Thunderbolt port to mini DisplayPort cable to Dell U2410 - grainy display

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Thunderbolt port to mini DisplayPort cable to Dell U2410 - grainy display

Minutes ago, I finished setting up my new Quad i7 2.0 15" MacBook Pro. As soon as I connected it to my external display, I noticed the display is showing up very graining, like it was connected over VGA or something. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this. I also have a mini DisplayPort to DVI adaptor that I want to try.

EDIT: a hour ago I had everything hooked up to my i5 unibody MBP and working fine. So I guess the new Thunderbolt port has a problem with cable.

I connected to the monitor using my Apple mini DisplayPort to DVI adaptor and a DVI cable and it's fine now. I'll have to find a better mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort Cable tho (Apple certainly doesn't make one).

Message was edited by: tasslehawf

Unibody Macbook Pro 15" 2.0 Quad i7, Mac OS X (10.6.6), 4 gb RAM; 500 gb 7200 rpm HD; 120 gb SSD (optibay)

Posted on Feb 27, 2011 3:57 PM

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Answer 1

wsimon

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Mar 10, 2011 9:31 AM in response to tasslehawf

I have a similar problem....just got my new 15" MBP...plugged mini DisplayPort to DVI to thunderbolt, dvi on 23" display into other end andddd....NOTHING.

MBP will not detect the Apple Cinema Display. Adapter seems to be fine, monitor is definitely fine.

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Answer 2

tasslehawf Author

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4 points

Mar 12, 2011 12:18 PM in response to tasslehawf

Ok. I have talked with Apple about this with some back and forth. I have discovered that when using the mini Displayport to Displayport cable, my 2011 Macbook Pro thinks my Dell Monitor is TV. It explains the contrast and I've also discovered it gives me TV resolutions as options (1080i, 1080p, etc.) as well as the overscan setting.

I'm not sure at this point what will happen, hopefully this will get fixed in a future update.

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Answer 3

wsimon

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Mar 15, 2011 10:20 AM in response to tasslehawf

Thats interesting.

I've now gone through multiple Apple brand mini displayport to DVI adapters to connect to my Apple Cinema Display with no luck. I'm starting to think my thunderbolt port is faulty

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Answer 4

Mar 23, 2011 6:40 PM in response to tasslehawf

unfortunately, YES.

visit the link where i reported this topic. lot of people are experiencing this.
please call apple and COMPLAIN. this needs to be resolved.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=12238952#post12238952

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Answer 5

tasslehawf Author

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4 points

Mar 23, 2011 7:06 PM in response to 1photographer

1photographer wrote:
unfortunately, YES.

visit the link where i reported this topic. lot of people are experiencing this.
please call apple and COMPLAIN. this needs to be resolved.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=12238952#post12238952

Heh. It's our thread on MacRumors.

So the 10.6.7 update didn't resolve this. Oh well. Still using my mDP to DVI adaptor without a problem.

To the poster above having problems with their ACD 24, is it the flickering or it doesn't work at all? Perhaps it was fixed by the update from yesterday.

Message was edited by: tasslehawf

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Answer 6

tcc13

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Mar 23, 2011 7:10 PM in response to tasslehawf

Hello All,
I was reading all of these boards about this problem with the new MBP but I jumped in anyways and bought a NEC PA271W monitor. I originally bought the mdp>DVI adaptor but read some where that you don't get the full resolution of the monitor and have to go for the dual DVI. But then I discovered my local computer store had a mdp>dp cable. Plugged that in and all has been working fine. Not sure why some people are having problems but Apple needs to find out why.

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Answer 7

rarewolf

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Mar 30, 2011 7:29 AM in response to tcc13

tcc13 wrote:
... I was reading all of these boards about this problem with the new MBP but I jumped in anyways and bought a NEC PA271W monitor. ....

I'm considering the same MBP and want it to accommodate the same NEC monitor -- regarding how you got it to work, can you elaborate a bit relative to the MDP>DVI adapter that Apples sells specifically for this purpose? IE, did you use something different?

Excuse my ignorance ... but I thought these adapters would be using the Thunderbolt port -- why the reference to using a mini DisplayPort?

