HELP! 3 metre DisplayPort cable is too long for S27A950D?

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23 Sep 2011
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Setup: Samsung S27A950D attached to an Alienware M18x running dual nVidia GTX 580M with the display extended across laptop screen and the 950D. Because the M18x has a mini-DP port I use a short (6 inches) miniDP-DP adapter cable.

The 1.8m cable I ordered separately at the time the 950D arrived (no cable included with the screen) works fine, both screens work as expected (well... getting 3D seems to be a problem but that's probably another issue).

Then I ordered a 3m cable from Amazon, or one of their re-sellers to be precise and when I connected the 950D using that instead, the screen didn't activate, only the laptop monitor. I tried various ways of re-setting the display to laptop only then extending it, tried the cable the other way round etc - nothing.

So I arranged to send that cable back for a refund thinking it was faulty and bough another 3m cable online - same problem :(

So it seems that this setup has hit some kind of limitation - has anyone else had similar problems or is anyone aware of limitations in the length of cable that can be used?

Is it a possibility that the cable quality isn't very good and a more expensive one might work better?

I remember reading somewhere a while ago that HDMI video quality drops off as cables get longer, but the issue then seemed to be reduced picture quality rather than nothing at all?

Be grateful for any input.
 
hey dude any new on how you got on? ive got the 750D and have been having windows error message display problems with the original cable that came with the box. I bought a 3 meter DP cable from overclockers and now me screen keeps blinking on and off again :(
 
MrFlid.
I posted the same question on Tom's hardware forum when I didn't seem to be getting much happening here. The only response seems to suggest that it's a DP issue - apparently it operates at a very low voltage and these kinds of problems are part and parcel.

I haven't seen anything to verify this, just that one person's response. I'm slightly dubious though since DP is new technology and you'd think they wuld see this early and do something about it.

I'm still hoping to hear something a bit more verifiable. And I'm disappointed that the monitor "experts" here don't seem to be able to offer anything at all - not even to confirm/deny whether or not DP inherently has this problem.
 
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One more thing - THIS ARTICLE suggests that the current DP should be ok up to 20 feet which is double the length of the cable I'm trying to use.

So the only thing in my setup is the miniDP-DP adapter cable, all 6 inches of it.

EDIT - sorry, the above wasn't meant to refute your post at all lord filbuster, seemed to come in as I was writing mine. The thing is, when I go to all the cabling sites they all sell DP cables in 1m, 1.8m 3m and (I think) 5m lengths. So... why bother if they can't actually use those lengths? It seems better to produce a length that fits the technology - in the 2m to 2.5m range maybe?
 
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