How to use Apple Studio display 15" Blueberry on Intel based Mac Mini?

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How to use Apple Studio display 15" Blueberry on Intel based Mac Mini?

I have a Mac Mini 2010 model w Intel CPU, and I want to use as 2nd Monitor an old glorious Apple Studio Display 15" LCD Blueberry. I got the connection to HDMI port, with an adapter to DVI, and another adapter DVI to VGA for the Apple SD. The main monitor works as usual, but the 2nd one don't work, still black. Apple no more supports the old drivers that were written for Motorola CPU. It has worked fine also on Power PC Mini and now looks dead.

Can anyone help me?

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Aug 11, 2012 3:34 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 11, 2012 6:05 PM in response to Bart56

You can't get VGA from HDMI with simple adapters because HDMI is digital only, so a HDMI to DVI adapter produces only DVD-D (although they may use a DVI-I connector). DVI-D doesn't contain the analog video needed for VGA, so a simple DVI to VGA adapter won't work.

You need a converter.

<http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0U008N4201>

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Answer 2

Bart56 Author

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Aug 13, 2012 1:21 AM in response to Bart56

Thank You very much ! I 've appreciated your clear explication of what was incomprensible to me.

And the strange for me was that the same Apple Studio Display 15" LCD Blueberry was working fine with the previous version of Mac Mini, with Power PC CPU and DVI port through a DVI-VGA connector, made by Apple.

Now the actual HDMI-DVI connector cable made by Apple hasn't the same number of pins of the old DVI-VGA. It has the usual 18+1 pins, but lacks 4 pins around the large 1, while others made from third parts eg. Hama (HDMI - DVI-D connector have).

The new question is: also with the newegg converter, is possible that the monitor can't work with Mac under Intel CPU because there are no drivers for him? In the origin the monitor was designed to perform also with Windows OS, and the old manual says that "under Windows, the software system regulates the monitor".

The monitor on the bottom has some buttons for display regulations...

Thank you in advance for your reply.

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Answer 3

Aug 13, 2012 1:59 AM in response to Bart56

DVI ports on computers are DVI-I, which include analog video in the four pins surrounding the wide pin. A simple DVI to VGA adapter just connects those analog video signals to the correct pins on a VGA connector. Mini DisplayPort to DVI, and HDMI to DVI adapters and cables, produce only DVI-D, with no analog video, although, as you have noticed, they sometimes use a DVI-I connector. There is nothing connected to the analog video pins.

HDMI and DVI to VGA converters contain electronics to generate analog video from the digital video signals.

You could also use a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter. That also produces analog video.

You don't need special drivers. The display tells the computer the acceptable resolutions via the VGA connector.

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