, it closes the tv connection and I am back to one display..
Now I also have a Radeoan 7000 PCI card with VGA, DVI and S-Video out and when I connect that same adaptor, it now says Televison and works as it should... Now my question is the DVI output is different on each card or is it PCI and AGP slot acts differently or do I just have a bad DVI output???
thanks and I aplologize if this is NOT the forum for this question...
Johnny

The DVI connection should work, but some displays with multiple input have trouble after the display or computer sleep. I think the display sees no signal on the computer port so goes to checks the other port. When the computer wakes, the display may be switched to the wrong port. The computer, may, then, think there is nothing connected, and turn off the video. The display comes back to the correct port, but sees no signal, and switches ports before the computer has a chance to start the video. A properly designed display would send connected signals on the DVI port while it's looking at the VGA port, but some models never recover properly from sleep with certain computers.

Using a VGA monitor with Mac Pro: DVI to VGA adaptor cord & X1900 card

I will be purchasing the MacPro with the ATI Radeon X1900 XT. However, I want to continue using my dual Viewsonic CRT screens till the end of the year until I make the leap to a new LCD display. I know Apple sells a DVI to VGA connector and in fact I believe it to be included as an accessory.
Here is my question:
The graphics card I am buying (the X1900) is designated as a DUAL LINK DVI. The Apple DVI to VGA adaptor cord has a DVI -I SINGLE LINK male connector. Will this DVI-I single link connector properly mate to the female dual link connector on the X1900 graphics card? If it will, I'm probably in business. If it won't, does anyone have an idea for a workaround?
Many thanks, John
G4 dual 450 Mac OS X (10.3.9)
G4 dual 450 Mac OS X (10.3.9)
G4 dual 450 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

The DVI to VGA adapter works fine with the Radeon X1900XT (and the Geforce 7300GT and the Quadro FX4500).
The DVI to Video adaptor works on the Radeon, but not on the two Nvidia cards.
JH
dual 2G G5 Mac OS X (10.4.4) GeForce 6800 Ultra, 2GB DRAM, 30" display

Using second display via eMac's mini-DVI to VGA adaptor

Hi,
I've got a 19inch widescreen display from Acer, model no. AL1916W. I have apple's mini-DVI to VGA adaptor and have connected the second display to the point where it mirrors the screen on my eMac, however I don't want it to do this.
What I had intended is that the second display would act as an extension of my eMacs screen, so I can drag windows across for extra space. Is this possible with the eMac?
Put more specifically, I want to be able to put logic's main (arrange) window on the Acer widescreen, and then have whatever else on the eMacs screen? Is there a workaround to do this?
help much appreciated,
Toby

Hi,
It's funny you should send me that link, I actually found that a couple of hours after posting this and tried it. It worked perfectly, I now have the widescreen running in it's native resolution and working as a separate screen which I can drag stuff in and out of. I came back on here to mark the question as 'answered' but I couldn't find how.
thanks for your help,
Toby

DVI to VGA is working, DVI to Video is not

After a recent logic board replacement under the NVIDIA recall I noticed that my DVI to video was no longer working. I was using an Apple branded DVI to Video adapter. This worked fine before the repair although it was quite awhile ago (2011) that I last used it.
I checked further by connecting my DVI to VGA adapter to an old monitor and the computer's screen displayed fine.
My question to the community is; would this situation be more likely related to an OS upgrades or the logic board repair, or a failed DVI to Video adapter?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

After a recent logic board replacement under the NVIDIA recall I noticed that my DVI to video was no longer working. I was using an Apple branded DVI to Video adapter. This worked fine before the repair although it was quite awhile ago (2011) that I last used it.
I checked further by connecting my DVI to VGA adapter to an old monitor and the computer's screen displayed fine.
My question to the community is; would this situation be more likely related to an OS upgrades or the logic board repair, or a failed DVI to Video adapter?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

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.

Quick question DVI vs VGA

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