Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I have a new Macbook (12 inch, Retina—love it), with a single USB-C socket. I also have an (old) Apple Cinema HD Display which would like a dual-link DVI connector.
How can I connect these two together? There doesn't seem to be a combination of Apple adapters/connectors that will do the job for me.
MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016), OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)
Arktek have tried hard with me, I feel, to solve this problem [UBS/Thunderbolt3>single link DVI Adapter to link my old 23" Apple Cinema Display]. Artek are now on the point of doing a 4096x2160 USB/Thunderbolt3>DVI adapter and they sent me one [v quickly indeed] to try.
Unfortunately, with my old Apple 23" Cinema Display [Aluminum] which is single-link [I think and unlike the similar Apple 30" dual-link Display] this works no better/less fuzzily than Arktek's 1920x1200 Adapter. So that means both their current and new adapter do "work" but not clearly enough for me to do spreadsheets etc - and quite unlike the clarity of screen-image I get with my 2012 MacBook Thunderbolt>DVI Apple Adapter.
None of the other USB/Thunderbolt3>DVI adapters I've tried [Starteck, Cable Creation, Camac, Plugable] work at all or only flicker v fast - and Kanex, Glaxio etc don't bother to reply [via Amazon]
So the pain remains in my particular *ss.
Any suggestions of what WILL work and at the full 1920x1200 resolution .... yes PLEASE!
This works:
ITANDA usb c to mini displayport. works at 60 Hz refresh.
only issue is it takes the single usb port on a 12" macbook. for dual dvi, you need to power the adapter with an external usb power supply. Also you lose being able to power the laptop
I tried the UPTab that is supposed to work the same but with a power socket to power the laptop as well. unfortunately it doesnt work to pass video. I have not tried other similar ones. \
I have the Dell 3007WFP and had to go through many combinations of cables to find something that worked:
- Monoprice active Dual-DVI-to-mini DisplayPort 1.1 + USB adapter
- Amiroko USB3.1 Type C to mini DisplayPort adapter
I am typing on the Dell 3007WFP at 2560x1600 right now with that combination of adaptors.
What didn't work:
- USB3-to-HDMI, then HDMI-to-Dual-DVI
- Various other combos of adaptors
The active displayport adaptor seems to be the requirement.
You'll need the USB-C to HDMI digital av multiport adapter first.
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ1K2AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter
Then an HDMI to DVI adapter
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJVU2AM/A/apple-hdmi-to-dvi-adapter
Plug the adapters together and into the USB-C port. Then Plug a DVI cable from the HDMI to DVI adapter to the Cinema Display, and the USB cable from the Cinema display to the USB-C av multi port's USB port.
This most likely will only work in single link DVI mode: or up to 1920x1200
As far as I know there aren't any HDMI to dual-link DVI adapters.
There do exist active HDMI to DisplayPort adapters that support up to 2560x1600@60Hz and there are active DisplayPort to Dual-link-DVI adapters that support 2560x1600@60Hz.
Sadly external displays on my MacBook 2016 isn't very stable in general, so that makes testing these adapters is difficult on the 2016 model.
Phil0124 is incorrect. The HDMI to DVI adapter will only work for normal (not dual link) DVI.
There are very few adapters that handle dual-link DVI. You'll want Apple's dual-link adapter and then an adapter to convert to usb-c
I was looking for the same thing to use my Dell 3007WFP at 2560x1600 and found this:
https://www.startech.com/uk/AV/usb-c-video-adapters/usb-c-dvi-adapter~CDP2DVI
It's a far more reasonable price than Apple's Mini Display Port to Dual Link DVI so I think I'm gonna give this one a try.
I had the same question and found you through a Google search. I just found this from Startech and think I'll give it a whirl to connect to my Dell 3007WFP at 2560x1600.
Thank you for the suggestion. Although helpful, this solution suffers from the same problem as nearly every USB-C adapter solution: there isn't a multi-hub for USB-C connections: this means that either I connect my external display or I charge my Macbook, I can't do both at the same time.
For now I have a single-link DVA connection (via a HDMI multi-link adapter for the macbook USB-C), and it is acceptable. It isn't the best resolution, but I can keep my macbook connected to power, and, more importantly, keep my iPhone plugged in and charging as well.
Apple will eventually have to step up to the multi-hub USB-C problem as all these devices move to USB-C.
You could also use one of the few USB-C docking solutions that gives you a DisplayPort rather than HDMI, then use a DisplayPort-to-Dual Link DVI converter.
The CalDigit USB-C dock and HyperDrive USB Type-C are two that I know of. You can even buy the CalDigit one! 🙂 But, yeah, this is a tough problem...
I just bought the StarTech CDP2DVI adapter, and it does not work for the old Cinema Display because (quoting from their feedback page) it does not support a "true DVI-D Dual-Link signal".
I tried this Alex, using the SIIG USB-C to DP adapter, then daisy chained it to ACCEL Active DP to DVI-D Dongle... No luck.
Hi Camuel,
Did the star tech adapter work for you? I got one from CableMatters which doesn't work..
Apple sells a USC-C to DVI adapter, works fine. Might have to unplug and replug the DVI cable, but it will work.
This only support up to 1920x1200 resolution
Connect new Macbook (USB-C) to dual-link DVI display?
