Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Computers & Peripherals => Topic started by: pflower on November 08, 2017, 03:02:59 pm

Title: Connecting a Macbook Pro to a Cinema Display
Post by: pflower on November 08, 2017, 03:02:59 pm
My wife is using our son's previous Macbook Pro - no idea what year it was built but probably about 5 or 6 years old and still running OSX 10.9 (which I would really rather not upgrade for her since everything is running fine at the moment).  From what I can tell the Macbook has a thunderbolt port on it (at least system information says that it does).  Lying around I also have one of the early Cinema Displays.  This was originally connected to a Mac G5 and looks to me as if it has what is described as a DVI adapter/thingie.  It also has its own power supply.  Am I right in thinking that I can get a thunderbolt to DVI connector and get the Cinema Display working on the Macbook?

Anyone got any experience of this?  I am ok with software but when it comes to hardware connectivity I feel like a complete dunce (and probably am one).

Thanks

Title: Re: Connecting a Macbook Pro to a Cinema Display
Post by: Joe Towner on November 13, 2017, 08:30:34 pm
You're looking for a Mini-displayport to DVI adapter - snap photos of the Apple monitor connector (or just list the model info off it).

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-ThunderboltTM-Compatible/dp/B00DRK716G/ should work.
Title: Re: Connecting a Macbook Pro to a Cinema Display
Post by: Don Blauvelt on November 21, 2017, 11:50:55 am

I have a Apple 30" Cinema Display hooked up to my Mid-2014 MacBook Pro with this adapter.

Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter for 30" Cinema HD Display
Title: Re: Connecting a Macbook Pro to a Cinema Display
Post by: BobShaw on November 21, 2017, 03:35:16 pm
If it is a DVI connector then no problem as already described.

If it is the original Mac Monitor 15 pin D shaped connector then that is different.
These are shaped like a D with one long side longer than the other and the two short sides taper in to the shorter one. They are like the old serial connector on a PC but with 15 pins in two rows.
These are basically a VGA connector. There is a passive converter that converts from 15 pin to the 9 pin I think of VGA.
I probably have one around somewhere. You would then need to convert from VGA to Thunderbolt.