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Resolved nMP with 3-6 4K TVs, how??

ZMacintosh

ZMacintosh

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 13, 2008
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We have a 2013 Mac Pro with 6 4K Samsung HDTVs and are trying to connect the 3 4K screens to them
heres how they are laid out

Mac Pro
TV-1 -> HDMI to HDMI Thunderbolt Bus 0
TV-2 -> HDMI to Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter Thunderbolt Bus 1
TV-3 -> HDMI to Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter Thunderbolt Bus 2

Only 2 show up at a time but according to Apple's article there are two pieces of unknown information im trying to sort out (Use multiple displays with your Mac Pro (Late 2013) - Apple Support)
  • Three 4K displays: two connected via Mini DisplayPort and one connected via HDMI.
and
  • Two HDMI (HD or 4K) devices: one connected via HDMI and one connected via Mini DisplayPort with an HDMI adapter.

Does the first one mean that 2 of the 4K screens have to be NATIVE DISPLAY PORT? or are they going through HDMI to DISPLAYPORT?
IF thats the case, it could explain why our set up is not working.



2nd Part

Now if these screens were replaced with 1080p HDMI to Mini DisplayPort would that also work instead (hooking 3 - 6 up?)


Thank you
 
This would obviously be much easier on a 2006-12 cMP.

Also, the way you are labeling the adapters is very confusing. The easy (and more correct) way is to think of the signal as it leaves the computer, then what sort of cable it runs through and then what sort of port it goes into the display as. I imagine that you are connecting to a MDP port and using a MDP to HDMI adapter then running that to HDMI in on the display. If your displays have DP or MDP in, by all means go with that.

You may need to use an "Active" adapter, if such a thing exists for HDMI output. But I am fairly sure that Apple is meaning that native DP is needed. HDMI is considered a "legacy" standard. There have been some DP to HDMI 2.0 adapters but I am not sure which version of DP you need to start with.

It would also be possible to use a GPU in a TB box. Obviously more expensive, but many GPUs these days can run 3 4K displays all by their little selves.
 
Are you even getting 4K resolution with your HDMI adapters? Passive ones should be limited to 1080p@60.
I have an active one which claims to be 4K capable, but I never tested this thing lacking any 4K hardware.

Pretty much all AMD GPUs only support 2 legacy displays (DVI/HDMI/VGA) at a time, if you want more you'll have to use active DP adapters or native DP displays.
I think getting true 4K@60 will be difficult for you since HDMI 2.0 doesn't really exist in OSX, but maybe some active adapters will work.

Btw, I can't really understand why Apple hooked all 6 TB ports up to the same GPU. Using the 2nd GPU would easily enable 2 more legacy displays...
 
thanks for the input. it was more for a consulting solution for a client. so nothing for me at all. not sure on budget but it seems they dont mind creative ideas.

To clarify on the adapters
TV is 4K and runs HDMI out to a HDMI to Mini DP adapter
Which seems to be Active as its getting full 4K resolution

I can get 2 of the 3 the Displays to work at native resolution, tried a mixture of refresh rate and resolution changes and think you're all right that its gotta be native and HDMI is just not equipped for Mac.

They dont even need to have 4K these were just the sets that they got. so im wondering if just swapped them out with 1080p screens we might just be golden here and put them all on one machine?
 
Are you coming out of the Mac Pro with two ThunderBolt/MiniDP to HDMI adapters or you trying to convert HDMI to Mini DisplayPort?
 
rw3 said:
Are you coming out of the Mac Pro with two ThunderBolt/MiniDP to HDMI adapters or you trying to convert HDMI to Mini DisplayPort?
Click to expand...

are there "thunderbolt" specific adapters that produce video? i thought it was all through MiniDP.

so the TV has the HDMI cable and it connects to the Mac Pro via HDMI to MiniDP adapter (the two can produce 4K resolution, not necessary).

I can do a combo of 1 HDMI and 1 HDMI to MiniDP or 2 miniDP but the third one goes blank and no picture.

they appear to be active adapter by their full 4K resolution. and strictly HDMI produces 4K resolution.
 
@ZMacintosh

That is what I was guessing too, I used to work in the field of AV design and engineering, used to get a lot of these questions. Thunderbolt is just a marketing term used by Apple.

Anyway, what you need is a distribution amplifier, a display port to HDMI adapter and some 4K cables. There is a ton of brands to choose from. Below is an example.

For DA, you can get something like this.
DP to HDMI, you can get this.
And get some decent HDMI cables.

Then you can power up to 8 4K screens working @60Hz. All you need is one Thunderbolt port from nMP. The parts mentioned above may be for corporate or professional use but you get the idea, you can choose from other brands that are more affordable.
 
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thanks for the information.

Its not even the 4K resolution we need, im just assuming here, but when the TV/Display sends the signal, it sends its fully capable resolution and the software takes over in adjusting that for visual purposes (and graphics card/hardware purposes)

They are all on the individual buses as outlined in the Apple article.

Im wondering if those HDMI to MiniDP cables would be a better solution vs Adapters where the adapters id imagine are drawing power for the conversion?


would there be any limitations going 1080p screens instead?
 
Actually, the nMP will be doing the heavy lifting here, so nMP will output video signal and you can adjust the resolution further using system preference (display). Yes, you can use mDP to HDMI and have video on all the TVs, at 1080P 60 Hz. All you would need is some mDP to HDMI cables.
 
so the 1080p HDMI to HDMI-MiniDP adapters could handle all 6 of them no problem?

Thanks for the time and help
 
ZMacintosh said:
so the 1080p HDMI to HDMI-MiniDP adapters could handle all 6 of them no problem?

Thanks for the time and help
Click to expand...

You are still using the naming backwards.

If a signal comes out of a MiniDP port and goes into an HDMI port you are in need of MiniDP to HDMI. Despite many people here using correct naming you insist on naming them backwards, which isn't going to get you the parts you need.

I don't believe that there are 6 legacy streams in nMP so you will need several Active adapters or displays with DisplayPort or MDP input.
 
well im describing it in the way theyre being plugged from the video path to the computer
so TV (HDMI to -> mDP -> to MacPro)

essentially will 6 1080 HDTVs work on a single tower? using HDMI from the HDTV into mDP into the MacPro? we have the active adapters.
 
ZMacintosh said:
well im describing it in the way theyre being plugged from the video path to the computer so TV (HDMI to -> mDP -> to MacPro)
Click to expand...

You need Displayport to HDMI Active Adapters, as Florian said and Kennyman linked to. I am using the correct convention, not your backwards convention.

The AMD video card in your Mac Pro supports a maximum of two passive adapters, and since you can only get two working at a time, I'm guessing that you must have passive adapters.

So if you want 6 1080p video streams out to HDMI monitors, you can use 2 of your existing passive adapters, and then you'll need to acquire 4 active adapters for the remaining monitors. For example these:
http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=9426&seq=1&format=2

Just to be clear, these adapters do not support 4k. You said you only needed 1080p.
 
Thanks for the information. basically we were able to use the monoprice adapters and got all four 6 4K UHD tv sets to work simultaneously at native resolution and independent of each other.

so i appreciate the feedback and discussion, it is still frustrating with Apple's wording of compatibility.
 
Parigot said:
Take a look at this video til the end. That might help you with your case:
Click to expand...
Yeah seen it before, but we didnt even need to get that elaborate. the Monoprice adapters allows us to have 6 screens hooked up not a problem. no fancy add ons, all native resolution and can play videos - granted the card will be taxed but its not even for that much of an extreme.

so again the adapters did the trick no external card for 6 4K (UHD) displays.
 
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