One way to 'mirror' DVI displays on a Mac mini
Mar 27, '07 07:30:02AM
Contributed by: Anonymous
I am in the process of creating the "ultimate" Mac mini-based home entertainment system. One issue with using a mini is the lack of dual-monitor support, which is a real hassle if the mini is attached to a projector -- turning on the projector to see the screen each time is expensive and time-consuming. Since the mini only has one video output, I came up with a way to effectively mirror the video to both the DVI projector and a DVI-input LCD monitor:
- Buy a DVI "splitter" cable (I got mine on ebay). You want a two-female to one-male DVI-D splitter.
- Plug the monitor into one fork of the splitter.
- Take the cable from the projector, and break off pins 6 and 7 (pinout chart). This will disable the monitor sense function, and the mini won't "know" the projector is connected. Plug it into the other fork of the splitter.
- Make sure the LCD monitor's resolution matches the projector's native resolution (you may need to use DisplayConfigX).
Now go watch your DVD. Note that if you don't modify the projector cable, this setup may work when both the LCD and projector are on, but as soon as one is turned off, the mini will blank the video output.
[robg adds: I haven't tested this one...]
Comments (11)
Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20070326221246345