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Acmee Author

Level 1

5 points

Mini Displayport to Dual-Link DVI not working?

I have just received my Mini Displayport to Dual Link DVI Adapter. The good: After I cancelled my initial order, because it delayed my notebook, I reordered last week and got it within 5 days or so (despite the store displaying 2-3 weeks). I was positively surprised to see it featuring a USB repeater. I plugged it in and it seemed to work instantly I also encountered no jumpy mouse whatsoever. I tried with a Dell 30" screen (3007WFP).

The Bad: The dvi connector is pretty bad and unstable, you can also not use the screws on the dvi cable to the monitor to fix the plug to the adapter. They also didn't recreate the analog video signals on the dvi connector, so no luck in trying to use the adapter with an old dvi to vga adapter (I was sort of expecting that, but given they have all kinds of circuitry in the box anyway, there was a tiny quantum of hope).

The Ugly: A few minutes later the problem surfaced: The picture became somehow distorted, it looks as if the Dual Link connection is losing a link, meaning that every second pixel or so is missing on screen. But the symptoms can also include shadows etc. I tried a few things:

* Cycling the monitor power has no effect
* It makes no difference if the adapter gets power via the Macbook Pro USB ports, a powered hub, a usb ac adapter etc.
* It makes no difference if there is something plugged into the adapter USB repeater or not.
* The problem seems to be occuring later if the main display is folded down and only the 30" screen is connected
* Re-plugging the connection DVI side fixes the problems sometimes.
* Re-plugging the Mini Displayport side connection either fixes the problem, or kills the connection forever, requiring complete adapter removal and redetection of the main display (sleep, function key etc.).

Over time, the problem surfaces 100%, typically after a few minutes. Funny enough, sometimes it vanishes by itself.

Does anyone have a similar problem? Or is my adapter defective? Any suggestions towards a fix? Any help is appreciated. I am cursing the day someone decided to replace the old dvi connector.

Regards,
TB

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Dec 24, 2008 3:58 PM

145 replies

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Jan 7, 2009 11:00 PM in response to Linda Custer

Thank you Linda for your response. Have you received you new replacement and is the problem now fixed?
Would you know if the use of the pass through USP is taxed by additional drives or is that not an issue?
For some unknown reason I am not having the problem yet today.
Mysterious.

joet3ch

Level 1

0 points

Jan 8, 2009 8:28 AM in response to Linda Custer

Hi Linda,

What was your result with the new adapter from Apple?

I have called over a week ago and am still waiting for a response from the product support specialist.

Anyone else get this resolved yet?

Wimpster

Level 1

0 points

Jan 8, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Acmee

Hello all,

I received my first Mac (MacBook Pro, 2.53GHz, 4GB) about two months ago, but needed to wait another two months for my Dual-Link DVI -> Mini-DisplayPort adapter to arrive.

After I hooked up my Dell WFP3007-HC everything seemed to work fine, but after working a while in clamshell mode my screen became distorted, showing the 'snow' that you would expect on a TV with a bad signal.

So I have the same problem as the rest of the people here and I hope a cause is found very soon, because I can't work with my system like this.

Jan 8, 2009 11:54 AM in response to Acmee

Has anyone received a replacement and then not had the problem?

joet3ch

Level 1

0 points

Jan 8, 2009 11:55 AM in response to natethelen

I am still waiting for Apple engineering to get back to me. I am praying that there is going to be a fix for this!

Jan 8, 2009 4:27 PM in response to Acmee

To add another set of data points:

I have a MacBook Late 2008 w/ MDP. I just got the Dual-link adapter after being backordered for over 2 months. I get EXACTLY the same problems you describe.

However, I do NOT have a DELL monitor.

I have a 30" Samsung 305T.

So this shows that the problem is not limited to only DELL monitors.

Nor is it just my specific Samsung monitor. I have access to other monitors of the same model and it breaks the same way on ALL of them. I have several desktop machines that have dual-link outputs and none of them have problems on any of the screens.

This is very disappointing because the whole reason why I bought this Apple laptop was for the Dual-link DVI capability. (I love my 30" more than a pet!)

