Reviews for Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adaptor

I just got my new MBPro and had to present at a meeting. I assumed that this adapter would just be plug and play into a Panasonic LCD projector. I was wrong.

I plugged it in and chose (Detect Displays) which it did but the resolution and color were terrible. I grabbed my colleagues HP laptop and it worked just fine and the color was great.

Very concerned as I use this laptop for presentations and spent a lot of money on it. Thankfully my old Macbook Pro (which always worked) is still in my office so I can switch back. Disappointed.

There seems to be confusion about the Apple VGA adapter that changes from the video port to VGA. In general TV's cannot be run on this connection. Computer monitors are not not like TV's as far as signal type and pin-outs go. This adapter was meant to connect to another analog computer monitor or similar device like a projector, not a connection to a digital TV. Some of the newer LCD TV's have the electronics to do both TV and VGA computer type displays. I won't get any more Technical than that. Apple should give more detail about how and when to use this adapter.

I read a lot of the reviews about how this adapter didn't work and I must admit my first experience wasn't successful either. Check the following: Go to system preferences and look under "display." Click on the "detect displays" button on lower left. If that doesn't help make sure "mirrored" is checked. My problem was trying to display too high of a resolution on my TV thru the VGA hookup. Once I set the resolution to 640 X 480 everything worked perfectly!

Mac Book Pro
2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo
4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

My aluminum Macbook with the Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter won't work with a 46 inch Samsung LCD TV. Apparently lot's of users are having this problem. The Samsung TV won't even switch to the VGA PC mode with the Mini DisplayPort connected, in order to get the Samsung TV in the PC mode you have to unplug the DisplayPort, put the TV in VGA PC mode, and then you can plug in the Mini DisplayPort, but it still won't display any video from the MacBook. My Samsung TV worked fine in this mode with a Windows XP laptop, and displayed 1080p fine. It appears to be a problem with the DisplayPort Adapter, and it's inability to either drive the VGA signals or send the proper serial data stream informing the Samsung TV of it's resolution.
To get around the problem I had to buy the Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter along with an HDMI to DVI cable. With this solution my Samsung TV worked fine with the cable plugged into the HDMI port, and it displays perfectly in 1080p mode. I think this is the only solution for the vast number of MacBook users out there trying to drive LCD TV's.

I have used the first style MacBook in 2006, which had a mini-DVI port. I had to buy an adaptor for that one. Then I switched to a MacBook Pro, which has normal DVI port, so another adaptor. Recently I got the new unibody MacBook Pro, which comes with mini-DVI port. I thought that my old mini-DVI-to-VGA adaptor from my Macbook would work, but no! So I have had to buy a third adaptor in order to use my MBpro for presentations ... that is annoying. Why not using the same ports in all models - Apple?

Back in 2006, the adaptors cost only 25 bucks. I love Macs, but find it outrageous that I have to buy new dongles all the time in order to use my MacBooks with standard peripherals such as projectors.

Brand new Macbook Pro Late 2008 using this cable to my 50in Samsung TV - MBP finds the display in the Sys Prefs/Displays but no signal detected on TV. Not sure if the fault is the Mac or the TV? Either way it stinks it doesn't work.

I often give presentations at work, and others in my Fortune 30 sized company are jealous of my MacBook Pro. Until I try to plug into the projector, that is. The thumbscrews on any of the projectors I've tried in the last year won't work in the Apple adapter, and the connection is so loose that the projector display often goes to "blue screen". This always results in comments from the crowd like "cheap Apple products"...

Very frustrating and so unlike Apple. I sure hope they remedy this soon.

My JVC tv worked just fine with my old macbook using the mini DVI to VGA. No luck with this product and my new macbook pro. I used the same resolution as before and got nothing. I thought I was upgrading!

This adapter worked quite well for me, but then it began cutting out
or flickering. I did a web search and learned that Apple now has a
firmware update for the adapter which you can download.
Just plug in your computer with its power supply and with the external
VGA display connected, and run Software Update. So this problem
might explain some of the less-than-positive reviews.

I bought this to use in my classroom with my MacBook so I could connect it to the projector for large class presentations. It works great and I've never had an issue with it. The price is right as well, not too expensive for a teacher buying her own technology to use in the classroom. :)