How do I connect a 2010 13" MBP to external monitor?

No DVI or VGA ?

Do I need an adapter? If so, what is it called?

Thanks!

 

MiniDisplayPort to DisplayPort or HDMI or DVI.

 

it uses Mini-DP ... which is a mini version of DisplayPort.

Since most monitors don't have DP, you can get adapters all over the place... to go to VGA or DVI or HDMI...

so basically you need to look for Mini Displayport or Mini DP to VGA, or DVI, or HDMI

 

Ah, I see. So mini DVI -> VGA.

Any suggestions on whether I can cheap out and get a generic one like this: For only $5.06 each when QTY 50+ purchased - Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter | Mini-DVI to VGA, DVI, HDMI or whether I should buy the actual Apple-made one?

 

no.. you need Mini-DP ... not Mini-DVI

 

You need this; Amazon.com: Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter MB570Z/A: Electronics or something like this

 

Ah, got it... sorry I'm clueless about cable types

but after some research it seems like VGA is the most common on LCDs, followed by DVI and then HDMI.

I'm planning on buying a new LCD and it seems like most new LCDs offer all 3 connection possibilities. Is it a clear choice for me to buy the Mini-DP -> HDMI cable then? It seems like that adapter is the cheapest of the 3 and I also get to enjoy the benefits of high def?

 

Not too many computer monitors have HDMI. Stick with DVI.

 

What is the benefit of DVI over VGA? Looks like more monitors have the VGA option

 

DVI is digital and is higher quality signal.

 

VGA is very old.. and analog. You can get much better pictures out of DVI or HDMI

 

VGA is crap analog signal
DVI is great digital signal

HDMI is the best, digital video and sound, the perfect setup for video editing. Get a Dell screen with HDMI, plug in some 2.1 speakers into it and every time you plug in the HDMI into your system, you access both automatically, no extra wires needed

 

Get the HDMI with a HDMI monitor - remember HDMI is the only one out of the 3 that also caries sound!

Ensure you buy an adaptor that is compatible though, and can carry the audio.

 

get the HDMI as it more universal on LCD TVs ,maybe one day apple will support sound over HDMI , also u can use the cable on other devices like HD DVD players and PS3 and so on , cheers
Note: if u r planning to use a projector in any thing i think they require VGA port , please double check this info

 

Yet, notebook manufactures still put it on there notebooks in 2010. They really need to kill off VGA. But companies (not Apple) are to afraid that customers might get upset.

@beige They already do support sound.

 

Yeah stick with DVI, its better than VGA and any respectable monitor supports it.

 

Vga - greater compatibility, same quality at low or medium resolution. Can't tell the difference between dvi and vga at 1366x768
DVI/HDMI - less compatibility, digital (it either works or it doesn't), hdmi can carry audio at the same time.

 

Actually, DVI/HDMI is more Compatible, DVI/HDMI can go VGA or HDMI/DVI, VGA can go, well no where. VGA is old and outdated and I don't get why OEM's still support it.

 

...........

 

Guys while you're correct that DVI is better than VGA for most consumer applications, it is not because DVI is digital and VGA is analog. It is because most of us use LCD displays ... If we used CRT displays the consensus would be different.

CRT displays are better, it's unfortunate that their construction requires such bulk though.

 

DVI as said provides digital signal, which is less susceptible to signal noises as compared to VGA which uses Analogue.

Usually you will notice the benefit of digital signal when you have monitors larger than 17 inch. If you use a 22 inch or above, it is highly recommended that you stick with digital (i.e. DP or DVI).

 

So much misinformation on this topic.

The reason to use DVI is because, the pixels on LCD panels (What most of us are currently using) can only display discrete luminance levels ... This means, there is a predefined set of luminances that any given pixel on an LCD panel can display. In other words, it's not a continuous spectrum.

Now DVI as correctly mentioned provides digital signals ... That is to say it can accurately depict the predefined allowable luminance levels on the LCD.

With VGA however, it isn't the case. VGA is interpolated from digital to analog, as a result, it contains a continuous spectrum of luminance levels some of which cannot be displayed by even the most expensive of LCD monitors/televisions currently available.

 

Perhaps because people use thing that are "outdated". I still use VGA, and I'd prefer not to use an adapter. I find it preferable to have unused ports rather than not having one that's needed infrequently.

 

Actually, if you follow the history of the monitor development, you would know that the VGA connection is a legacy connection for the CRT era, which uses clock and phase for displaying the image. LCD monitor with the VGA input, was introduced in an era, where most video card still had vga out and not dvi out.

LCD monitor that had the vga input, also required a digital phase and clock control, which converts the analogue vga signal back into the digital signal that is used for the LCD monitor operation, which you have explained.

Basically, when you use the vga signal on the LCD monitor, it goes through digital to analogue conversion on the Video card (RAMDAC), which is then transmitted as analogue signal and then reconverted back to digital signal by the controller on the LCD monitor.

These sort of digital to analogue, and analogue to digital conversions, causes signal losses and generates noise, especially when the VGA cable is poorly shielded and the digitial/analgoue converter circuitry on video card and/or LCD are of poor quality. The interference/noise in the analogue signal may cause phase shift in the HS signal, which is a shift in the pixel clock causing mis-sampling by the LCD controller, thus causing the noisy low quality image on some LCD monitor with VGA input.

These problems are not encountered by the digital pathway (i.e. DVI), as the digital signal between the video card and the LCD monitor is not converted and reconverted back and forth. So minimal signal noises are introduced.

Although strictly speaking, DVI can be found in either DVI-A and DVI-I flavour.

 

Hi all, I'm awaiting arrival of my first Macbook, 15" I5 direct from apple.ca.
I too would like to use it with my TV. Will never need to use it with a computer monitor.
So is this the best type of thing for me to get:
New Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter for Apple Macbook - eBay (item 170432382397 end time Jul-13-10 10:23:42 PDT)

If yes, when I connect it to my TV, is there any setting you have to toggle on the Macbook, or will the picture just appear on the TV (assuming I have the proper input selected on the TV)?
And will it include sound? One of the posts earlier in this thread said something about macs not supporting sound on HDMI??

Thanks!

 

if it doesn't specifically say that it will handle audio from 2010 Macbook Pros ... its best to bet that it doesn't... since most do not.

 

Moshi Mini DP to HDMI Adapter with Audio Support - Apple Store (U.S.)

This one supports audio

 

it says that on the website... I thought the current iMacs were late 2009s... are they 2010 models that just weren't upgraded much? Looks like the Macbook 2010 isn't supported... another difference in the 13" MBP.

 

Is it possible to scale the image when connected to a HDTV via the proper HDMI mini display port? On my windows laptop I always have to scale to fit properly.

Thanks!

 

I recently picked this one up and it works marvelously with my MBP 13" (2010). I give two thumbs up for it.