Can I connect the new MacBook Pro 2016 (USB C) to a Cinema Display 30?

Yes, we went a bit off-topic with Catherine's 27" DisplayPort display. But the principle is the same due to both the display and the active dual-link adapter connecting to the computer with the same ports.

Zyg4, your dual-link DVI adapter is active, meaning it should transform a pure DisplayPort input into dual-link DVI. So because Apple specifies the new MacBook Pro to output native DisplayPort (we can assume it's a standard alt-mode), all you'll need is a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter. As I said, you could get one with either the mini-DP female connector you need, or if that's not available, one with a full-size DP connector, and a cheap full-size to mini adapter.

I have the same issue and after lots or research, Im unable to find an answer.

I contacted Apple and they kicked the question to an engineer somewhere and the answer was passed back down that Apple doesn't support this configuration. That said, I think if you ask multiple times you get different answers.

Anyway, here is a summary of my research:

MacBook Pro (Retina, mid 2012)

Apple Cinema HD Display (30-inch (2560 x 1600))

Adaptor connecting my current Laptop to the Cinema HD Display

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MB571LL/A/mini-displayport-to-dual-link-dvi-ad apter

Problem:

i just bought MacBook Pro LBB (15-inch, Late 2016) and want to swap it with the 2012 MacBook Pro.

I have unable to get the new laptop to drive my existing Apple Cinema HD Display

I was hoping that this adaptor would work:

Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter, allowing me to connect the new Laptop to the existing Mini Display to Dual Link DVI

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2 -adapter?fnode=80e13c4e44761ecf4dec4b58ceadcd974ba4b646d029b61f875e6723bc8395cbd cdff5ace7455539d9cbd02a731dd44137e9657a6dd6083d887e41c8691f12e9dd0b5635df3cb2320 8c5732f672252b0c6094ebfeeec5103f047676196ee62bd

This doesn’t seem to work.

StarTech Adaptor:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BJ0HQK6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie= UTF8&th=1

I was hoping this would work, but read the customer reviews and the reply from StarTech

This will NOT drive the Apple Cinema HD Display (something about not being a TRUE dual link DVI adaptor)

Possible Answer, but very hackish (and I am skeptical it will work on the larger 30 inch HD Display)

How to connect the Apple Cinema Display to the new MacBook Pro | Macworld

Other Similar Apple Support Discussions:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7723519?answerId=30920097022#30920097022

Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter, allowing me to connect the new Laptop to the existing Mini Display to Dual Link DVI

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2 -adapter?fnode=80e13c4e44761ecf4dec4b58ceadcd974ba4b646d029b61f875e6723bc8395cb d cdff5ace7455539d9cbd02a731dd44137e9657a6dd6083d887e41c8691f12e9dd0b5635df3cb232 0 8c5732f672252b0c6094ebfeeec5103f047676196ee62bd

This doesn’t seem to work.

I expect this solution to work. But you MUST supply 5 volt power on the USB pigtail to run the Apple Dual-Link DVI adapter. It has substantial electronics inside and needs additional power.

I tried this with my new late 2016 macbook pro 15". It does work. Here are the adapters I used:

I. Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (This is an adapter available from Apple for $99. I already had this one. It was all I needed to connect an older macbook pro to the screen.)

II. USB-C Digital Multiport adapter (purchased from Apple for $49)

III. GooQee USB 3.1 Type C to Display Port (female) Connector Cable (purchased from Amazon for $15)

IV. Bytecc Display Port Male to Mini Display Port Female Cable Adapter (purchased from Fry's Electronics for $13)

Here's how I connected them, working from monitor to computer:

Monitor cable has 4 pigtails:

1) power cord male plug connected to socket in big white cinema monitor power brick.

2) firewire male plug unconnected (This one doesn't seem to be necessary for making the monitor work)

3) USB-A male plug connected to USB-A socket in apple "Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter"

4) Active Dual link DVI-D male plug connected to the other socket on the "Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter"

"Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter has two pigtails:

1) USB-A male plug connected to USB-A socket on "USB-C Digital Multiport adapter"

2) Mini display port male plug connected to mini display port female socket on "Display Port Male to Mini Display Port Female Adapter"

"USB-C Digital Multiport adapter" has one USB-C male plug. Plug it into the USB-C/thunderbolt3 port on the macbook pro.

"Display Port Male to Mini Display Port Female Adapter" has one male display port plug. Connect it to the socket on the "USB 3.1 Type C to Display Port (female) Connector Cable"

"USB 3.1 Type C to Display Port (female) Connector Cable" has one USB-C male plug. Plug it into another USB-C/thunderbolt3 port on the macbook pro.

Here's how it looks.

With these connections, I'm getting full resolution.

Note: The first time I tried this, the monitor did not work. I unplugged the USB-C plugs from the sockets on the left side of the computer and plugged them into the two ports on the right side, and the screen lit up and worked at full resolution.

