male hdmi to to female mini displayport (thunderbolt 2) adapter for apple cinema display 27

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Level 1

9 points

male hdmi to to female mini displayport (thunderbolt 2) adapter for apple cinema display 27

Can we get an official understanding of the specification required to adapt either the HDMI or USB C connection on an Apple M1 to a Apple Cinema 27 display? There are mixed responses all of which point to products that claim this display is not supported on their adapter. Like this… Someone claimed this adapter works (UPTab USB C to Mini DisplayPort Adapter (4K@60Hz) USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 to MDP Adapter) but if you look at the details the description says it doesn't "About this item * This adapter will NOT work with Apple Thunderbolt Cinema Display. This adapter will NOT work in combination with other adapters." Surely there must be an apple adaptor for their own product? If there is, I can't find it. The one I am using now keeps dropping resolution down to 1280 x 720 from 2560 x 1440 and I have to replug the adapter and reselect resolution. Even Switchres X doesn't work to fix it. I did, however, notice that the most recent update to Ventura (13.3.1 (a) (22E772610a)) seems to have fixed a glitch where when i changed the volume on my keyboard, the screen would blank out with every adjustment using my current adaptor (JSAUX USB C to MiniDisplayport adapter) https://www.amazon.com/DisplayPort-JSAUX-Thunderbolt-Compatible-Plus-Grey/dp/B0836HGBD7/ref=sxts_rp_s_a_1_0?content-id=amzn1.sym.3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7%3Aamzn1.sym.3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7&crid=23M0BKO4UES0F&cv_ct_cx=jsaux+usb+type+c+to+mini+displayport+adapter&keywords=jsaux+usb+type+c+to+mini+displayport+adapter&pd_rd_i=B0836HGBD7&pd_rd_r=5d35a7e4-8cbc-4e36-9254-bbf2f1127f4c&pd_rd_w=6NQDW&pd_rd_wg=U9OAP&pf_rd_p=3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7&pf_rd_r=TE7KA7162F8FY15DR5GX&qid=1685827320&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=JSAUX+USB+C+to+mini%2Caps%2C118&sr=1-1-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e.

Mac mini, macOS 13.3

Posted on Jun 3, 2023 02:23 PM

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Answer 1

Anon M

Level 1

17 points

Jun 25, 2023 03:36 PM in response to Ark Studios

Hi, did you find a solution yet?

Also, don't mix up the 27" Apple Cinema Display and the 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display. They look exactly the same, but they're not.

I have the 27" Cinema Display and would like to connect it to my 2023 Mac Mini M2 Pro. I know I could use USB-C, but I would like to use HDMI, because I need the USB port for something else.

Sadly, the HDMI solution I have right now (adapter/converter) is very glitchy. Some things like changing brightness or volume don't work and the screen sometimes is blinking black.

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Answer 2

Jun 27, 2023 06:34 PM in response to Ark Studios

There is no such thing as an "Apple Thunderbolt Cinema Display."

There is a 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display that requires Thunderbolt input. To connect it to a modern Mac, you need an Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter.

There is a 27" Apple Cinema Display that requires Mini DisplayPort input. To connect it to a modern Mac, you would not use the Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter. That adapter only translates Thunderbolt protocol, and doesn't have the ability to pretend to be a Mini DisplayPort on the TB2 side.

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Answer 3

Anon M

Level 1

17 points

Jun 28, 2023 05:31 AM in response to Servant of Cats

Does anyone by any chance know why the newer Mac OS versions don't support the brightness adjustment on the 27" Cinema Display? You have to get a 3rd party app, that's the only way you can change the brightness.

I'd be interested in the technical reason behind it. What is it, technically speaking, that is missing, for the displays brightness to be adjusted over the keyboard or control center, without a 3rd party app? Is it some code they removed from the OS, or something like that?

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Answer 4

Jun 28, 2023 06:56 AM in response to Anon M

Anon M wrote:

Does anyone by any chance know why the newer Mac OS versions don't support the brightness adjustment on the 27" Cinema Display? You have to get a 3rd party app, that's the only way you can change the brightness.

Is that a problem with a USB-C (DisplayPort) to Mini DisplayPort adapter? Or only with a HDMI-based adapter?

I don't know how the Mac identifies the 27" Cinema Display as one that has software-based brightness control, but maybe if you go the HDMI route, it doesn't ry (assuming that such a display won't be there), or there is some aspect of the HDMI-to-DisplayPort translation in the adapter that is less than 100%.

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Answer 5

Anon M

Level 1

17 points

Jun 28, 2023 08:06 AM in response to Servant of Cats

Servant of Cats wrote:

Anon M wrote:

Does anyone by any chance know why the newer Mac OS versions don't support the brightness adjustment on the 27" Cinema Display? You have to get a 3rd party app, that's the only way you can change the brightness.

Is that a problem with a USB-C (DisplayPort) to Mini DisplayPort adapter? Or only with a HDMI-based adapter?

I don't know how the Mac identifies the 27" Cinema Display as one that has software-based brightness control, but maybe if you go the HDMI route, it doesn't ry (assuming that such a display won't be there), or there is some aspect of the HDMI-to-DisplayPort translation in the adapter that is less than 100%.

Sadly it is a problem with both.

HDMI has a few additional issues. With USB-C, everything works fine - except that you can't control the brightness. Nowhere. Not through the Apple keyboard (no matter if it's bluetooth or wired), not through the control center, and no through the System Preferences.

In the System Preferences, the display is correctly recognised as a "Apple LED Cinema Display". The right resolution is automatically chosen. There's a big icon/picture of the Display being shown as well.

The solution are those 3rd party apps. If some people were able to make such an app that quickly and that easily, it is a little bit suspicious why Apple can't.

Especially because the support was there in the first place, but was removed with OS Monterey.

I wonder what it is from a technical perspective, if it's code or something that was removed from the OS.

[Edited by Moderator]

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Answer 6

Anon M

Level 1

17 points

Jun 28, 2023 08:29 AM in response to hcsitas

The support was automatically there - in form of code in Mac OS. As it seems, it was actively removed with OS Monterey, which was by coincidence at the same time the new Apple Studio Display came out.

[Edited by Moderator]

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