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

Hi there, Photographer 1. I was wondering if you were able to find solution for your problem here in this thread :

10.6.5 server, SMB issues with office 2007 Windows 7 network permissions

??? You can respond to me in my personal email if you dont mind.

Thanks

Sorry guys for asking him a question here but i was not able to find how to send him a PM.

The problem is with the Thunderbolt port and Apple knows about it.

My U2410 worked fine with a simple (monoprice) DisplayPort/mini-DisplayPort cable with my old iMac (late-2009, pre-thunderbolt). I just got a new Thunderbolt iMac and using the same cable it looked grainy and offered me 720p and 1080p resolutions like it were a TV or something. I checked and the monitor works fine with my late-2010 MacBook Air (pre-thunderbolt).

I did a bunch of googling and saw that others had solved the problem by switching to use a MDP/DVI cable, so I picked one up at monoprice for a few bucks and problem solved.

//B

I just got off the phone with Apple. They told me that the Mini DVI adaptor is in fact the wrong adaptor to use when trying to connect a large external monitor. Apparently there is a Thunderbolt to DVI connector which uses more pins to get a higher resolution than the previous mini DVI adaprot . I haven't been able to find it at the Apple store (only Thunderbolt to HMDI) but googled it (per the Apple reps. suggestion) and found one.

Anyone else hear the same thing?

With the MonoPrice MDP/DVI cable, can your MacBook successfully put the U2410 to sleep (System Preferences > Energy Saver > Display sleep)?

With my 2011 MBP & Apple brand MDP/DVI adapter, the dispaly clears the active picture but the backlight stays on and the monitor never enters a full power saver mode?

The U2410 has a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200, which is also the maximum for a single-link DVI connector, so this should be fine (and in fact I have used it this way). You need a dual-link connector for any higher resolution (e.g., Apple's 27" or 30" cinema displays).

//B

Sleep mode has never worked for me with this display with DVI.

I have learned a few more things since I last posted here: I was able to fix the graininess by adjusting the monitor through the OSD (on-screen display) to turn the "sharpness" all the way to zero. I'm not sure how this got set wrong, but I think it has something to do with an incompatibility between the Mac and the original U2410 firmware.

I have since updated the Dell monitor firmware to the latest version. I've also ordered a different mDP/DP cable from circuitassembly.com as I've heard that this helps the U2410 sleep mode work properly. There may be a problem with one of the pins in the monoprice cable being connected when it shouldn't be. I'll update here when I get the new cable.

//B

Hi, any success with the new cable?

The new cable made no difference, but the latest EFI update from Apple fixed all of the problems. It's now working perfectly.

You're using an iMac, right? I'm on a MBP.

If you go to System Preferences > Energy Saver > and set the Display Sleep for 1 minute and wait 1 minute for the display to sleep, the U2410 succssfully goes into Power Saver mode? With the orange, pulsing power button?

Hi, really hoping i have come to the right place. I have a nice new 2011 iMac 27" i5 quad core with 2 x thunderbolt/MDP ports.

I have read just about everything i can find online about connecting this to an external monitor to extend the desktop, but I am having a nightmare with it.

I bought an Acer S220HQL 21.5" LED screen, and I then bought one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-8M-6FT-Mini-Display-port-DVI-adaptor-cable-iMac-UK-/ 300552901332?pt=UK_Computing_Apple_Mac_Accessories&hash=item45fa5952d4

to connect from the thunderbolt/MiniDP port on iMac to the DVI-D in on the Acer screen. NOTHING?! No picture, no detection of any signal whatsoever. I checked the screen is working (its new) by plugging in a VGA cable to it from my old PC laptop and it works fine.

Does anyone have any advice for me please? I desperately need to get this working but I just can't suss it out. Hope you guys can help, thanks 🙂

Make sure you are using a dual-link DVI cable. Had the same problem, it was because I was using a single-link DVI cable.

Hi thanks dbecton, I looked it all up on Apple's website, and they state the difference between dual link and single link is just about resolution. My Acer screen is below the resolution they state, so by their own words it shoudl not need a dual link cable. Do you still think i should try dual link? I will do so if i can, I am just really short of money and can't afford to waste any on unnecessary things. There was me thinking I could just buy a screen and follow Apple's instructions 😟

Hi there,

I just ordered a 15" macbookpro late '11 and a HP LP2475W, THEN read about these issues between monitor and thunderbolt port.. imagine how glad it has been 😀

since last reports are pretty old, how should I espect them to work together? has this problem been solved by apple? did anything change with lion? I have been at the local apple store here [Turin-Italy] but the "genius" wasn't able to answer my question [she actually was pushing me to buy a thunderblot display - ***?! 😐 c'mon i'm here to buy A CABLE, not a uselessly overpriced TB-FW hub with crappy monitor attached! 😀 ]

so I got a DP-MDP cable and tested the monitor with a macbook mid '10 and it work pretty darn good! I wish I won't have to buy any adapter whatsoever... please tell me they will pair fine!

Hi, yes I also have a HP LP2475w (great monitor) but it does seem really picky with DisplayPort. I am still not entirely sure if it has to do with the monitor, Apple hardware, or Mac OS (I still have more troubleshooting to do).

I had a Mac mini (late 2009) running Leopard 10.5 and it worked perfectly fine with a mini-DP to DP cable from Monoprice. I upgraded to a unibody Mac mini running Snow Leopard 10.6 and the display was now hard to read--sort of like everything was jagged and text was un-aliased. I did a lot of searching online and I believe it's something to do with the Mac thinking the LP2475w is a TV.

I tried to take screenshots with Grab using different setups to show the difference, but the screenshots were all identical (so it's somewhere late in the video output stage).

So far since 10.6, it still doesn't display correctly except when using Apple's MiniDP-to-DVI adapter (need to purchase separately). I haven't yet tested with 10.7.3 or with the Mountain Lion Beta, which would be interesting to find out.

AAAAAAALRIGHTHY THEN!!

my MBPRO landed on my desk less than 2 hours ago. hooked to my HP monitor and TA-DAAAAH!! the well-known issue [on consumer's side at least, coz geniuses around here don't know a thing about it] is there! 😀

you can't imagine how glad I am, after this huge investiment, after weeks spent waiting, and so on..

i went straight to the local apple store, explained the problem to a couple of geniuses staring at me eyes wide open who never heard about it, telling me «discussion.apple.com isn't moderated and can't be taken seriously, customers only are writing about their own experiences that can't prove anything». thank you very much.

they want me to bring'em both mbpro and monitor, coz according to them, my mbpro could have a failing GPU unit. **** yeah, i'm gonna show them that all their macs have the same problem [or failing GPUs 😀 ], except those without TB.

i won't leave without the dvi adapter for free. it'll cost them less than replacing any part inside my mac, as they suggested.. the thing i can push on is that the whole communication about thunderbolt says it's retro compatible with displayport, and this shows it isn't true.

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