How do I connect my LED Cinema Display to MacBook Pro M3?

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

Cinema display LED 27-in A1316 from 2011 features lead-in cord with three connectors -- Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe-2 and a USB-A pigtail. It does NOT work with the Thunderbolt adapter, but works fine with a USB-C to miniDisplayPort adapter.

It includes three USB 2.0 ports and a convenient single cable with THREE connectors (Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe-2, that charges an older MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, and USB 2.0), a built-in iSight camera with a mic and a 2.1 speaker system.

This display works great with a USB-C to MINI-DisplayPort adapter.

To add to this, for the 27" LED Cinema Display, you may want to connect BOTH the Mini DisplayPort cable AND the USB 2.0 cable to the Mac.

• The Mini DisplayPort cable, for video.
• The USB cable, to be able to control the brightness of the display and to use the iSight camera.

Presumably the USB cable could be plugged into a USB-A hub, USB-C dock, or Thunderbolt dock, to avoid having to dedicate one of the USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports on your MacBook Pro just to it. Likewise, if you had a dock that brought out a hardware signal on a dedicated DisplayPort, you could use a Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable to connect the 27" LED Cinema Display to the dock.

Cinema display LED 27-in A1316 from 2011 features lead-in cord with three connectors -- Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe-2 and a USB-A pigtail. It does NOT work with the Thunderbolt adapter, but works fine with a USB-C to miniDisplayPort adapter.

It includes three USB 2.0 ports and a convenient single cable with THREE connectors (Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe-2, that charges an older MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, and USB 2.0), a built-in iSight camera with a mic and a 2.1 speaker system.

This display works great with a USB-C to MINI-DisplayPort adapter.

from:

https://everymac.com/monitors/apple/studio_cinema/specs/apple-led-cinema-display-27-inch-specs.html

There are TWO displays, commonly mistaken for each other that appear to have a Thunderbolt-2 interface.

The Apple Thunderbolt Display 27-in A1407 has a lead in cord with ONLY TWO connectors -- Thunderbolt-2 and MagSafe.

This display works great with the Apple ThunderBolt-3 <-> Thunderbolt-2 adapter, US$50.

In addition to the built-in Thunderbolt cable, the display also has a built-in MagSafe-2 connector that charges an older Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

from:

https://everymac.com/monitors/apple/thunderbolt/specs/apple-thunderbolt-display-27-inch-specs.html

"How do I connect my 27 inch Apple LED cinema display to my new MacBook Pro M3?"

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Connecting a 27-Inch Cinema Display to a MBP M3:

I don't have that model of an Appel Cinema Display, but this may be the adapter you need: Uptab USB-C to Mini DisplayPort Adapter 4K@60Hz - Silver How so? Use my User Tip: Configuring a USB-C Only Mac with a 30-Inch Apple Cinema Display - User Tip

DickMBP wrote:

Thanks for all these responses. I'm trying a female mini displayport to male HDMI, plus adaptors for the USB ports. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Many such adapters are unidirectional. They only work with the Mini DisplayPort end plugged into a computer, and the HDMI end plugged into a display. If you try to use them in reverse to hook up a LED Cinema Display to a Mac's HDMI port, they won't work.

So if you do go this route, be sure to look for an adapter that is bidirectional, or that is unidirectional in the right (and less common) direction.

in general HDMI can not be easily adapted to anything else. Also, some of those adapters are directional, and will not work in reverse.