[Mr Creosote]

I ama Windows user (sorry!) but I adore what I have seen online about the Apple screens and I am just in the process of ordering a new PC and would like to use an Apple 20 or 23 inch screen.

Ive been reading all the threads I can find here about these screens and it seems that I will be able to successfully connect one tomy PC.

However I have a couple of concerns that arent answered at the Apple website and I wondered if anyone here had experience and could advise me.
Firstly the brightness control I read invokes an Apple software code, but running a Win PC how would I change the brightness?
Secondly, on a similar vein, the posts here seem to say that its essential to calibrate the 23 inch, but again, how would I do that on a Win PC?

I am probably getting an ATI 9700 Pro card and it does have a supported resolution of 1920x1200 so would power the 23 inch admirably but I dont think it supports the native resolution of the 20 inch so I guess I wont be able to use that without some considerable loss of visual quality.
Am I correct in assuming that?

Many thanks in advance to anyone who cares to comment and assist.

Sincerely
Joe

[CatOne]

Originally posted by Mr Creosote:
I ama Windows user (sorry!) but I adore what I have seen online about the Apple screens and I am just in the process of ordering a new PC and would like to use an Apple 20 or 23 inch screen.

Ive been reading all the threads I can find here about these screens and it seems that I will be able to successfully connect one tomy PC.

However I have a couple of concerns that arent answered at the Apple website and I wondered if anyone here had experience and could advise me.
Firstly the brightness control I read invokes an Apple software code, but running a Win PC how would I change the brightness?
Secondly, on a similar vein, the posts here seem to say that its essential to calibrate the 23 inch, but again, how would I do that on a Win PC?

I am probably getting an ATI 9700 Pro card and it does have a supported resolution of 1920x1200 so would power the 23 inch admirably but I dont think it supports the native resolution of the 20 inch so I guess I wont be able to use that without some considerable loss of visual quality.
Am I correct in assuming that?

Many thanks in advance to anyone who cares to comment and assist.

Sincerely
Joe

Well -- on your last comment on the 20"... it is possible to create a custom resolution on the PC. There's a standard overclocking utility that does it (darn, I forget the name, but it's what MaximumPC uses). Anyway you can create 1600x1024 as a profile and use that. There's a thread from about 2 weeks ago which mentions it in this forum... search back a bit.

Can't help you with the brightness adjustment stuff, sorry.

[MaxPower2k3]

the program is called PowerStrip, and can make custom resolutions in windows. might also adjust brightness and stuff, not sure.

[todrain]

Did anyone make a profile for the 20" Cinema (1680x1050) for Powerstrip that they could post somewhere?

[michaelb]

Originally posted by todrain:
Did anyone make a profile for the 20" Cinema (1680x1050) for Powerstrip that they could post somewhere?

I plugged my 20" into my P4's GeForce 4 Ti today (via an Apple DVI-ADC adapter).

Windows XP defaulted to a display resolution of 1600x1024. I then used Powerstrip to push it to the native resolution of 1680x1050. Looks just beautiful, even for Windows.

It's not actually a Powerstrip profile that you need: it's a Windows device .INF file which you load into the Device Manager.

I've posted the one I made here: http://homepage.mac.com/mgb/AppleCin...ay20in.inf.zip

To install it, unzip the above file and place it somewhere handy, eg, CWINDOWS\INF\OTHER

You then need to open the System Properties control panel, click the Hardware tab, click the Device Manager button, click the "+" next to Monitors, double-click your current monitor setting, click the Update Driver... button, select that you'll choose it yourself, then navigate to where the above .inf file was placed.

I've summarized these steps pictorially below:



When installed, the new monitor device driver should give you the ability to select a resolution of 1680x1050:




Hope this helps!

(Oh, BTW, on the Mac you just plug the darn thing in!)

[song]

Wow michaelb!!

This is great. Thanks for the information. I'm also waiting for my new 20" cinema display to use with my Pen 4 PC. I have one more conecern. Can brightness and power button be controlled when using with PC also? Thank you in advance.

[escher]

Great step-by-step instructions, michaelb.

I seem to remember several threads on this topic when the 20" ACD came out earlier this year.

See this page on SpyMac for pictures of somebody who is running a 20" ACD with a Shuttle XPC. That guy also customized Windows XP to look almost like OS X.

Escher

[todrain]

Thanks Michael! Hopefully I'll have the new LCD in about a month! Now if only Apple would announce a new 15" Powerbook to go with it...

(and I even found a cool cover to go with the 20!: http://www.acmemade.com/studios.html

[todrain]

I got the 20" tonight, and after a little tinkering, it's working perfectly! Words cannot describe how amazing this monitor is! I can't wait to see OS X on here, when I get my Powerbook in a few weeks.

Thanks for all of the help!

[todrain]

After a day of use, I have a question -

When I use the 20" outside of "normal resolutions" (1680x1050, 1024x768 or 800x600) it seems that I do not get true color - looks like VGA. This could be a Windows-Only problem, because I don't remember noticing this in OS X when I tried the monitor at the Apple Store on a Mac.

