The Good: Generally affordable, All that is needed to link two high-end devices
The Bad: I could always use a longer HDMI cable . . .
The Basics: A very basic set of cables and adapters, the DVI to HDMI connectors make it possible to connect my MacBook Pro to my HDTV!
For awhile, I was making videos on my MacBook Pro (reviewed here!) and while I was initially impressed by the quality and definition I was getting on that device, I soon discovered a bit of a limitation with my laptop: the basic quality for HD images. The screen on my 17" laptop was not good enough for picking out the fine details that would become painfully clear on my 40" HDTV. In order to edit videos more efficiently, I had to use the final monitor as my editing site, my SONY Bravia HDTV (reviewed here!). To connect the two, I needed a cord which would connect the two and this actually took the form of an HDMI cable and a special adapter. Fortunately, they came bundled together for me.
The MacBook Pro Mini DVI Adapter is a simple six-inch cord which connects to the video-out port on the back of the MacBook Pro and after five inches of cable, opens into a female HD port. The male end is a Digital Video Interface port which connects to the female DVI port on the MacBook Pro. The DVI port is a surprisingly small socket only a little over 1/4" and square shaped. It most closely resembles a telephone jack (a little smaller) where the female end is open with pins and the male end is a block with pin holes. There is no other interface on the MacBook Pro that the DVI Adapter will fit into.
The opposite end of this DVI adapter ends in a small, trapezoidal female port with a recessed chip that is easily recognizable as a high definition video port. The chip reminds one of a 1/2" slotted chip, reminiscent of a computer interface on devices like video cards going into a computer's motherboard only much smaller. That recessed chip is what carries the visual data through the standard DVI cable to the HD cable.
The bridge between the female port on the DVI Adapter and the female port on my HDTV is a simple HDMI cable. The HDMI cable is two male jacks which slide into the female port on the adapter and the HDTV. This cable is only six feet long, but I have found that to be enough for me to get my laptop around the Bravia and for me to sit before it editing.
This is an exceptionally easy device to use; it connects to the two devices and that is all that it does. As long as one does not try to force the male ends into the wrong ports, this cable and adapter will likely last a lifetime. After fifty times where I have plugged these into their respective devices and unplugged them, neither cable, nor jacks has shown any sign of wear or becoming more brittle. In fact, the only thing this leaves one wishing for is a bit longer HD cable so one might sit farther back from the HDTV when working on it.
For other connector reviews, please check out my takes on:
Cables Unlimited KaBLING Pink Power Cord PWR-1000-06P
Hi-Capacity AC Adapter for Acer 5532
OrionGadgets Synch and Charge USB Cable For iPad
10/10
For other electronics reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment