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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

Feb 3, 2009 9:26 PM in response to dusingaz

The problem defies logic. There seems to be no order as to when it will occur. Well it is true it happens more often and quickly in the morning...then periodically during the day..and it seems maybe related to itunes.
BUT THE PROBLEMS ARE GETTING WORSE. Now on start up I have gotten a double image of the apple purple universe screen followed by a snow screen. This is the first time for either of these issues. Then later the usual loss of clarity of the all script follows at irregular intervals. This also seems at times to be increasing as it usually comes in bursts of three or four times in a row. I now use the change of screen resolution to resolve the problem each time so that I do not have to restart.
I have been going through this now for almost two months. I am asking Apple support in Tokyo to send me a replacement today. I am rather fed up with the help here, ( which is nothing.)
Please tell anyone not to buy a mac book pro if you want to use a large screen.

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Feb 8, 2009 10:07 PM in response to tsumuji

This problem is not answered. Who is moderating this? I know of no one who has the answer for this display problem. It is certainly not posted here.
But IF YOU ARE LISTENING APPLE? Here are some more points.
The problem seems to come up in the morning and in succession. Usually about three time is a row.
It also comes back in the afternoon and again three time or so in a row.
More interesting is that the problem is not always the same.
This morning for example it was only the vague letters. This afternoon it is the snow effect.
Is there some other thread that has the attention of Apple on this problem?
Why am I the only one still standing here?

programr

Level 1

5 points

Feb 8, 2009 10:26 PM in response to tsumuji

tsjumi,

We've practically given up. A patch was released, then pulled back. For those of us that got it, it seemed to have no benefit at all.

I've even submitted a bug to apple (radar.apple.com) and they closed it marking it as a duplicate of a "known issue" that will be "worked on by engineers". Sheesh. Insane they released with, then cannot quickly patch this problem. Makes me worried that it is either the adapter hardware and they don't want to do a recall yet. Or, it is the MacBookPro hardware video card and that would be a whole motherboard replacement.

Fingers crossed that I'm wrong and it just turns out to be a miracle firmware update.

Oh, and I've detected one more pattern to when it happens. When large amounts of white suddenly appear on my screen (e.g. a new pages document) that often causes it to go blurry.

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Feb 8, 2009 11:23 PM in response to dusingaz

Your monitor is fine. The problem is the apple MBP or the adaptor. The easy way is to downgrade the MBP to the previous model. The last one worked fine. The mini port seems to be full of bugs which are either in the video card or the new adaptor.
I am considering selling my new MBP and going back to the last one ( MBP 2.4). There is little difference in performance and it is stable.

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Feb 12, 2009 11:16 PM in response to programr

Would someone point out where this problem is solved. I cannot seem to find in in this discussion although someone has listed this problem as solved at the top of the thread.
Whomever you are that moderates this would you please make clear to all of us with the dual link mini adaptor what the solution is? We are here looking for help.
If the problem is not solved would you please correct the heading so as not to mislead others. It is wrong to mislead people.

Feb 16, 2009 1:25 PM in response to tsumuji

same 'fuzz of death' problem here, aargh!

Macbook Pro (Late 2008)
10.5.6
Dell 3007WFP-HC

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Feb 23, 2009 7:06 PM in response to Acmee

If any Apple tech listening here are some updates on what happens;
The fuzzy script is not always the same. Typically it happens 30 min. after waking from sleep. It happens about three times in succession. The first time is the worst with double script on top of each other. The second time is less. And the third time is about the same.
This repeats in the afternoon.
I also get red horizontal lines before it happens the first time with jumpy flickering across the bottom of the screen.
There are occasional flashes on the screen.
There are occasional black flashes.
Sometimes there is a vertical band on the left side of the screen as if the image is smaller than the monitor.
Sometimes the whole screen goes snow.
There seems to be no consistent pattern to the problems.
Sometimes the screen has flickering only on the bottom third of the screen.

I wonder if Itunes adds to the problem? Its hard to tell but perhaps.

This continues even with a replacement mini dual link adaptor.
The problem is easy to reproduce as it happens many times every day for the last two months.

I usually rectify the problem by changing the screen resolution down to 1160 X800 and then back up to the full resolution.

Does anyone have any answer?

Alex_A

Level 1

8 points

Feb 27, 2009 3:23 AM in response to Acmee

This is pathetic. I am experiencing exactly the same issues with my new MacBook Pro and my 30" Dell.

Apple, where is your QUALITY CONTROL!?!?! All you have to do is actually have someone set the adapter up for a day to a few displays and they would have witnessed all of this BEFORE YOU SOLD BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FAULTY EQUIPMENT!!!

