Help! Bad Monitor?

Hey everyone, thank you in advance for reading this. I just received a 20" cinema display i bought on ebay, but when i plug it into my MB pro there is nothing on the screen? The computer detects it because it goes blue for a second like it does when i plug it into the hdtv, but there is not image? I hooked up the dvi to a mini display adapter, plugged in the usb, and got an adapter so the firewire would fit.

The white light comes on the monitor when I plug everything in, the computer detects it, but there no image.

Did I just buy a bad monitor????

headyorganic said:

Did I just buy a bad monitor????

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Maybe...or maybe it got damaged during shipping. If you got the "blue screen" for a second...the external monitor was receiving some sort of video signal...so the cabling should be ok. Maybe you need to play around with the "Display" settings in "System Preferences".

HTH,

- Nick

thanks for the reply, i've been trying to get to the display settings but it only changes the laptop's screen. How do I change the peripheral monitors settings only

headyorganic said:

thanks for the reply, i've been trying to get to the display settings but it only changes the laptop's screen. How do I change the peripheral monitors settings only

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What happens is...when you open the "Display" settings control panel...the settings window you see on your laptop's screen...a similar window appears on the external monitor. If you can't see anything on the external monitor...then you won't be able to see this settings window.

Are you 100% sure that the cable & adapter you're using to connect this monitor to your laptop are in 100% operable condition & and all connections are tight? If there are any issues with the cable, adapter, or connections...then this could be the problem & not the monitor.

- Nick

I have no idea, all the connections are good (i think), the white light on the monitor is fading on and off, usb in firewire in, maybe my dvi to mini display is bad?

headyorganic said:

I have no idea, all the connections are good (i think), the white light on the monitor is fading on and off, usb in firewire in, maybe my dvi to mini display is bad?

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Of course the only way to be sure if your cable & adapter are good...are to try a 2nd cable and/or 2nd adapter with your new monitor. Or find a 2nd external monitor to try the cable & adapter with to see if they are good.

- Nick

well ****. i foolishly bought a dvi-toadc adapter too, $150 later I realized I don't need it. I guess I'll put the money towards another monitor and mini-d adapter. if thats not it than i guess i'll have two working monitors that i dont know how to use. thanks for your help dude

headyorganic said:

well ****. i foolishly bought a dvi-toadc adapter too, $150 later I realized I don't need it. I guess I'll put the money towards another monitor and mini-d adapter. if thats not it than i guess i'll have two working monitors that i dont know how to use. thanks for your help dude

Click to expand...

I know that sometimes things like these can be frustrating. If you're positive the monitor cable is good, you're positive the adapter is good, and you're positive that your settings on the computer are correct...then it's just possible that the used monitor you purchased was faulty to start with...or maybe got damaged during shipping.

- Did the e-Bay auction indicate that the monitor was working 100%...no issues?
- Did the e-Bay seller seem to be a honest & respectable seller (good positive feedback, and good amount of feedback)?
- Did the e-Bay seller indicate any sort of return policy or guarantee to be working?

Good luck,

- Nick

Depends on how it is flashing, which is a diagnostic tool. Faulty video, connector or backlight:-


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2811?viewlocale=en_US

how long is a long flash and how long is a short flash? it keeps doing the same speed flash, about 3 seconds from dark to light and then another 3 to fade out, so a flash of 6 seconds total, repeating

Also, i just realized the power supply that came with it is only 65w. Could that have something to do with it?

now its doing something weird, when i tap the power button it goes from bright to off

headyorganic said:

now its doing something weird, when i tap the power button it goes from bright to off

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The more you mention all of these "weird" things that are happening to the monitor...the more I think the monitor may be the problem. So again I ask:

- Did the e-Bay auction indicate that the monitor was working 100%...no issues?
- Did the e-Bay seller seem to be a honest & respectable seller (good positive feedback, and good amount of feedback)?
- Did the e-Bay seller indicate any sort of return policy or guarantee that it worked?

- Nick

I take it this is not one of older acrylic cased 20" Apple Displays but a newer Aluminum cased one? The older ones needed that ACD to DVI adapter for power and to convert to DVI. The newer Aluminum ones did not.

It really sounds like something is wrong with the display like Nick is suggesting. He also asked some good questions about the seller and listing.