Could this be my display drivers, or is this just a characterist of LCDS? I've never had an LCD display before, so I don't have anything to compare!

Thanks

-Tom

[hika]

Hi,

Thank you michaelb for the driver…

I’ve connected Apple 20” to a Shuttle (GeForce 4 Ti 4200 128mb, AMD xp 2500, Formac DVI to ADC), and it works great!

I’ve first updated the driver that michaelb posted, but it wasn’t working.

So I uninstall/reinstall the Nvidia driver to get 1600x1024(20" was connceced to the PC).

*The only driver that works for me is the Nvidia drive v40.19. (v30.82 the other one that gives me resolution above 1600x1024, but won't work with the Powerstrip to give me 1680x1050.)

**if you like to watch full scree movie through svideo out, the v40.19 scrambles the screen...sux

Then I installed the Powerstirp and went to configure display profiles -> advanced timing option -> custom resolutions -> Put the setting on the upper right hand side to 1680x1050 -> click add new resolution -> Restart

After that I went to the Display Setting and I got 1680x1050.

Also updated to the michaelb's cinema display driver.

Question!?!?!
Has anyone figured out how to turn the 20” cinema display off?

good luck!

Eddie

[Todd Madson]

I had no clue it was that simple. This should be archived
somewhere for future reference.

[song]

In terms of power off control, I have read other thread, stating that the power button does nothing if you are using DVI-TO ADC converter. Look at the following thread.

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...ghlight=cinema

I also foind some documentation from Apple web site.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58830
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58671

Looks like you can't powe off 20" cinema display independent of computer. Hope it helps.

[todrain]

Yep, when the PC turns off, the Display turns off as well (although you can set it to powerdown when the machine is inactive, just like any energystar monitor)

[comet-boy]

I'm thinking about getting an IBM thinkpad notebook and an Apple 20" screen and was delighted to have discovered this impressive thread. Many thanks to everyone and in particular michaelb.

Does anyone have any advice for whether this will work, given that the thinkpad's max (factory preset) resolution output is 1400 x 1050. Will powerstrip be able to crank up the resolution to 1680 x 1050 (which I gather is what I need)...?

Is there anything else I should be concerned about in trying to hook up a thinkpad to an Apple monitor?

[hika]

My 20” will not power off when PC shuts down. So I just let it be….

And to comet-boy….

http://www.dviator.com/en/Compatibility.html

This site has some useful info so please check it out…especially the video cards for notebooks section.

I don’t think laptop can handle the 20” cinema display; unless you have something like Margi Display-To-Go.

[todrain]

Are you using Apple's ADC-DVI Connector? Could that be the problem? (when I turn off my PC, the display turns off, and when it's unused for a while, I have the energy saver turn the display off)

[tracer]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mr Creosote:
[B]I ama Windows user (sorry!) but I adore what I have seen online about the Apple screens and I am just in the process of ordering a new PC and would like to use an Apple 20 or 23 inch screen.

Ive been reading all the threads I can find here about these screens and it seems that I will be able to successfully connect one tomy PC.


===
If anyone has the details about what specific hardware is required to use the 23" HD on a PC it would be apreciated
If I read things correctly all I should need is a videocard like ASUS 8460
plus the adc-dvi adapter from Apple. Is this correct????
I would dislike buying the monitor and having problems which due to where I live at present likely would be a big headache...

[Mac Zealot]

In order to use a 23" you just need a recent video card with DVI out and an apple dvi to adc adapter.

And get the powerstrip program

[osxisfun]

hi.

I have a couple of 20" apple lcs and i am going to buy the compu-cable ADC kvm... this ati card seems to have the resultion to drive it and a DVI connector . I was wondering if this card would have any problems with the FI ice cube bare bones box i will be buying (its like shuttle box tiny) i want to make sure the card will fit inside.

i assume the powerstrip will drive this at the 20"'s native resolution?

i don't play games or do DVD on the pc so all i need is a basic card...



Powered by ATI RADEON 7500 graphics processing unit


64MB double data rate (DDR) memory


CHARISMA ENGINE supports full Transformation, Clipping and Lighting (T&L) at up to 40 million triangles per second


Supports 32-bit color 3D resolutions up to 2048 x 1536


DVI interface with integrated 165MHz TMDS transmitter


DVD video playback


Dual monitor support


AGP universal bus for AGP 2X/4X systems


Supports DirectX 8.0 and OpenGL







_PRODUCT DETAILS

100-432001


Type of Video Card

Graphics


Video Memory

64MB


Interface Slot Type

AGP


Type of Processor

RADEON 7500


Number of Processors

2


Maximum 2D Resolution (at 32-bit color)

2048 x 1536


Maximum 3D Resolution (at 32-bit color)

2048 x 1536


Megapixels/Megatexels

NA


Number of Polygons per Second

43 million


Supports MPEG-1, 2

Yes


DVD Decoding

Yes


TV-Out

No


Stereo Sound

No


Tuning Capabilities

NA


S-Video Output

Yes


Video Format

AVI, MPEG-1 or MPEG-2


Integrated Web Publishing

No


Video Compression

NA


Software Included

Installation software


System Requirements

Intel® Pentium® II/III/4/Celeron? processor, AMD-K6®/AMD Athlon? processor or compatible with AGP 2X/4X universal slot; Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP; 32MB system memory; CD-ROM drive; DVD-ROM drive for DVD playback


Warranty Term ? Parts

3 years limited

[osxisfun]

and does anyone have a URL for powerstrip or is it at all the download sites...

