Getting frustrated with Apple Cinema display 20 inch

[JasonM]

I recently picked up a old 20 inch Apple A1081 cinema display from Facebook Marketplace, I know its old but they still have a good reputation as being good monitors, I am trying to connect it to a 2011 IMac to have two screens, the cinema display has the four leads coming from it:
Power connector for the power supply brick.
DVI lead
Firewire ( redundant )
USB 2 ( to connect to the IMac so the USBs in the monitor can be used )

I have connected the DVI to the Mac via a DVI to Thunderbolt adapter, the display powers on but no image is on the screen, the Mac has recognised there is a display connected and I can see it in the 'about this mac' screen and also the display button that has appeared on the top menu, I can click 'arrange screen' and 'mirror' but nothing shows on the display screen, Ive tried to adjust resolution but nothing.
I also plugged the adapter into my wifes Mac book Air and the display springs to life, so I know the display is working. ( the colour is all over the place, a red hue to everything, but I expect that can be adjusted ) So the question is, why can't my Mac send signal to the display, Ive googled to death the issue but not really got anywhere.
Any help or tips would be appreciated.

[Itsguy]

Your answer may be here: https://www.macworld.com/article/233...-new-life.html

It sounds like there are a lot of ways to get this slightly wrong. Good luck, but having spent far too long as the tech support guy for my parents old macs, I highly recommend trying newer ones!

[sundial]

I'm no expert but started using a 20" Apple Cinema display in 2020 for ZOOM meetings with my ancient MacBook Pro and could not get the display to work reliably until i bought a new DVI adapter ... this one ...https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...0?ie=UTF8&th=1 ... cheap as chips.

dunk

[JasonM]

Your answer may be here: https://www.macworld.com/article/233...-new-life.html

It sounds like there are a lot of ways to get this slightly wrong. Good luck, but having spent far too long as the tech support guy for my parents old macs, I highly recommend trying newer ones!

Thanks, I have seen that article, Ill read it again.
I hear what you are saying about getting a newer Mac, however, this is the first time Ive had any frustrations or issue with it since I got it 6 years ago, it does everything I need it to do so am reluctant to 'upgrade' for the sake of it.

[JasonM]

I'm no expert but started using a 20" Apple Cinema display in 2020 for ZOOM meetings with my ancient MacBook Pro and could not get the display to work reliably until i bought a new DVI adapter ... this one ...https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...0?ie=UTF8&th=1 ... cheap as chips.

dunk

Thanks Dunc, I bought the same adapter, like i say, it works with the wifes MB Air, but not the IMac, odd.

[learningtofly]

I've got an old 27" Cinema Display - the one with the three connectors from a single lead: Mini DisplayPort with audio support, universal MagSafe and USB 2.0.

I've literally given up trying to work out how to use it with the new M1 MBP I'm about to buy, so will bite the bullet and get a new monitor as well. It's very annoying, but it's been giving me a stress headache for weeks!

[sundial]

Long shot but possibly relevant?

The Thunderbolt port in the 2011 iMacs adds a couple of twists to this setup. First, when using Thunderbolt-equipped iMac as a display, you need to hit Command-F2 to switch the display between the iMac and the other Mac. This, however, is a relatively minor inconvenience or even a benefit, depending on how you generally use your iMac.

[JasonM]

I’ll give that a try, thanks Dunc.

[SlipperySam]

I run two Cinema Displays with an M1 Mac. The 30" is connected with a Club 3D UBC C to Dual Link DVI-D adapter - https://www.amazon.co.uk/CAC-1510-Ad.../dp/B08B7FSVTL

The smaller one is connected with an Apple HDMI to DVI adapter. Occasionally (maybe twice a month) the 30" monitor displays a black screen on start up but turning it on and off at the power socket brings it to life. The red/pink hue is a common issue with older monitors and can't really be rectified. My smaller monitor has been like that for a while and although the colour settings can be tweaked it's not perfect.

[JasonM]

Thanks Sam....
Dunc, sadly the F2 didn't work.
Oh well, it was cheap enough for it not to matter too much, the power brick seems to sell for more than I paid so I won't be out of pocket.

[wileeeeeey]

I have the exact same model but 23 inch. Works on a variety of laptops for me but with adapters.

Will take a pic or how it's plugged into my wife's laptop in a bit if you want?

[JasonM]

I have the exact same model but 23 inch. Works on a variety of laptops for me but with adapters.

