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Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

I've read the description, it still doesn't work.

Written by ML from MANHATTAN

Oct 3, 2006

Listen! I read the description, it is extremely vague! I have an expensive DVI monitor at home that I bought last year. A 21" wacom cintiq ($2500) and this adapter does not work. It is missing the holes for some of the pins on my monitor's DVI cable, so I can't even plug it in! You people that downplayed others' one star ratings should know that this is not an issue of old technology alone, this adapter is also incompatible with expensive brand new flat screen monitors.

18 of 30 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Perfect, great product

Written by DB from Sandy

Sep 20, 2006

Get a clue and read the product specs before you buy it people! Instructions will save us from all the idiots out there!

22 of 67 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Why, O Why Not Mini-DVI to DVI-I???

Written by SB from Lafayette

Sep 15, 2006

It all boils down to the title. I post this as a warning and a complaint. The warning is that DVI doesn't simply come in one flavor, and that "DVI" in this adapter is a female DVI-D Dual-Link plug. The complaint that it is incompatible with all the DVI-I cables out there in the world, particularly those in the research lab I work in.

I know that these DVI-I cables *could* be replaced with DVI-D cables and everything would be just fine, but that's really not a general solution. Must I purchase some sort of male DVI-D Dual-Link to female DVI-I Dual-Link adapter, too? Surely it'd "just work" for the most people if Apple offered just one adapter--a Mini-DVI to DVI-I adapter...

1401 of 2248 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Not an appropriate adapter

Written by MB from Portland

Sep 8, 2006

As many have mentioned, this adapter is only for DVI-D. Almost ALL external projection units with DVI now use DVI-I. I will now have to buy the VGA adapter (I take it this, at least, is industry standard).

37 of 61 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Does not work with DVI to VGA adapter

Written by CS from St. Louis

Aug 23, 2006

For those of you like me that have piles of DVI-to-VGA you are out of luck. This thing will not help you as it is missing the four pins (or rather holes) that carry the VGA signal. Get a mini-DVI to VGA.

P.S.
Dear Apple,

Why? Is it really worth the extra $19 you can milk out of us?

70 of 105 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Works, and works well

Written by RA from brooklyn

Aug 22, 2006

Now, first off, I've seen way too many reviews mentioning the DVI to VGA adapter. Look above, what kind of product do you see? People's lack of good sense and poor computer component shopping skills hardly constitutes a faulty product. I myself have tried the MINI DVI to DVI adapter. As long as the ports on your computer match up and the Monitor is specifically designed to operate with a DVI- adapter, you should have no problems unless there was something terribly wrong with the wiring of your product, which I have yet to see in any of the negative reviews here. You don't require other adapters to use this, because the connection is a standard size that should fit in any monitor or television set with the standard DVI input port. This is a simple product designed to up the real estate of your workspace for your computer, namely small laptops. I have my macbook hooked up to a 23" monitor with this thing, and the monitor runs on optimum resolution. Use your technology as it's designed to function, and without defect on the part of both manufacturer and consumer, it should be pretty problem free. Simple.

41 of 71 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

MacBook and Sony SDM-HS74P LCD Monitor

Written by JV from Old Bridge

Jul 27, 2006

I was hesitant at first when I read some of the negative reviews but I went for it and I have no regrets! This adapter works great. Simple to hook up and easy to set up the monitor in System Preferences. Now if i could just dial in the color correctly...

21 of 32 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

I'm Mad at apple

Written by JT from West Orange

Jul 23, 2006

I went to compusa looking for a dvi to s video adapter and I thought that I found one. So I went home thinking that it was the right adapter and found out that it was a mini dvi to s video. I returned it and went to a local apple store and they also didn't know what they were doing. I think that I have to buy 2 adapters, which is really annoying. I have to waste 40 dollars to get and adapter and another adapter to adapt that adapter. I love apple products but this has upset me a lot.

27 of 117 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

HD on my TV (from my Powerbook).

Written by CK from London

Jul 17, 2006

i bought a new Samsung HDTV but had no HD content to feed into it until i bought this adapter and a DVI to HDMI cable. now i can watch 720p cinema trailers coming out of my 12" powerbook to my HDTV (1080i is too much for my slow powerbook).

further, i can also utilise the TV as a 1920 x 1080 secondary display when i edit my home videos and actually see the small lettering (unlike going through composite).

54 of 64 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

5 Stars For a Reason

Written by MP from Atlanta

Jul 7, 2006

It's awesome. I use it to attach a 20" Cinema Display to my 20" iMac. Works Flawlessly. All of the 1 Star reviews are bogus. As someone else stated, these people are buying the wrong product. C'mon people, get rid of your clunky VGA monitors and get a Cinema Display. Apple doesn't make products for 5 year old Dell monitors, this Mini-DVI was made for Apple Cinema Displays, or equivalent DVI LCD monitors. Get your facts straight before buying and you'll be a happy camper!

33 of 48 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

worked fine with dell 1905FP and my new macbook

Written by CB from chevy chase

Jul 4, 2006

At first I was annoyed that I had to buy a male to male cable but that was because I had forgotten that it came with the monitor. Works fine.

