hardware is hard :-(

[cellio]

I got a new monitor to use with my Mac Mini, after confirming that the product spec says all the right things about connections (and a couple other things I care about). Tonight I tried to connect it. Easy, right? You've got a bunch of cables that each fit in one place, and hieroglyphics that come with the monitor besides. (Actual words, not so much -- presumably because of internationalization concerns.)

It came with an HDMI cable and a display port cable that fits the Thunderbolt connector on the other end. (Q&A confirms that's what you're supposed to do with it.) I assume I'm supposed to choose one. I tried each on its own and then tried them together; in all cases I got "no cable detected" on the monitor even though all connections are tight. I tried the HDMI connection with Dani's laptop; same result. I was using the HDMI connection on my old monitor. (Not HDMI on the monitor's end; there's some sort of adapter. But HDMI on the Mac end.)

It seems unlikely that both cables are bad, though I'll try to borrow other cables from work tomorrow to swap those out. Could something be broken in the monitor such that it would power up and produce its splash screen but then not detect either connector? I am really not a hardware person... What should I do next to try to get a working monitor?

It has USB ports and the diagram shows plugging a keyboard into one. I guess that only works if I can connect USB to USB on the computer? The package didn't include a USB cable. Or is HDMI some sort of magic that transmits other signal too? (It did include a cable I can't identify that doesn't fit into any connections on my Mac.)

Assuming I get that far, if I get a choice between HDMI and DisplayPort/Thunderbolt, which do I want? Ideally I'd like to send sound to the monitor too (it claims to support that) and get rid of the crappy falling-apart external speakers I have now.

Argh. This is the part about computers I hate -- getting the pieces of hardware to all play nicely. I wish I could get someone to come by tomorrow night and make it all happy. :-(

Comments

[dsrtao]

Various Macs have offered HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt. They all offer the same quality of video.

The manual says the monitor has an HDMI port, a mini-DP, and a full sized DP. I would start with a straight HDMI to HDMI connection, if you've got that on your Mac. If it doesn't show something, the monitor is toast and should be sent back.

HDMI can carry all sorts of things, but this monitor only handles video through it. The monitor has a built in 2 port USB2.0 hub; if you connect it to your computer with the right cable, you can then plug 2 USB2.0 devices into the monitor.

[alienor]

Definitely sounds like a problem with your monitor.

One more troubleshooting step: if the HDMI to DVI adapter you're using is active (larger than just something that changes the shape of the plug) I'd try plugging the laptop into a TV or something just to check the HDMI connection and the cable you're using.

The manual from the manufacturer's website says it should have come with a USB cable. If it didn't, I'd suspect something wonky (and given Amazon's stocking practices, you might have gotten a counterfeit).