Really need 2 DVI ports to run Apple 30" display?

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Hi list,



I was checking information on Apple's 30" monitor. Is it true that the monitor needs a video card with 2 DVI ports to run it? Wasn't entirely clear to me.



-Scott

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by scott_r

    Hi list,



    I was checking information on Apple's 30" monitor. Is it true that the monitor needs a video card with 2 DVI ports to run it? Wasn't entirely clear to me.



    -Scott




    yes it's true. each port fills up half the monitor.
  • Reply 2 of 6
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    yes it's true. each port fills up half the monitor.



    Uh, wrong...



    You need a card with a dual-link DVI port... The nVidia GeForce 6800 GT DDL has two dual-link DVI ports, which is what allows it to feed two 30" ACDs...



    The way you tell it, I should expect two DVI cables hanging from the 30" ACD, and pulling one or the other from the video card would result in half the picture blanking out...



  • Reply 3 of 6
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    So how does dual-link work with the 30" anyway? Does it actually send both a digital AND analog signal to the monitor, or use what would be the analog pins to send more digital information?
  • Reply 4 of 6
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacRonin

    Uh, wrong...



    You need a card with a dual-link DVI port... The nVidia GeForce 6800 GT DDL has two dual-link DVI ports, which is what allows it to feed two 30" ACDs...



    The way you tell it, I should expect two DVI cables hanging from the 30" ACD, and pulling one or the other from the video card would result in half the picture blanking out...







    I - think - it - was - a - joke
  • Reply 5 of 6
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by CosmoNut

    So how does dual-link work with the 30" anyway? Does it actually send both a digital AND analog signal to the monitor, or use what would be the analog pins to send more digital information?



    WHAT ARE SINGLE AND DUAL LINKS ?



    The Digital formats are available in DVI-D Single-Link and Dual-Link as well as DVI-I Single-Link and Dual-Link format connectors. These DVI cables send information using a digital information format called TMDS (transition minimized differential signaling).



    Single link cables use one TMDS 165Mhz transmitter, while dual links use two. The dual link DVI pins effectively double the power of transmission and provide an increase of speed and signal quality; i.e. a DVI single link 60-Hz LCD can display a resolution of 1920 x 1080, while a DVI dual link can display a resolution of 2048 x 1536.
  • Reply 6 of 6
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    That makes it a little clearer.
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