Thunderbolt to DVI-D

[Cassady]

Hello all,

Bought a cheap Sammy 23" LCD monitor a few months back for my HOME office/study, and so bought a Thunderbolt to VGA converter, which does the trick...

I have been using the same VGA converter whenever I plugged my MBP in at the WORK office, but it's a (lazybones) schlepp having to fiddle around with inserting the VGA cable into the back of the monitor every time - i.e. I pull out the Windows desktop VGA cable at the back of the monitor, and insert a different VGA cable, that then links to my MBP c/o the Thunderbolt adapter.

Only occurred to me now, to have a closer look at my work Dell 23" monitor - and I see it has a DVI-D input as well as the VGA input.

Please confirm - if I also purchase a Thunderbolt to DVI-D converter, can I leave the VGA cable (that runs to my work Windows desktop) plugged in, and simply attach the DVI cable (and leave it attached), at the same time? If I then arrive in the office, and plug in the Thunderbolt adapter, will the monitor "switch" automatically to the MBP c/o the Thuderbolt adapter, without my having to unplug the VGA lead running to the Windows desktop?

Hope my question makes sense...

 

[Jan]

If it's anything like my monitor, it has a button for switching between input sources.

So yes, I think it should work.

 

[Cassady]

If it's anything like my monitor, it has a button for switching between input sources.

So yes, I think it should work.

Thanks Jan,

You just made me play around with the menu settings - and it does allow the swap.

Good to know. Now to find stock of the adapter!

 

[GreGorGy]

Thanks Jan,

You just made me play around with the menu settings - and it does allow the swap.

Good to know. Now to find stock of the adapter!

Saw it at the hi tech shop in Fourways and it was close on R1k which I thought was ridiculous. Pretty sure they are under R400 at IC/iStore. Report the price if you find them please.

 

[Sputnik]

Saw it at the hi tech shop in Fourways and it was close on R1k which I thought was ridiculous. Pretty sure they are under R400 at IC/iStore. Report the price if you find them please.

Did I read that right? Was that R1000? Displayport to DVI is about $10 on Amazon...

 

[GreGorGy]

Did I read that right? Was that R1000? Displayport to DVI is about $10 on Amazon...

Exactly. It was in a display case but the only price indicator that appeared anywhere near it (and did have DVI scribbled on it) was just short of R1000. I was convinced it was a mistake and said as much to the "can I help you" and he seemed to agree.

Maybe they've fixed it. But I doubt it.

 

[GreGorGy]

Did I read that right? Was that R1000? Displayport to DVI is about $10 on Amazon...

Exactly. It was in a display case but the only price indicator that appeared anywhere near it (and did have DVI scribbled on it) was just short of R1000. I was convinced it was a mistake and said as much to the "can I help you" and he seemed to agree.

Maybe they've fixed it. But I doubt it.

 

[Jan]

For Macs with Thunderbolt ports I think this is what you need: http://www.zastore.co.za/product-view/234/mini-displayport-to-dvi/path/39

(Mini-DP to DVI converter)

ZAStore has them for R299, and Incredible connection has it fir R369.95. Got mine from an iStore for about R400 way back when if memory serves, so there seems to be quite a bit of variance in the retail price.

 

[Cassady]

[EDIT]: Hello Google... The top one is what I need, a DVI-D dual link, as opposed to the Wootware one, which is a DVI-I adapter... Live & Learn. Hopefully managed to locate a DVI cable in one of the local PC shops - which was actually proving harder to find than the adapter(!) - so will pop up a message here again, when things get sorted... Think it's potentially going to make a big difference to my workflow, being able to jump between the work PC and my Mac, all through a few button presses on the wide-screen monitor... Hope it works as advertised! [/EDIT]


Hi all - would this work?

The first pic is off the Apple website - the second is from Wootware, a local supplier. Price is way better, but the connections appear to be different... I vaguely recall there being different types of DVI connectors - but the Techie (ha-ha) at IC looked at me like I was mad when I asked him - so it might only be used overseas, or not that common anymore this side...

Any thoughts? I realise I could mail Wootware - they've always been quick to respond, but right now, I'm not even sure what I should ask...

Thoughts?

 

[GreGorGy]

Bottom one is dual DVI-I and means it supports both -D and -A DVI standards:

DVI-I (integrated, combines digital and analog in the same connector; digital may be single- or dual-link)

So it will work. How much is it?

 

[Cassady]

Bottom one is dual DVI-I and means it supports both -D and -A DVI standards:

DVI-I (integrated, combines digital and analog in the same connector; digital may be single- or dual-link)

So it will work. How much is it?

? Ok - that's gone and thrown several cats amongst my pigeons... See grainy pic of the connection in the back of my monitor, as below:



The slot on the bottom of the pic, surely that would only work in with a DVI-D dual link cable, which would then require a DVI-D dual link adapter, as per the Apple one? Of course - I could be entirely wrong, which is why I asked initially...

Wootware's DVI-I is about half the cost of the Apple adapter - obviously!

 

[GreGorGy]

Lemme check my DVI cable at home. But if the cable has that flat bar on either side, it will fit into your monitor and that adaptor.

 

[Cassady]

Lemme check my DVI cable at home. But if the cable has that flat bar on either side, it will fit into your monitor and that adaptor.

Aaahhh... on closer inspection... That [for lack of a better word] cross on the right of the generic DVI-I connecter, it looks like it might be designed to 'accept/receive' the flat bar part from the cable, as in - it will expand to allow either the flat bar or one of the other versions, which would then slot into the corresponding holes around the 'cross'...

That actually makes a bit of sense, since if the I stands for Integrated, then it would suggest an adapter that can work with the various DVI types... Thanks for the info - will make it easier to get clarity about things when I go and pick up the cable...

As an aside - sucks that the shortest length I've been able to find is 1,8m... Joy.

 

[GreGorGy]

Pic 1: the back of my vintage 2004 MacMini. The output is DVI-I.



Notice the 4 holes around the plus sign on the right. Same as the woot adaptor.

Pic 2: the end of my DVI cable. It is a -D cable:



See it only has the flat bar. Same as the Apple adaptor but...

Pic 3: Flat -D cable plugged into -I output. And the last time I use it, it did work. So the woot adaptor should be just fine.


Greg

 

[Cassady]

Pic 1: the back of my vintage 2004 MacMini. The output is DVI-I.

...

Greg

Many thanks for taking the time to post this Greg!

That clears up all doubts. Will place the order in the week, and report back.


[EDIT:] Btw - forgot to mention - the adapter I purchased happened to be similar to the Wootware one, the DVI-I - and it works a charm. R190 for Adapter; R90 for cable = Joy.

 

[Cassady]

Hello all,

Just to close this loop - I popped in to the local pc store, to purchase the DVI to DVI cable - which in itself is a blessing, since 2 x IC's, a TV & Radio installation place, and 2 x Game stores did not have stock - neither did the online shop that I was going to order the adapter from...

As it turns out - the conversation in the store turned to how difficult it is to get hold to DVI-DVI cable, and how the same applies to the adapter - to which was said: "Oh, we have one left"...

So, R280 later, here I sit - typing on my work monitor, but through my Mac... It's a few button presses to switch between the two on the monitor, but so much easier than what was required earlier - going to make a massive improvement in my work!

Thanks again for all the help!