Apple Cinema Display 30" driving me crazy on Mac mini M1

[EugW]

Maybe I've lost track and you already mentioned this, but does the issue go away with built-in display or DisplayPort display?

My M1 is a Mac mini so no built-in screen. (Streaming services work fine on Intel Mac with CAC-1510 HDCP-on).

Yes the streaming services work with DisplayPort on the M1 Mac mini. However, I’ve tried four DisplayPort adapters so far but they have far bigger problems.

1. No name USB-C to mini-DP dongle. Simply doesn’t work. Either black screen or else short glimpses of the desktop.

2. Cable Matters multifunction hub with 4K DisplayPort. Wake from sleep often didn’t work.

3. Cable Matters 8K DisplayPort dongle. Seemed to work initially but then wake from sleep stopped working within a day. Ran very warm.

4. Plugable 4K DisplayPort dongle. Wake from sleep never worked.

The other less critical issue with these DisplayPort adapters is that MonitorControl.app only allows up to about half brightness using the keyboard brightness control. However, one can just use the side buttons to increase brightness.

I’ll be receiving the Club 3D CAC-1567 soon. Fingers crossed.

 

[EugW]

I’ll be receiving the Club 3D CAC-1567 soon. Fingers crossed.

@joevt, does your CAD-1567 work with your 30" ACD?

Cuz it doesn't work for me at all. I get a blank screen, both with my M1 Mac mini and my 12" MacBook. The MacBook and the Mac mini both see a VIA USB-C dongle, but it doesn't do anything. Nothing is displayed on the 30" ACD, and the Displays setting doesn't sense the display.

The dongle DOES work if I connect my MacBook to my 2010 iMac in Target Display Mode. Sleep in this context also works.

Anyhow, I posted my results in one of the Mac mini threads to consolidate it there.

P.S. I tested my no-name mini-DisplayPort dongle with my MacBook and the 30" ACD and it worked. However, just off kicks I inserted more dongles in between just to see what would happen with the degraded video signal, and I started seeing the flashing lines on dark backgrounds you described. This is the dongle-centipede that caused the flashing lines:

12" MacBook --> USB-C to mDP (female) dongle --> mDP (male) to DP (female) adapter --> DP (male) to mDP (female) dongle --> Apple mDP to DL-DVI adapter.

 

[joevt]

@joevt, does your CAD-1567 work with your 30" ACD?

I have Intel Mac mini 2018.

The only DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI adapter I have is from StartTech. When it works, for macOS it is not stable - it goes black repeatedly for a second or so every few seconds.

The StarTech didn't work with CAC-1567 or Cable Matters 201086 from Mac mini 2018 Thunderbolt ports (no display detected) but did work from eGPU W5700 USB-C port (with the blinking I mentioned above). The blinking did not go away when using the DisplayPort ports of the W5700 (with its included Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort adapters). I guess the StarTech adapter is just not good for macOS. It may be better for Windows.

CAC-1510-A works fine.

I get a blank screen, both with my M1 Mac mini and my 12" MacBook.

Blank screen or no display detected? You said no display detected. If it were just blank screen then it might be fixable - Apple 30" Cinema HD displays only have a couple supported timings and you would just need to make sure one of those modes was selected.

The dongle DOES work if I connect my MacBook to my 2010 iMac in Target Display Mode. Sleep in this context also works.

Yeah, I think the dongle's are good for DisplayPort connections but not these DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI connections. I think other DisplayPort adapters such as VGA or single Link DVI or HDMI (not DisplayPort Dual Mode adapters which can't work from USB-C) should be ok as well.

However, just off kicks I inserted more dongles in between just to see what would happen with the degraded video signal, and I started seeing the flashing lines on dark backgrounds you described

Sounds like you got some data errors.

The flashing lines I got were more like static which didn't seem like bad data. It was more like analog noise, which is strange since both DVI and DisplayPort are digital. Did your result look like the video at
https://insights.club-3d.com/thread...a-and-apple-cinema-display-30-on-mac-mini-m1/
or my picture from Windows 10 near the bottom of that thread?
?

I thought the Apple Dual Link DVI adapter wouldn't have this problem since it uses a different chip, not a Synaptics VMM2320, but you can check that using an Intel Mac and AllRez.

 

[EugW]

I have Intel Mac mini 2018.

Yeah, I might have expected better results with the 30" ACD with a 2018 Mac mini model, given that the dongles generally work better from my 2017 iMac and 2017 MacBook than from my M1 Mac mini.

