U2410 & Thunderbolt Issues

Dell only validates the standard Mini-DP to DP adapter on Windows PCs. We do not test the apple mini-DP to DVI adapter nor do we test Dell monitors with apple platforms. You should check the apple Discussions Forum for help from other apple users with our products.

Well that's ridiculous. You would test the literally thousands of different PC configurations but not the handful of models Apple puts out annually? Makes absolutely no sense. Especially considering the U2410 and other high-end IPS monitors are popular among the professional sectors, whom almost exclusively have used Apple platforms for decades.

is the HDMI input for the U2410 designed to accept only HDTV input signal?

* No, When I take a Dell Laptop which has a video card with HDMI out and plug a standard HDMI to HDMI cable into it and the U2410 HDMI in, it all works.

It is ridiculous. It worked with my last macbook pro, but it isn't recognizing the signal from my 2011 model.

Thanks. Since the signal outputted by the video card is the same as DVI, should I conclude that the HDMI port on my monitor is not functioning? The monitor gives the message 'no HDMI cable attached'. And it is.

Maybe, but I doubt it. Is there a Windows PC around to test the monitor DVI port?

no, unfortunately, I don't have any access to windows machines at all-

though I suppose I could install it on my mac.

Kinda defeats the purpose though...

so I changed the cable, and now the signal is getting through-

However, another problem-

I can only get an approximation of good color in yPbPr- and it's not good colour at  all-

However, RGB produces wildly mad colour.

Seems the HDMi port expects to receive tv signals...

Next step is to get a Mini DP to DP adapter, and see if that works...

Hello Chris M...

I'm having the exactly same problem with my U2410 and my new MacBook Pro thunderbolt.

Cold you please look for a answer for us to solve that out. I'm reading lots of the same issue on internet, it is not an isolated case.

I do work with my equipment every day and I can can wait forever for a answer from Dell. I know that you guy's don't care that much for your clients as long they are still buying, but we do need a way to fixed that out.

Please treat us nice and help us....

best regards

Igor Oliveira

Hello Chris M...

I'm having the exactly same problem with my U2410 and my new MacBook Pro thunderbolt.

Cold you please look for a answer for us to solve that out. I'm reading lots of the same issue on internet, it is not an isolated case.

I do work with my equipment every day and I can can wait forever for a answer from Dell. I know that you guy's don't care that much for your clients as long they are still buying, but we do need a way to fixed that out.

Please treat us nice and help us....

best regards

Igor Oliveira

Thunderbolt (LightPeak) is a new proprietary interface developed by Intel with Apple being the first to market (circa 2011). It combines PCIe and DisplayPort into a serial interface using a miniDP output connector and looks to become a standard.

Also, miniDP (circa 2008) was developed by Apple for their product but was quickly adopted into the DP standard and used in graphics cards which predates the Thunderbolt era.

Many manufacturers made miniDP-DVI, miniDP-DVI (dual link), miniDP-DP, miniDP-HDMI and miniDP-VGA adapters for use with the old miniDP ports on graphics cards (pre thunderbolt era). And Apple also make their own miniDP adapters for use with graphics cards (pre thunderbolt era) and for use with Thunderbolt era macs and Apple will probably make variants for post TB miniDP adapters. It may be called the same adapter but really it's Apple and Oranges and the consumer is the fruit left in between.

In this instance there seems to be poor standards adherence/understanding and despite claims of backward compatibility, many many issues seem to exist (even for apple to apple products). And Apple are notorious for doing their own thing by making small but incompatible changes to an industry standard (the HDD being Apples recent migration from the norm, Apple bios graphics cards are another and the list probably goes on).

So we have a new interface by Intel, we have Apple as the first to market and we have confusion as to what version of a miniDP adapter will work with what version of equipment (pre/post TB). And we have Apple's behavior of the odd non compliance with some standards as a backdrop.

By now i hope you can see the problem. Can Dell help? Maybe, but it seems a bigger issue than Dell itself and would Dell want to fix a problem that Apple/Intel/Industry may have poorly engineered - I would say not. It's best for consumers to recognize the situation and avoid this mess (until optic fiber thunderbolt is standardized and shown to work).