[Stratus Fear]

Has anyone tried the displays with a VGA to DVI adapter and then the DVI to ADC (or found a VGA to ADC)? I might buy the 17" or 20" sometime in the next week, but my video card (GeForce 3 Ti200) only has a VGA port...

[escher]

Originally posted by Stratus Fear:
Has anyone tried the displays with a VGA to DVI adapter and then the DVI to ADC (or found a VGA to ADC)?

Gefen sells a $300 VGA-to-ADC "conversion box." It's expensive, but works well with the 12-inch PowerBook and 20" ACD according to reports in the PowerBook Forum. Search the PB Forum (or Google) for a link to the Gefen website.

Escher

[Stratus Fear]

Would one of those VGA-DVI adapters that can be easily found on something like Ebay (for about 10$) work? And then use Apple's DVI-ADC adapter? I really wouldn't want to spend $300...

[escher]

Originally posted by Stratus Fear:
Would one of those VGA-DVI adapters that can be easily found on something like Ebay (for about 10$) work?

No. The adapters you see on eBay are DVI-to-VGA adapters, which is the opposite of what you need. DVI-to-VGA adapters come bundled with desktop PowerMacs, for example. The DVI signal carries an embedded VGA signal, so VGA is easy to extract from DVI. However, going from VGA to DVI is quite a bit more involved, which is why the VGA-to-DVI and the VGA-to-ADC are both very expensive.

Escher

[JB72]

Originally posted by hika:
Hi,

Thank you michaelb for the driver?

I?ve connected Apple 20? to a Shuttle (GeForce 4 Ti 4200 128mb, AMD xp 2500, Formac DVI to ADC), and it works great!\

That's odd. I have an XPC Shuttle SN41 here with both a Ti 4200 and a 2500 chip. Tomorrow, my Apple DVI>ADC cable will arrive, along with my Aplle 20" LCD.

[Stratus Fear]

Originally posted by escher:
No. The adapters you see on eBay are DVI-to-VGA adapters, which is the opposite of what you need. DVI-to-VGA adapters come bundled with desktop PowerMacs, for example. The DVI signal carries an embedded VGA signal, so VGA is easy to extract from DVI. However, going from VGA to DVI is quite a bit more involved, which is why the VGA-to-DVI and the VGA-to-ADC are both very expensive.

Escher

They do sell VGA-DVI adapters, but I am guessing those are only DVI-analog only on the other end. The cinema display seems to be digital only. Is this correct?

In this case, I'll probably just buy a new video card for my PC which has a DVI out. It seems more cost efficient to me than getting a converter box, especially since I've been meaning to get a faster video card anyway. I guess I won't be able to use the display with my iBook then, but that's not too big a deal. I'll probably keep my current monitor and run dual on a Radeon 9700 or something, provided I have enough desk space Thanks for your help.

[escher]

Originally posted by Stratus Fear:
They do sell VGA-DVI adapters, but I am guessing those are only DVI-analog only on the other end.

My hunch is that they've just mislabeled them. But I don't know. Those $10 adapters you've seen definitely won't do the job for hooking an ACD to your PC.

I'll probably just buy a new video card for my PC which has a DVI out.

That's the better way to go anyway. Going from VGA (analog) to DVI (digital) makes no sense. By buying a DVI video card you'll keep your signal digital all the way. And you'll save money as well.

I guess I won't be able to use the display with my iBook then, but that's not too big a deal.

Nope, unfortunately not. But the iBook doesn't support more than 1024x768 anyway (without the hack).

Escher

[tracer]

Originally posted by Mac Zealot:
In order to use a 23" you just need a recent video card with DVI out and an apple dvi to adc adapter.

And get the powerstrip program

Ok, my 23" up and running on PC.
Videocard ASUS TI4200-8X with 2 converters to allow VGA.
NOTE itt needs the 8x motherboard (!!!).
Secondly uses the apple converter.
It worked second time. First time smoke came from monitor so switched it off and Apple replaced it.
Note: still has the twin towers on the box....

processor used Celeron 2 ghz, 512 mb and as customer wanted windows 2000.

Thanks for all the help / suggestions.

[AssassyN]

Wow, michaelb, would you happen to have one of those .inf files for a 23" Display and it's native resolution?

Could anyone provide a step-by-step guide to connecting a 23" Apple HD Display to a PC with a DVI-out and an Apple DVI-to-ADC converter?