It almost makes me wonder if I should have just gotten another Intel Mac mini, but not really, since I got a sweet deal on a used 2020 M1.

Blank screen or no display detected? You said no display detected. If it were just blank screen then it might be fixable - Apple 30" Cinema HD displays only have a couple supported timings and you would just need to make sure one of those modes was selected.

With the CAC-1567, the ACD (via the Apple mini-DP to DL-DVI adapter) was not detected at all (and the screen was black).

The flashing lines I got were more like static which didn't seem like bad data. It was more like analog noise, which is strange since both DVI and DisplayPort are digital. Did your result look like the video at
https://insights.club-3d.com/thread...a-and-apple-cinema-display-30-on-mac-mini-m1/
or my picture from Windows 10 near the bottom of that thread?
?

I thought the Apple Dual Link DVI adapter wouldn't have this problem since it uses a different chip, not a Synaptics VMM2320, but you can check that using an Intel Mac and AllRez.

I did check out the video, and I saw none of that with either the CAC-1510 HDCP-on or the CableCreation HDCP-off adapter. Dark images are absolutely pristine.

However, I don't have a 2018 Mac mini. This is using the M1 Mac mini, but I also checked it briefly with my 2017 MacBook and didn't see the noise with that either.

---

BTW, this 30" ACD has mild areas of burn-in now. Most of the time I don't see it, but with certain backgrounds I will see it. Given the gotchas I'm encountering with M1 trying to use this monitor, for my next monitor I don't think I will get another 30" ACD. I note that other 2560x1600 30" monitors do exist, and even support USB-C. For example there is the Dell UltraSharp 30" U3023E. I don't know good or bad this monitor is though.

I wonder what Apple has in store for us in the spring, in terms of new displays...

 

[joevt]

The flashing lines I got were more like static which didn't seem like bad data. It was more like analog noise, which is strange since both DVI and DisplayPort are digital. Did your result look like the video at
https://insights.club-3d.com/thread...a-and-apple-cinema-display-30-on-mac-mini-m1/
or my picture from Windows 10 near the bottom of that thread?
?

I thought the Apple Dual Link DVI adapter wouldn't have this problem since it uses a different chip, not a Synaptics VMM2320, but you can check that using an Intel Mac and AllRez.

@erikkfi and others describe a few instances of the noise (visual) problem with these USB-C to Dual Link DVI adapters (and even Apple's adapter) in the thread that @EugW linked.
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...0-anyone-got-it-working.2276122/post-30234839
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...0-anyone-got-it-working.2276122/post-30256161
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...0-anyone-got-it-working.2276122/post-30427846

 

[hornedrum]

So I got hold of this Club 3D CAC-1510-A, and fired it directly into my MBP M1 13". https://www.scan.co.uk/products/clu...dual-link-dvi-d-supports-up-to-2560-x-1600p-6

It works flawlessly when connected to the ACD 30" model number 9221 (HDCP supported, week 25 of year 2007), but my other 30"ACD, model number 9232 (HDCP not supported, week 23 of year 2006) it flickers similarly to @joevt
I tested with a black background.
So it looks as though this Club adapter only works on the newer ACDs. I wonder if there is any way to make it work on the older displays. If anyone knows, please chime in!

Hope that narrows it down a bit now.
I am still waiting for my mDP to USB-C adapter to see if this works attached to the Apple DVI dual link adapter, will keep you posted.

 

[EugW]

So I got hold of this Club 3D CAC-1510-A, and fired it directly into my MBP M1 13". https://www.scan.co.uk/products/clu...dual-link-dvi-d-supports-up-to-2560-x-1600p-6

It works flawlessly when connected to the ACD 30" model number 9221 (HDCP supported, week 25 of year 2007), but my other 30"ACD, model number 9232 (HDCP not supported, week 23 of year 2006) it flickers similarly to @joevt
I tested with a black background.
So it looks as though this Club adapter only works on the newer ACDs. I wonder if there is any way to make it work on the older displays. If anyone knows, please chime in!

Hope that narrows it down a bit now.
I am still waiting for my mDP to USB-C adapter to see if this works attached to the Apple DVI dual link adapter, will keep you posted.

Interesting. If @joevt has the older model, then that would explain our different results.

I have the newer 9221 30" ACD, and get no flicker on black, neither with the CAC-1510 (HDCP-on) nor the CableCreation (HDCP-off).