Pathetic.

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Feb 27, 2009 8:04 PM in response to Alex_A

Yes the lack of any official response from Apple is frustrating indeed. For me I am hoping the 'fix' will come with the next version of the OS.
But as we all know the numbers of people who are facing this problem is growing every day with each new MBP sold. Apple has no choice but to address this problem. The silence is not good.
Apple give us some hope.

Apple could you give us some hope?

Message was edited by: Moderator

RemcoVM

Level 1

0 points

Mar 1, 2009 7:27 AM in response to tsumuji

Has anyone else tried using the OTHER USB port of the Macbook Pro to connect the box to? I think it's related to the low power coming out of the USB port adjacent to the mini displayport adapter (which has been described in numerous reviews of the MBP Late 2008).

Changing to the other USB port has solved the problem for me, for now. Using some of the other (internal) USB devices might push the available power over the edge, causing the box to mess itself up.

(Using a MBP Late 2008, connecting to a Dell WFP3007)

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Mar 1, 2009 4:11 PM in response to RemcoVM

Hello Remco,
Yes of course we have tried all the ports..on the MBP, the monitors, the hubs..it does not matter.
I understand the macbook works fine. It is just the MBP including the new 17 inch. It also affect Apple monitors as well as all the others. I am on my second adaptor and things only get worse. At first I only got fuzzy script, then I started getting snow, not I get flashes on the bottom of the screen with some snow, there is a vertical white bank on the left sometimes, and sometimes there are black flashes.
Al of this repeats and often.
The good news is there must be someone from Apple reading this as the post above states it was edited by a monitor. Of course that is not much hope as they don't tell us anything.
I am considering still selling this machine. I like my 30 inch monitor but the MBP does not seem to be capable of running it properly.
By the way I got the fuzz while writing this..that is the fouth time this morning and within 20 minutes.

tsumuji

Level 1

0 points

Mar 1, 2009 8:29 PM in response to Acmee

A significant increase in the frequency of the script fuzzies is occurring recently.
Monitor if you are listening this is for your information. My open apps are safari, mail, Itunes, lightroom, photoshop, iphoto and I just closed powerpoint. All of my apps are up to date.
Today the problem occurs about in cycles of every hour and each time in succession of perhaps thee times. Today in three hours I have had to reset the monitor resolution about 12 times.
This is different from the snow problems of this morning or the flashes on the screen, the while line on the left side or the occasional red lines across the screen.
The worst is the snow effect as it does not stabilize easily and has to be corrected repeatedly. I started with that problem this morning. Also the fuzzies are not exactly the same each time. Sometimes it is completely unreadable, sometimes is is less.

Any clue out there yet?

vengroff

Level 1

0 points

Mar 2, 2009 9:12 AM in response to tsumuji

I've been on the road for over a month. I assumed when I left that this would have been fixed by the time I got back. Unfortunately, it hasn't been. In the first hour with the 30" monitor I've had the fuzzies four times. Had to drop to 1280x800 then pop back up to 2560x1600 to fix it.

I checked Software Update in case there was a fix I missed, but there is nothing there yet.

I'm sure this must have been reproduced internally at Apple, with a Cinema Display or a 3rd party 30" monitor. I've seen it with both.

Please, Apple, I know you like to be secretive about your development process, but if you have any information to share on this, please let us all know.

FWIW, because of this problem my company is no longer buying the new MacBook Pros. We are now exclusively buying surplus or used last generation MacBook Pros because they work with 30" monitors and the new ones don't.

dusingaz

Level 1

0 points

Mar 18, 2009 10:03 AM in response to vengroff

I too assumed this would be fixed by now. The problem is getting more frequent for me, and I'm probably going to have to downgrade my monitor.

We need to get some people talking about this, I suggest who ever reads this email your thoughts to Mac Break Weekly or TWIT.

Mar 19, 2009 12:16 AM in response to dusingaz

As I type this, I just shake my head at Apple's lack of quality control. I just find it hard to believe that I can buy a new 17" MB Pro, and be almost certain that it won't work nearly as well with my 30" Dell as the one I'm typing this on.

It really does make a mockery of the PC versus Apple ads, at least from my perspective. And don't get me going on how many problems I've had with the current 17 I've had. I suppose this explains why the dual-link DVI adapters shipped late. The engineers were probably just trying to get to work at all, let alone reliably. I hope they get the problem fixed soon.

Mini Displayport to Dual-Link DVI not working?