Non-Apple DVI Monitors on Apple Gear?

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davintosh's picture
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Non-Apple DVI Monitors on Apple Gear?

I just bought a 19" flat panel display, and spent a little extra to get a model that has VGA and DVI inputs (a Princeton LCD1950). It works fine on any machine I try if I connect it using a DVI-VGA adapter and a VGA cable, but if I connect it using the DVI cable that came with the monitor I get nothing. I've tried it using both a newer PowerBook and a mini, and neither recognize that a display is even there.

I stopped at a local Apple shop with the PowerBook and hooked it up to an Apple Cinema Display, and it worked fine, so I know the output from the DVI port is ok.

One thing I have noticed is that the Apple-supplied adapter and the connector on the Cinema display have four pins -- above and below the wide flat pin -- that the DVI cable from Princeton does not have. The PowerBook's DVI port has a matching set of sockets there as well. Is that the reason it doesn't work on the third-party display? Is there any way I can use the digital input on this monitor, or should I have saved a few bucks and got a VGA-only display?

Anybody else using DVI on Apple machines?

I asked this same question on one of the Apple discussion forums and have heard nothing but deafening silence.

This isn't necessarily a hack, mainly a "does it work?" and "how can I get it to work?" question, but none of the other forum categories seemed to fit.

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I'm using a Dell LCD on my 12

I'm using a Dell LCD on my 12" AlBook through DVI, and it works fine. I've used the same machine with other DVI monitors, as well as other PowerBooks with my Dell LCD. Are you sure the DVI input on the monitor works OK?

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Just a thought...

Have you independently verified that the DVI input on the new monitor works with *any* computer?

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Re: Just a thought...

Have you independently verified that the DVI input on the new monitor works with *any* computer?

A very good thought at that. I had e-mailed Princeton tech support asking about this issue, and got this response back (about 5 minutes after I posted my question here. Speak of the devil...)

Thank you for choosing Princeton Graphics or Sylvania.
Some issues with the DVI port on that monitor have recently surfaced. Our engineers are currently working on it. Until we have a fix for this model, just continue to use the VGA port. There actually is very little loss between the DVI and VGA.

Very little loss, that is, except for the trouble I could've saved by choosing a different monitor I guess.

I guess the lesson learned once again is Caveat Emptor.

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When all else fails. . . read the instructions. Have you tried.

http://www.applefritter.com/node/10067?res=original

According to the manual page (see above), you have to use the built in, on screen menu of this monitor to switch between VGA and DVI inputs. Have you tried this yet?

Mutant_Pie

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How many pins?

Hey Doc; how many pins are on the DVI connector on your DVI cable? On my Princeton-supplied cable (and a Dell cable I found at work) I count 18 small pins (in 2 groups of 9) and one wide-flat pin. The Apple adapters have the same arrangement plus two above and two below the wide-flat pin.

Just curious.

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Yup.

Didn't work.

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Re: How many pins?

Hey Doc; how many pins are on the DVI connector on your DVI cable? On my Princeton-supplied cable (and a Dell cable I found at work) I count 18 small pins (in 2 groups of 9) and one wide-flat pin. The Apple adapters have the same arrangement plus two above and two below the wide-flat pin.

Just curious.

Mine has just that wide, flat pin too. I suspect the additional pins above and below don't do much but send some additional sense signals.

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Hmm...

I believe the 2 pins below and above the wide flat pin on the DVI connector signifies that it is a DVI-I (Analog and Digital Signals) connection, as opposed to just DVI-D (Digital signals only). Does it work on any other computers using DVI?

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Re: How many pins?

I'm too lazy to look up any docs, but the short story is those 4 pins surrounding the wide flat pin are for the analog VGA R/G/B/Gd signals. Since the supplied cable is strictly DVI, there's no need for those pins.

I suspect the LCD will work fine once you get it configgered correctly. No, I ain't calling you a dunce. Seriously. Acute

dan k

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Re: How many pins?

I'm too lazy to look up any docs, but the short story is those 4 pins surrounding the wide flat pin are for the analog VGA R/G/B/Gd signals. Since the supplied cable is strictly DVI, there's no need for those pins.

I suspect the LCD will work fine once you get it configgered correctly. No, I ain't calling you a dunce. Seriously. Acute

dan k

Thanks for the thought, Dan, but I suspect the problem has more to do with the note I got back from Princeton's tech support regarding "issues" with the DVI port on this monitor than with my configgeration.

Oh, and thanks also for the info on the pinouts for the extra four pins. That helps understand why the DVI cables I've seen don't have them.

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DVI pinout

Came across an Apple page with the DVI pinout and figgered I'd toss it into the thread. I see I wasn't entirely correct pinwise - the fourth pin is for Hsynch, the center blade-thingy is the gnd. Whatever. Acute

dan k

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DVI on Princeton LCD1950

davintosh,
I too purchased a Princeton LCD1950 for use on my Powermac G4. I am having the same problem as you. The display will work, and looks pretty good when connected to vga, but will not work when connected to dvi. I've tried a different video card to no avail. I've tried both vga and dvi hooked up at the same time (so I could switch the OSD to dvi), but it will not allow me to switch to dvi input.

Kinda glad to see it is not just my ignorance causing my problem. Although Princeton says there is little difference between the inputs (I often work with text at small point size), I purchased dvi because I want use that difference

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The truth about the LCD1950s

Hey guys. Of course I don't work for Princeton, because if I did, they would fire me for posting. Since I don't work for Princeton I can tell you what I know about the LCD1950s

1. They are 100% Mac compatible, I guarantee it.

2. There was a small bad batch that got out where the DVI would get "confused" and reported back to the computer that it was a VGA port. This is why your VGA converter works.

3. The DVI problem is now being fixed, but there is not an official recall. This is because there is not a huge amount of the affect monitors and 95% of users don't even know what DVI is let alone use it.

4. If you have one of these monitors, call their tech support line. The incredibly intelligent and handsome techs will RMA your monitor and send you a working one.

5. These kinds of occurances are not uncommon in the computer industry. The companies specifically forbid their employees to discuss these things with customers. So don't ask them to admit it, that is like asking them to lose there jobs. They don't like this system anymore than you do. They are not even allowed to pass on complaints. If you have a complaint, get it as far up the ladder as you can.

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