Though this interface had promise, it should have had a completely different connector for a start and should not have used a lightning bolt as its identifying symbol (as this is normally the symbol for power feeds or danger and should have remain so - queue the nutter that tries to push a power feed into their thunderbolt port frying their machine). It's a shamozzle and i will stick with full size DP connectors for the foreseeable future.

I don't mean to be rude but if your concerned that the Dell monitor has issues, use a HDMI, DP or DVI(dual link) cable and test it on a PC without any adapters. If it works on the PC and doesn't on your Mac, then consider returning the Dell monitor (as not fit for use) and buy an Apple monitor (thus avoiding the miniDP adapter shamozzle).

Apple's Thunderbolt Display doesn't play nice with Mini DisplayPort states:

Adding a miniDP display at the end of the chain works with other Thunderbolt peripherals that have downstream ports, so it's not a technical limitation of spec. Why Apple added this limitation we cannot say, but it could be construed as a move designed to sell more $999 Thunderbolt displays.

UPDATE: The truth may even be stranger still. Apple's KB article unequivocally states that "Mini DisplayPort displays will not light up if connected to the Thunderbolt port on an Apple Thunderbolt Display." However, Macworld Labs honcho James Galbraith was able to get a 27" Cinema Display to work by connecting it to a downstream port on a Promise Pegasus RAID. In other words, when the chain was configured as MacBook Air > Thunderbolt Display > Pegasus RAID > 27" Cinema Display, all four worked as expected.

Though this at least demonstrates that it is possible to drive a miniDP display connected to a Thunderbolt Display, it still looks like a needlessly confusing limitation to require another Thunderbolt device in the chain. Furthermore, why it doesn't work when directly connected is yet another mystery.

And from the horses mouth Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch): Connection options for Thunderbolt Macs states:

Mini DisplayPort displays will not light up if connected to the Thunderbolt port of an Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch). Displays connected via Mini DisplayPort video adapter to the Thunderbolt port of an Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch) will not work. Connect Mini DisplayPort displays directly to a Thunderbolt port on a Thunderbolt-capable Mac or to a compatible Thunderbolt peripheral. If the Mini DisplayPort display is connected to a Thunderbolt peripheral, the display should be connected at the end of the Thunderbolt chain.

So if Apple says you can't do something with their equipment, how can you expect Dell to solve it for you :emotion-42:

@Skylarking: But that's for daisy-chaining monitors. This post is in regards to simply interfacing the U2410 directly to the Macbook Pro.

For what it's worth, I logged this bug with Apple about 2 months ago. I encourage everyone having the problem to do the same thing:

https://bugreport.apple.com/

Hopefully we can get them to sort it out since it's obvious Dell is unwilling to chime in.

@FlimFlam808, I know what this post (and the links that i provided) are about but you don't seem to acknowledge any issue regarding the debacle created by Apple that is miniDP/Thunderbolt.

Wanting Dell to fix Apples issues is unreasonable, especially when Apple themselves state that miniDP monitors can't be connected to thunderbolt ports on the Apple mac laptop (an Apple design choice it seems). It's this Apple statement that should be an indication to you to expect problems when connecting a Thunderbolt port on your laptop to a (non Apple) DP monitor using a miniDP-DP adapter (regardless who makes the adapter).

The problem seems to be Apples' design choice to limit such interconnect, the fact that no certified Thunderbolt->DP adapters exists doesn't help but is not so relevant. This seems to be the point you fail to, or don't want to understand.

The issue would likely not have existed if Intel/Apple chose a different and physically incompatible port to carry thunderbolt rather than reuse miniDP. Then you wouldn't expect it to work without an appropriate Thunderbolt-DP adapter (though this wouldn't resolve Apples desire to up-sell you another monitor).

Dell sells it's monitors with HDMI, Dual link DVI and/or DP connectors on them, and they do work with these connectors (though some issues do exist). If you buy an adapter which doesn't work, it's best to take it up with the seller of the adapter. If no adapter will work for you with this monitor, return the monitor and get a refund is my best advice.

Alternatively return the Mac to Apple with a clear explanation that this is happening because of their artificially restricting design choices that require a new Apple Thunderbolt monitor. If enough people do that Apple may change it's ways though i doubt it.

If you have some technical info that points to the Dell monitor not conforming to DP spec, then by all means lets all hammer Dell over this and get it fixed but otherwise it's an Apple issue by design (as it's their desire to push you towards a new Apple thunderbolt display it seems).