Will take a pic or how it's plugged into my wife's laptop in a bit if you want?

Thanks, it might help, but as I say, it does work with my wifes Book Air, so I think its a IMac issue, possibly the signal resolution ? But not certain.

[wileeeeeey]

Pretty sure thunderbolt from that period is the same shape as mini display port. I would honestly try a mini display port to DVI adapter. I think that could be where it's getting confused.

[JasonM]

Pretty sure thunderbolt from that period is the same shape as mini display port. I would honestly try a mini display port to DVI adapter. I think that could be where it's getting confused.

As am I
I thought Thunderbolt was the just same as MDP?

[JasonM]

Pretty sure thunderbolt from that period is the same shape as mini display port. I would honestly try a mini display port to DVI adapter. I think that could be where it's getting confused.

And you are correct.

https://blog.tripplite.com/whats-the...ni-displayport

Ill try another adapter. Cheers.

[wileeeeeey]

And you are correct.

https://blog.tripplite.com/whats-the...ni-displayport

Ill try another adapter. Cheers.

Nice, hope it works out. Fantastic monitors, still really tempted to find an old 30 inch -- only reason I didn't back when I got the Mac Pro was you needed a really expensive upgraded graphics card to run it.

[learningtofly]

Pretty sure thunderbolt from that period is the same shape as mini display port. I would honestly try a mini display port to DVI adapter. I think that could be where it's getting confused.

They are, but they should nevertheless be recognisable from the symbols on them.

[JasonM]

This is getting silly, the Mac input is definitely Thunderbolt with the symbol, when looking for adapters, most are described as Mini DisplayPort (thunderbolt) to HDMI DVI VGA 3 In 1 or 3 in 1 Thunderbolt Mini DisplayPort to HDMI/DVI/VGA Adapter for Apple MacBook.

So its hard to find something that is definitively Thunderbolt.

[learningtofly]

This is getting silly, the Mac input is definitely Thunderbolt with the symbol, when looking for adapters, most are described as Mini DisplayPort (thunderbolt) to HDMI DVI VGA 3 In 1 or 3 in 1 Thunderbolt Mini DisplayPort to HDMI/DVI/VGA Adapter for Apple MacBook.

So its hard to find something that is definitively Thunderbolt.

[sundial]

Is the iMac's OS fully upgraded ... to its latest possible version?

[wileeeeeey]

Mac sure is plug n play!

[MrSmith]

i know when going from thunderbolt 2 to DVI on a mac you need a DP-alt mode adapter (datatale make one) the apple one doesn’t work.

[hogthrob]

Get a Windows PC.










Sorry

[JasonM]

Agreed

Is the iMac's OS fully upgraded ... to its latest possible version?

It is.

Mac sure is plug n play!

Usually

i know when going from thunderbolt 2 to DVI on a mac you need a DP-alt mode adapter (datatale make one) the apple one doesn’t work.

Ill look into that, thanks.

Get a Windows PC.










Sorry

No....

[r.dawson]

This is odd. I thought apple equipment just worked?!

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[JasonM]

Generally speaking, it really does, the problem here is trying to match up different generations of products, the display Im trying to use was designed for earlier Mac products, and they did that very well, the displays evolved with the other products as they went along so a display from my era of Macs would have had a Thunderbolt lead rather than DVI for example, the newer ones have USB C to match the newer Macs. I guess its built in obsolescence but there are workarounds, Ive just got to find the right one. Think of it like using a old style iPhone 21 pin charger vrs lightning lead, you can connect old tech to new but using the correct adapter.

[r.dawson]

I'm being facetious, but at the same time a Windows based product works very well most of the time.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[wileeeeeey]

Bit of karma for my plug and play comment. Can’t print from the work windows laptop because of a security policy but I can see the printer. Can’t even see the printer on my Mac let alone add it. Tried to add by IP, no success. Found on my iPhone and printer one page but now won’t find it again. Printed was bought in Dec and is an Epson so should just work. Argh!

Best of luck with the screen.

[learningtofly]

I've got an old 27" Cinema Display - the one with the three connectors from a single lead: Mini DisplayPort with audio support, universal MagSafe and USB 2.0.

I've literally given up trying to work out how to use it with the new M1 MBP I'm about to buy, so will bite the bullet and get a new monitor as well. It's very annoying, but it's been giving me a stress headache for weeks!

I think I may have found my answer!