FAQ
What is an active adapter? How is it different from a passive adapter?
An
Active DisplayPort adapter has an integrated circuit to convert a
DisplayPort signal to HDMI, DVI, or VGA. DisplayPort uses a different
digital signaling type than HDMI and DVI (which use the same type), both
of these signaling types are very different from VGA's analog signal.
Passive
adapters rely on the graphics controller to selectively deliver the
correct graphics signal using the DisplayPort output. Generally, this
leads to reduced resolution or refresh rate compared to Active Adapters.
Additionally using passive adapters may limit the number of connected
displays in AMD Eyefinity and NVIDIA Surround setups.
Why am I unable to set a 3840x2160 resolution at a 60Hz refresh rate from my MacBook Pro/Mac Pro (Retina, Late 2013 and later)?
Mac
OS X/macOS has limited the 4K video output from mDP ports to a maximum
of 4K (3840x2160 @ 30Hz) when using our adapter with an HDMI 2.0 rated
cable and HDMI 2.0 compatible display. Some customers have been
successful in achieving a 4K resolution at 60Hz refresh rate when using
3rd party applications, like SwitchResX.
Apple
transmits audio over DisplayPort/Thunderbolt in a unique way.
Implementing support for this feature on Apple systems would have
resulted in the adapter no longer qualifying for VESA (DisplayPort)
certification.