Can anyone else explain the difference between the MDP>DVI and the "MDP>Dual-Link DVI" adapters? The Apple description implies it has something to do with higher resolution displays, but states nothing about what defines high resolution ... e.g., the NEC's 2560x1440 (?)

TIA 🙂

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Answer 8

eww

Level 9

53,040 points

Mar 30, 2011 7:54 AM in response to rarewolf

Rarewolf: The dual-link DVI adapter is needed for any monitor that has a native resolution higher than 1920 x 1080, a DVI input port, and no Displayport or mini-Displayport input. That includes most non-Apple 27" and 30" monitors (but not TV sets, which all top out at 1920 x 1080 regardless of size), and it may now (or soon) include a few high-end 26" and 24" monitors.

The Thunderbolt port is an "enhanced" mini-Displayport. Mini-Displayport cables plug right into it.

Message was edited by: eww

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Answer 9

rarewolf

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Mar 30, 2011 10:12 AM in response to eww

eww wrote:
Rarewolf: The dual-link DVI adapter is needed for any monitor that has a native resolution higher than 1920 x 1080, a DVI input port, and no Displayport or mini-Displayport input. ...

Thanx eww ... I guess my new MBP just cost me an additional $75 (... altho I'm not sure how Apple can infer that it is a true MDP> DVI adapter(?) ...). I may also wait to find out how the previous NEC owner remedied his connection

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Answer 10

tcc13

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Mar 30, 2011 12:43 PM in response to rarewolf

Yup, eww is correct. Any thing higher in resolution needs the dual DVI adaptor. Luckily my local computer store had a mdp>dp cable and everything works as expected.
You would need this cable
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB571Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MTA4NDU1NDM
Not this one
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB570Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MTA4NDU0ODY

The Thunderbolt port uses the same connector as the mdp, so everyone refers it to that.

You can also order a straight cable from here if you'd like http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?cid=102&cpid=10246. Or get an adaptor and use it with the supplied DP cable http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?cid=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=1042803&pid=5714&seq=1&format=2

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Answer 11

Apr 19, 2011 7:40 AM in response to tasslehawf

Tried both the Apple dual link dvi mini display port adapter with a cinema display at work and a generic adapter with a 24 inch HP screen at home. Having the problem on both. A 2010 mbp works fine on both so its not the adapters, cables or screens.

Called the problem in. Apple had me take my system in, they replaced the motherboard - still doing the same thing on both displays...

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Answer 12

May 6, 2011 8:51 PM in response to tasslehawf

Replaced the generic dynex mini display port adapter for an apple branded one & installed the latest firmware / efi update that came out this week. my mbp now works with my cinema display but still won't drive my HP screen at full resolution. I have a HP LP2475w that works fine with other computers including a 2010 mbp, but with the 2011 thunderbolt model, it is grainy and flickers on and off at its native resolution - 1920x1200 @60 htz. The display starts working with this laptop at lower resolutions. the highest it works at is 1280x 1024.

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Answer 13

dbecton

Level 1

4 points

Jun 30, 2011 4:40 PM in response to tasslehawf

Having same problem with my 2011 mbp and HP LP2475w. Note: this is my second mbp, both have had the problem.

The mbp recognizes the HP monitor when I use a Display Port to Mini-Display Port cable, however the picture is grainy. The mbp doesn't even recognize the monitor when I plug it in via the Apple mini display port adapter,

Monitor looks beautiful on my older mb. UGH!

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Answer 14

dbecton

Level 1

4 points

Jun 30, 2011 6:06 PM in response to tasslehawf

Spoke to an Apple Senior Advisor, he indicated that the mini displayport to DVI adapter requires a dual link DVI cable (and that the external display supports dual link dvi). Went to Staples picked one up, and now my MacBookPro is driving my HP LP2475w perfectly.

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Answer 15

Aug 3, 2011 10:17 AM in response to tcc13

tcc13 wrote:

The Thunderbolt port uses the same connector as the mdp, so everyone refers it to that.

Yes, but the mdp to dual-link dvi cable also uses a USB port, because it is an active device and needs power from the USB. However, Thunderbolt should provide 10W of power, so this really is an obsolete cable, there should be one that doesn't need to tie up a USB port.

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