We are constantly at war with ports, cables, and adapters here at CineGeek whether we’re setting up our system for live video displays at conventions or running video and images on an LCD for the video stream of our weekly webcast. There are always issues to contend with. So, when I cracked open the Accel UltaV to put it through its paces I hoped it would offer up at least one solution.
The Gadget
The Ultra AV adapts the display port found on most Mac computers to DVI Single Link or Dual Link displays and projectors. The packaging claims 10.8 GB throughput and 330MHZ maximum pixel clock rate for full support of 120hz 3D displays. So, obviously I was excited to put it through the paces. I connected the device from My Mac Pro laptop to a Vizio 120hz LCD and right out of the box the device just rocked. Overall image quality is outstanding, colors are as perfectly reproduced as possible from the Mac to the Vizio, and there was no delay, artifacting or other issues. Set up was also fast and painless which is a particularly great thing. We ran some 3D content through the adapter from the PC to the Vizio and sure enough the adapter handled that heavy load just fantastically. The image was smooth and the 3D was unaffected by going through the adapter at all.
We connected the Mac Pro via the adapter to a Proxima projector with similar results. We were able to get the resolution all the way up to the promised setting of2560X1600 at 60hz. At that high of a resolution things became a little jittery but taking the settings back down to a normal resolution put us right back on track. Now, the device is totally usable maxed out it just felt a little too stutter for our taste. This issue will likely vary from computer to computer and display to display though.
The device does require power but Accel smartly decided to provide a usb connection for that so no wall wart is required. The Mac Pro actually has a mini display port, which was also solved by the package because Accel provides an adapter to take the standard display port down to mini. The Ultra Av does all it promises in a simple and easy to use package. What’s to complain about?
9.5/10
Build Quality
So, the build quality on this device is really surprising. The Ultra AV is meant for road work. If you deal with projectors and displays and you travel this little adapter will take the beating. The body is made of metal and the cables and connections are heavy duty. The connectors are locking and they offer a really tight fit so they won’t be slipping out when you turn the laptop during a presentation. The only minor complaint I have here is that if you find yourself using both a standard display port and a mini display port you’ll have to keep up with the adapter they provide separately as it is not connected to the device in any way when you aren’t using it.
9/10
The UltrAV is a problem solver and it’s well built and easy to use. It grabs power from the USB connector so there’s no wall plug required and it comes with an adapter that takes the device from standard to mini display port. The device is meant for a very niche task so not everyone needs it but if you require this sort of adapter then you’ll find this to be a lifesaver.
Overall (Not an Average) 9/10
The Review
The Gadget 9.5/10
The Build Quality 9/10
Overall (Not an average) 9/10