Eric_Elwell wrote:
• I want to use my 27" Lightning display
This does not exist. Lightning is a connection type used on older iPhones, iPads, iPods, mice, keyboards and trackpads. But it has never been used on displays or computers by Apple. It can be awkward to best or very difficult at worst if you try to look for adapters by the wrong name.
The small Lighting symbol, just refers to "Thunderbolt", it has nothing to do with the actual "Lightning" connection Apple used; that's an entirely different thing.
I guess you mean a Thunderbolt Display. Note a Thunderbolt Display and a Cinema Display are different things. And use slightly different connectors and signal protocols.
Possible solutions:
The MBP has an HDMI port onboard, and I'd love to convert that to Lightning 2 Mini DP, or
Again, no lightning. It's just Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt Displays use Thunderbolt 2 protocol, but the connector is the same as Thunderbolt 1.
No, HDMI cannot be converted or adapted to Thunderbolt without extra computing power to generate the Thunderbolt Signal. Conversion is one way from TB to HDMI, but not generally backwards.
• USB C Thunderbolt 3/4 port on computer converted to Lightning 2 Mini DP.
1.
You can use an adapter to go from Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C to Thunderbolt 2 yes.
Before anyone suggests the 100's of cables on Amazon, it's not that simple. This is a conversion, not adapter, as this needs to be "Thunderbolt" compatible. Not all cables/adapters are.
Correct. Mini-Display port adapters will not work with a Thunderbolt Display. Full Stop.
2. I'm also trying to make the fewest gender/plug-type adaptions for reliability.
Apple makes the thunderbolt adapter you show in your second post, but there are several non-Apple adapters out there. Though not as many as before and good quality ones are becoming harder to find as time goes by.
And yes, you can use the thunderbolt port on the back of the display instead of the umbilical cable harness to connect it to the Mac.
click here ➜ Startech Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter - Amazon.com
There are of course a few no-name brands on Amazon, that claim to do this, but have poor reviews and seem to be returned often, so you need to be careful what you buy. Most of those are just TB3 /4 to Display Port which will not work on TB Displays.
Yes, unfortunately its not simple to find a good adapter TB3 to TB2 adapter and its getting harder the more time passes.
Also, note that the display resolution of these displays will now be a limiting factor. Current Macs can get very high resolutions 4k, 5k, 6k, 8k, which those displays cannot support, so you will be wasting a lot of display potential on newer Macs when using old TB Displays limited to 2.5k.
Instead of hunting down adapters and wrestling with signal conversions, a newer display that directly supports TB 3 / 4 or HDMI may be a better, easier alternative.