 

[hornedrum]

Interesting. If @joevt has the older model, then that would explain our different results.

I have the newer 9221 30" ACD, and get no flicker on black, neither with the CAC-1510 (HDCP-on) nor the CableCreation (HDCP-off).

Cue the stampede for the newer version of the 30" ACD!
I might replace my older one with a newer one, that would seem sensible.

 

[EugW]

Cue the stampede for the newer version of the 30" ACD!
I might replace my older one with a newer one, that would seem sensible.

Although my 30" ACD works fine, I have some image burn-in now, and Disney+/Prime streaming doesn't work properly.

I just ordered an Asus ProArt PA328CGV 32" 1440p monitor.

ProArt Display PA328CGV｜Monitors｜ASUS Global

The goal of the ASUS ProArt display series is to offer the most advanced technologies to power the imaginations of creators everywhere. With features such as mini-LED backlights, OLED displays, and ASUS Smart HDR technology, ProArt monitors are the solution for creating masterpieces.

www.asus.com

 

[joevt]

Interesting. If @joevt has the older model, then that would explain our different results.

I have the newer 9221 30" ACD, and get no flicker on black, neither with the CAC-1510 (HDCP-on) nor the CableCreation (HDCP-off).

I have the older 9232 - no HDCP.

 

[erikkfi]

How’s everyone getting this model number? I see A1083 on the bottom of the chin on my 30”. Am I looking in the wrong place?

 

[EugW]

How’s everyone getting this model number? I see A1083 on the bottom of the chin on my 30”. Am I looking in the wrong place

Plug in the monitor's USB cable and look in System Report's USB section. Mine is 9221.

 

[erikkfi]

Thanks, mine is 9232, which points to the older ones being less compatible with USB-C.

I also have the light burn-in issue that you (EugW) referenced - leave something up on the screen too long and the lighter parts stay light for a while. So it goes.

I'm likely to also move on to another monitor because I want Steam Deck compatibility. This is a topic for another thread but if anyone has gotten a cinema display to adapt successfully to a Steam Deck I would love to hear about it. There is nothing on the internet about this but you can buy EDID emulators for the native 30" ACD resolution (example here). I just don't have the energy right now for all the trial-and-error.

 

[EugW]

Although my 30" ACD works fine, I have some image burn-in now, and Disney+/Prime streaming doesn't work properly.

I just ordered an Asus ProArt PA328CGV 32" 1440p monitor.

ProArt Display PA328CGV｜Monitors｜ASUS Global

The goal of the ASUS ProArt display series is to offer the most advanced technologies to power the imaginations of creators everywhere. With features such as mini-LED backlights, OLED displays, and ASUS Smart HDR technology, ProArt monitors are the solution for creating masterpieces.

www.asus.com

Got the monitor set up today.

Single USB-C connection with zero sleep issues. Yay! I have the monitor set up through my Thunderbolt hub too, no problems.

HDCP works perfectly too, Disney+ and Amazon Prime video work, with support for 4K sources.

 

[valtheuw]

Thanks for all the good advise!

however...........

I bought 2 30" Cinema Displays for cheap, which I'd both like to connect to a silicon MBP in the future.
Right now I have a MBP M1 13" from 2020 and I also bought the club3d usb-c to dvi adapter, which works fine,
but I am planning to upgrade anyway soon.

Is there any combination where this would be possible?


Thanks!

 

[sydney888]

I know this thread is old.
Apple Cinema Display 30" Product ID 0x9221
Tried these combinations and did not work:-
1) Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter with ARKTEK USB-C to Mini DP adapter -> nothing on screen
2) Club 3D CAC-1510-A USB-C to Dual link DVI-D adapter HDCP off -> Yes get 2560x1600 resolution but monitor would turn off even during usage...intermittently.

Finally, got something that worked:-
Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter with UPTab USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter 4K@60Hz -> 2560x1600 resolution.

uptab USB C to Mini DisplayPort Adapter 4K@60Hz (Graphite)

uptab USB C to Mini DisplayPort Adapter 4K@60Hz (Graphite)

www.amazon.com.au

I was worried about this adaptor on Amazon as it says not working with DVI adapters.

