[kwlug-disc] Confession (DVI)

[Richard Weait]

Sorry I'm so late for our appointment.  I'll just sit here on the couch.

Okay.  This has been eating me up.  I'll just say it.

I've never successfully used a DVI cable on my computers.  There. It's
out.  The words are laying on the ground like dust.

I'm expecting:
- unplug working video card -> vga cable -> vga monitor input
- connect same video card-> DVI-D cable -> DVI input on same monitor
- video works

What I'm getting:
- unplug working video card -> vga cable -> vga monitor input
- connect same video card -> DVI-D cable -> DVI input on same monitor
- Monitor says, "check video cable" in an accusing manner.

Sure, I've tried.  I don't want to be the Luddite on my block.  I've tried:
- multiple monitors with DVI inputs (HP, two different model numbers)
- multiple video cards with DVI outputs (radeons and an nvidia)

In each case, the cold-eyed "check video cable" is met by the
rage-filled seething cauldron of hate that is my approach to trouble
shooting.  In each case, the video card and monitor even work when
using the DVI output with a little dvi-vga dongle and a vga cable to
the dvi input.  What am I missing?  Must these video cards be tweaked
by a DVI-D driver to output for a DVI-D cable?  Is there a particular
sacrifice required?  Do these cards usually need to change jumper
settings for DVI-D?

pebkac is almost certain.  Go ahead.  Hit me.  Or if you have a
known-good DVI-D cable I can borrow, I'd be all over that, too.