Jan 8, 2009 4:30 PM in response to natethelen

It cannot be a specific incompatibility with Dell monitors. I have a Samsung 305T and I have the same problem.

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Jan 8, 2009 4:40 PM in response to e_tothe_ipi

This problem does not go away and there seems to be no answers. I applies to various display makers. I have also seen a post in the reviews section of the apple store for the Dual Link mini adaptor that an Apple monitor has the problem.
Here in Japan I have been talking to support with no solutions and only the simplest of suggestions. ( Zapping the pram etc.) That was to no avail. I also have been given the suggestion that when the problems occurs that I open system preferences .( It cannot be read so I do it from memory.) In the prefs I choose display and change the resolution one and back again. The close prefs and open again. The go to display prefs and select the Dell. Then disconnect the mini adaptor and reconnect.
It did not work for me.
I restarted and things were good again. Then after sleep it failed again. I restarted and it worked But I have no idea for how long. It is sometimes once a day, sometimes many more. No clues here

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Jan 8, 2009 4:52 PM in response to tsumuji

Here is a link to all the people who wrote reviews on the adaptor. It seems some people with the cinima display are OK. But the loud chorus of the rest is loud and clear. Nearly all the responses are one star ( the lowest you can go.)
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB571?mco=MzA3MDgxNw

Jan 8, 2009 5:08 PM in response to tsumuji

I returned my defective AMDPDLDVIA to Apple on 12/30. My account in the Apple Store on the web shows that they received it and have put another one on order for me. It has not yet shipped. The store claims I will receive it between 1/7 and 1/14, but -- given these problems -- I am not sure when it will ship, and if it will be OK when it does.

I will definitely post back to the board if anything changes.

Jan 8, 2009 5:11 PM in response to joet3ch

See my immediate prior post for my status.

If you've been waiting a week to get a response from a product support specialist, that is definitely too long. Did you have a case number? I would call Apple back and get them to issue a return immediately if that's what you want to do. From the responses here, it doesn't seem like anyone's found a fix.

While it is possible that Apple may be able to fix this in software or firmware, I have a feeling it's more a hardware problem with either Apple's implementation of mini display port, or a hardware problem with the AMDPDLDVIA.

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Jan 8, 2009 5:34 PM in response to Acmee

There is another thread with the same issues. The fist post shows a screen shot of exactly the problems I am having with my Dell Monitor. This thread is also long. If one of these threads has an answer please let each of our groups know.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1836042&tstart=0

Acmee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 12, 2009 2:57 PM in response to tsumuji

@Tsumuji: Connect only the Dell USB connection to the MBP, nothing else - it may be voodoo, but I prefer using the USB port further away from the Mini Displayport. Connect the DVI-D adapter USB connection, as well as all other peripherals to the Dell monitor hub. Connect the Mini Displayport Connector to the Mini Displayport. I am also using clamshell mode (Internal display folded down) Whenever the display distortion appears, press SHIFTCTRLEJECT to put only the external display to sleep. Wiggle the mouse to wake the monitor up again. This will fix the problem. The problem may strike again, but after repeating two or three times the display remains stable for the rest of the work day (until computer is switched off or put in sleep).

Acmee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 12, 2009 3:23 PM in response to Linda Custer

I don't want to jinx it, but I personally believe there is interference from activity on the (at least) USB bus into the MDP signal lines, damaging signal definition enough to cause the Adapter (which on top of that needs a huge amount of power) to lose sync when splitting the picture data for the two DVI channels ("links"). Unless they figure a way to detect that within the adapter in order to compensate and resync (which would still leave a flicker), it would require a new motherboard to be fixed... It would explain why e.g. Macbook Air owners don't seem to complain, I have also used a new Macbook for >1 hour without problem - it could be the notebook, not the adapter.

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Jan 13, 2009 1:15 AM in response to Acmee

Thank you Acmee for your help. I have yet to try your work around. The reason is that what I have been doing is simply restarting each time the problem rears. This is of course much easier than the multiple steps you suggest. I seem to get the same results which is the problem goes away for sometime and then reoccurs with some unkown event between. That is I get the same results with a simple restart. Do you get the same results with a simple restart?

Mini Displayport to Dual-Link DVI not working?