passive or active VGA-splitter for Mini?

I would like to mirror my Mini display with VGA-input to a 32 inch LCD-TV with VGA input. Should I use a passive or an active VGA-splitter?

mac mini Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Dec 31, 2006 3:17 AM

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10 replies

Jan 3, 2007 9:57 AM in response to ollec

I am not sure that your mini will see your monitor after you split the signal. I try the same wiyh a Y-splitter. The image is very good (50¨plasma) but every time I restart the mini,no monitor is see. I have to disconnect the TV and resume the connection after. May be it's different with an active splitter?

Jan 3, 2007 2:42 PM in response to Alex Dawson

Active splitter devices appear to the computer as a
monitor, and then transmit the graphical data to the
displays connected to them.


I think that point needs to be repeated and reinforced!

Since the mini has a display detect line in the video connector, it receives signals from compatible devices that signal what they are and helps the system determine what resolution and refresh rate to set. An active splitter can feed appropriate data back to the mini, while a passive one can only relay what it receives from the display. If both displays are the same, that wouldn't be a problem, but if they are different, the mini will receive a detect signal that at best will suit one display but may not match the other, since it does not know there are two displays connected.

Jan 7, 2007 12:39 AM in response to ollec

this is nearly exactly what i want to do. was about to post a new topic till i found this one.

i want to mirror my display to my television so i can watch all my video content without going through my current process of disconnecting my monitor and then connecting my dvi to s-video adaptor.

i have a crt television so there is an s-video input but no vga.

can i simply buy some sort of splitter for the dvi signal from the mini and then have both connected to it? will i be able to set different resolutions for each? is there some other way to go about this that i have not thought of? can it be done at all?

thanks for any help!

Jan 7, 2007 3:43 AM in response to nathan drama

can i simply buy some sort of splitter for the dvi signal from the mini and
then have both connected to it?


It would need to be active splitter, ideally one with both DVI and VGA output

will i be able to set different resolutions for each?


No

is there some other way to go about this that i have not thought of? can it
be done at all?


Yes, there are external standalone VGA to svideo converters available, you'd need one of these to go with the active splitter.

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passive or active VGA-splitter for Mini?

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