17 of 28 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Not the best choice for Cinemadisplays

Written by AG from Lugano

Jul 4, 2006

I bought this adapter to connect my macbook to a cinema display and technicalliy it works well. The only mess is that the cinema display cable has multiple connections (USB, FW, power, video) and i have to keep all those wires on my desk, along with the bulky power adapter. A solution could be a "long" Mini-DVI to DVI adapter cable...

14 of 30 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Connecting Macbook to HDTV

Written by DY from Brooklyn

Jun 25, 2006

After reading the helpful reviews, i did alot of research before buying any cables to hook up my macbook to an HP HDTV. Hopefully the following will help others with connection issues:

Investigate the PC input jack of your HDTV for 3 specifications:

1) TYPE OF DVI INPUT JACK. Most newer models have DVI-I or DVI-D input jacks. there is a difference between the two. you can tell which one you have by referring to your manual. if you don't have the manual, look at the jack itself and compare to pictures (link isn't allowed here, but datapro had clear pictures)

2) DUAL or SINGLE LINK. newer model HDTVs likely have the dual link inputs. refer to your manual or look at the jack and compare to pictures.

3) MALE OR FEMALE. ihad assumed that because the apple mini-DVI to DVI cable had a FEMALE DVI connector end, then my TV must have a MALE input jack. not true. my TV has a FEMALE DVI jack. So by default, I needed an adaptor cable for the mini-DVI to DVI cable.

after this, i determined that i had a DUALLINK DVI-I FEMALE input jack. NOTE that the mini-DVI to DVI cable, not pictured online at apple.com, has a FEMALE DUAL LINK DVI-D connector end.

so I bought the apple mini-DVI to DVI cable & a DVI-D to DVI-D male/male connector cable, connected the cables to their respective hardware input jacks, and it all worked.

FYI, i got the DVI-D to DVI-D male/male connector cable instead of a DVI-D to DVI-I male/male connector cable, because i couldn't find the latter. Luckily, because my TV had a FEMALE input jack, it could take a DVI-D male (just the way the input jacks are designed).

Hope this helps.

1518 of 2008 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

very misleading description

Written by JR from Santa Barbara

Jun 15, 2006

As other reviewers have noted this adaptor does not work with the more common DVI-I cables. It is only designed to work with the DVI-D cable.

What's even more confusing is that the picture on the package incorrectly shows a DVI-I plug not the DVI-D plug!

Apple should list it as a Mini-DVI to DVI-I adapter and correct the picture on the package!

Talk about misinformation

35 of 44 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Works just fine

Written by PE from Boulder

Jun 15, 2006

I used this adapter to connect my Intel iMac to an external DVI monitor. I'm using it to get more real estate and as a preview monitor for Keynote presentations being played on the 20" display.

It works perfectly.

11 of 17 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

DVI-I and DVI-M Whatever!

Written by AK

Jun 13, 2006

This product is not stupid by itself. Just that Apple did not provide enough information on it. There are at least two types of DVI connectors out there, and if you plan to get the mini-DVI to DVI cable + a DVI to VGA adapter to use an older VGA LCD monitor, then you are wasting your money. It simply won't work because of the analog signal or what else I don't know.
The bottom line is I am sending it back for a mini-DVI to VGA cable, that way I think I can use a VGA to DVI adapter to use my newer DVI supported LCD later.
Hey Apple, I love your product and I am happy to let you earn my money, but would you please do it in a decent way? Selling mini-DVI adapter in VGA and DVI version is simply a rip off. We love apple but we need compatability too. Both hardware and software wise.

38 of 67 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

Suspect at Best

Written by BB from Jackson

Jun 6, 2006

As others have said, this cable terminates in DVI-D. What this means is that the cheap-o $6 DVI-VGA adapters will not work with this plug. Apple chooses to make it DVI-D so that you will have to buy 2 adapters instead of one. The DVI-I format adapter can pass an analog or digital signal, but alas that wiring type was not used. I've heard there are DVI-D adapters to VGA, but I think they involve buying a box that costs well over $50.

Bottom line, buy the VGA adapter if you want to connect to a CRT or LCD with a VGA plug.

28 of 46 people found this useful

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter

The "1 star" people are buying the wrong product...

Written by MK from Sherman Oaks

Apr 23, 2006

For all the complaints you read below, remember these people are buying the wrong product and then getting mad that it doesn't work. While it is confusing, the world of VGA and DVI is complicated.

This product is designed for one thing and one thing only: connect to the current 12" PB and core duo iMacs and provide a standard DIGITAL DVI connector to plug a cable into. It is not designed for the older powerbooks or ibooks with mini-vga output, or any other computer that doesn't have the mini-DVI. It will not work with older macs. It will not work in series with VGA adapters because this adaptor does not pass ANALOG signals from the mini-DVI port. That's why they sell the VGA adaptor instead for VGA monitors.

This adaptor may not work with cables that are analog+digital DVI without an adaptor. This is not apple's fault. This is the way the spec is written. The various flat pins are there to control which connectors fit together, to prevent accidental damage to your equipment.

If you have a DVI-D equipped monitor and want to hook it to the iMac or current PB 12", this adaptor is for you. If you want to hook up some other sort of monitor (analog, DVI-I, ADC), this is not for you, or you may need an additional adaptor.

Plain and simple.

As for rating: it would get a five if it was another 6 inches longer. But otherwise, it does what it does and doesn't cost too much.

2008 of 2590 people found this useful