Some other users have reported buying directly from UPTab.
https://au.uptab.com/usb-c-to-mini-displayport-adapter-4k-60hz-graphite/ SKU:UP-USBC1009GR
I check the product code on UPTab and it is the same on Amazon, so I bought directly from Amazon.
Item Model number: ‎UP-USBC1009GR

Attached are pictures of the connections.
3rd picture - From Apple monitor cable: DVI & USB-A -> Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter
1st picture - a) Mini DisplayPort cable from Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter -> UPTab -> USB-C to Mac
b) USB-A from Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter -> USB-A port on Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter -> USB-C to Mac (you can use other USB-A to USB-C adapter)
Other pictures: UPTab packaging

Hope this helps anyone.

 

[joevt]

I was worried about this adaptor on Amazon as it says not working with DVI adapters.

They are referring to DisplayPort to DVI adapters that are passive DisplayPort Dual Mode (DP++) adapters. DP++ is a feature of the DisplayPort connector that can make it supply a HDMI or DVI signal instead of a DisplayPort signal.

DP++ is not part of the USB-C standard. The DP++ signal can't come from the USB-C port, so the adapter would have to include a HDMI/DVI chip and a DP++ chip in order to work with DVI/HDMI adapters that require DP++. Some USB-C/Thunderbolt docks do have DisplayPort ports that support DP++.

The DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI adapters are not passive. You can't make a DP++ Dual Link DVI adapter anyway because DP++ only allows Single Link.

USB-C allows for USB-C Alt-Modes. Thunderbolt is a USB-C Alt Mode. A USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter uses USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode. There is a USB-C HDMI Alt Mode but I don't think anything uses or supports that.

 

[flynreelow]

I know this thread is old.
Apple Cinema Display 30" Product ID 0x9221
Tried these combinations and did not work:-
1) Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter with ARKTEK USB-C to Mini DP adapter -> nothing on screen
2) Club 3D CAC-1510-A USB-C to Dual link DVI-D adapter HDCP off -> Yes get 2560x1600 resolution but monitor would turn off even during usage...intermittently.

Finally, got something that worked:-
Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter with UPTab USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter 4K@60Hz -> 2560x1600 resolution.

uptab USB C to Mini DisplayPort Adapter 4K@60Hz (Graphite)

uptab USB C to Mini DisplayPort Adapter 4K@60Hz (Graphite)

www.amazon.com.au

I was worried about this adaptor on Amazon as it says not working with DVI adapters.

Some other users have reported buying directly from UPTab.
https://au.uptab.com/usb-c-to-mini-displayport-adapter-4k-60hz-graphite/ SKU:UP-USBC1009GR
I check the product code on UPTab and it is the same on Amazon, so I bought directly from Amazon.
Item Model number: ‎UP-USBC1009GR

Attached are pictures of the connections.
3rd picture - From Apple monitor cable: DVI & USB-A -> Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter
1st picture - a) Mini DisplayPort cable from Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter -> UPTab -> USB-C to Mac
b) USB-A from Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter -> USB-A port on Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter -> USB-C to Mac (you can use other USB-A to USB-C adapter)
Other pictures: UPTab packaging

Hope this helps anyone.

is this still working for you.

i have been using the other popular adapter that has been working on and off since day 1. club or club buddy (hdcp off since i have apple 30 display from day 1 hooked to my mac mini m1.

Worked fine for a while, but everyonce in a while the screen goes black. and i need to unplug the usbc power suppy, and plug it back in. sometimes that works for 2 days, sometimes a few hours.

its strange.

how is this adapter?
I already own the legit apple dual link dvi adapter that i had been using with my old mac mini.

am i going to be happy with this upTab.

even though in the specs i think it says it doesnt work with the apple 30?

let me knoe.. thanks

 

[toke lahti]

Apple's own dDVI-adapter eats dp-signal and outputs dDVI.
All TB ports output dp-signal.
Logically, you'd need a DP (not TB) cable or adapter or combination. One end female miniDP and the other end usb-c (or whatever you have as DP output on your mac).

HDCP things usually mean the signal is taken from the source as HDMI, which is always problematic for Apple devices.
At least in history, Apple refused to pay some royalty payment and therefore hdcp could not be switched off from computer. And of course they were trying to tell customers how much better DP is.
I'd guess that "hdcp off" setting just does not work with Apple devices.

EDIT: you do NOT have Apple's original dDVI-miniDP-adapter?
Only one useless hdmi-adapter?

EDIT2: joevt wrote about everything there is about this.
What did you not understand?

 

[EugW]

Somebody in another thread says Sonoma 14.2 brings back native monitor brightness control for the LED Cinema Display. I wonder if that is true for these older models too.