I've been using this configuration for a couple days now and the computer doesn't always seem to recognize the 30" monitor. When this happens, so far I've been able to get it working again by unplugging the USB-C connections and plugging them back in again.

I also just switched to the USB-C ports on the left side, and the monitor is working that way, now, too.

The "USB-C Digital Multiport adapter" has a USB-C socket and a HDMI socket that I am not using at this point. If I plug the USB-C plug from the "USB 3.1 Type C to Display Port (female) Connector Cable" into the socket on the multiport adapter instead of into the computer, the display doesn't seem to work.

Thank you this is very helpful. I didn't buy a new MBP today because I could not get a definitive answer from the Apple store as to whether or not the new USB-C ports can drive my 30" Cinema displays. It look like they can, with a few bit of adapters! I am currently using the MDP to Dual-Link DVI adapter (Apple) with my older MBP to drive my 30" Cinema displays, and I did an experiment and plugged in the USB connector into an iPad charger instead of the laptop, and the display works fine.

Its great you got that working. Thank you for pursuing this.

Your Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-link DVI adapter mostly uses its USB connection to pick up the power needed to run the electronics in the adapter. If you have another source of power on a USB-2 'A' jack (such as an iPad charger) you should be able to substitute it for the US$50 USB-C to multiPort adapter. The only thing you would lose is the USB hub and the ability to adjust the brightness of the display (which I do very rarely).

A couple more things for anyone else out there who is trying to connect their dual link DVI Cinema display to USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Apple dual-link DVI-D to mini-display port adapter: I've seen posts from people who are looking for a less expensive adapter. After many hours of exploration on the web, I found only one or two adapters out there that look like they would have the proper specs for the Cinema display's DVI plug. Unfortunately, they are essentially the same as the apple adapter, with the same connections and the same (~$100) price. Perhaps someone will come out with a new, less expensive adapter later. If you're one of those scouring the web for a cheaper alternative, the following information may be helpful.

About DVI connections:

Here is what I gather from a fair bit of research on the web.

DVI-D is essential. It increases (doubles?) the bandwidth. Connectors for DVI-D use all 24 of the main 8X3 block of pins. Other types of DVI connectors do not use the middle 6 pins. If you see a photo of a male plug, it is obvious, but on a female plug, it is not.

For connecting your cinema display, of course, you are looking for a female plug, so a photo isn't going to be able to insure you that you have the right connector.

A photo can, however, definitively show that some connectors are not going to work. Here is what to look for. In addition to the main, 8X3 array of pins, DVI connectors have another little block of pins. For the DVI-D, this consists of a single horizontal tab. If the plug has four extra pins, and/or a "plus" shaped slot, it is not a DVI-D plug.

Here's a link to a wikipedia page on DVI with some diagrams that I found helpful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface

Dual-Link is also essential. It doubles the bandwidth to the screen. Without it you won't get full resolution. An adapter can be DVI-D without being Dual Link. You are looking for a plug that is both Dual Link and DVI-D. I've seen this abbreviated as DVI-D DL or DVI-DL in some places.

Active: Some posts say the DVI adapter has to be "active". I'm not sure what this means, (Perhaps it is related to the need for power from the USB plug to run electronics in the DVI adapter itself?) Unless you understand what this means, it might be better to stick with the Apple adapter.

Thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt 2 adapter: Physically, this adapter has the same connections as a USB-C to mini display port connector. Unfortunately, it does not seem to support display port video transfer. I read this elsewhere after I bought this adapter at the apple store with my new computer, so I ended up returning it later, because it does not work with my Cinema display.

If anyone comes across a less expensive adapter that works, please post here. I have a second Cinema display at work. If there were a less expensive alternative, I would buy a second set for work, rather than disconnecting the cables and taking them back and forth with my macbook every day.

Active: Some posts say the DVI adapter has to be "active".

ACTIVE means it contains signal at least Re-drivers, and additional power is required. Signal re-drivers are essential to make this work when starting from Mini DisplayPort signal whose signal levels are quite bit lower in Voltage than DVI. In this specific case, it also means there is a non-trivial conversion that requires additional powered electronics to make the conversion.

MonoPrice Mini DisplayPort 1.1 + USB to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (Product # 6904) $71.08

The adapter above is very similar to the Apple adapter EXCEPT -- it does not carry its USB through to the display (which means you cannot use this pathway to adjust the brightness).

thanks, Scott! Is your solution for connecting new MBP to Cinema HD 30" display working reliably? Or is it still a little flakey as it seemed to be in your first report?

It's still slightly flakey, but not difficult to live with. So far, unplugging and re-connecting the screen seems to fix it, when necessary, which isn't too often.

oops. double post.

FYI: I just checked and my firmware version is 1.03.

You have to be supplying power to the USB input for the substantial electronics in the Apple Mini DisplayPort Dual-Link DVI adapter.

I just saw this: Has anyone tried the new Sonnet Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort Adapter?

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/thunderbolt3-dual-displayport-adapter.html

sleep and wake your Mac and see if there is any difference.