Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question
Solved

will HDMI to VGA work

Tags:
  • VGA
  • HDMI
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
Share
August 10, 2013 4:30:49 AM

i recently brought a HDMI to VGA cable off ebay and didn't think much of it looked about but i haven't really got a clear answer.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10ft-3m-HDMI-Male-to-VGA-Male...

so will this HDMI output work with a VGA screen? as the title suggests.

More about : hdmi vga work

August 10, 2013 4:34:54 AM

yes, digital signals can down convert where as analog sources need a power source to up convert.

The wire will be configured for video only though, sound will be absent.
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 4:35:03 AM

Depends on whatever device your displaying.
HDMI is a purely digital signal and doesn't have an auxilliary analogue signal like most DVI variations do, VGA is an analogue signal, so with just the cable itself it wont work.
As the disclaimer on the ebay page says, the VGA port on whatever device your displaying needs to support a Digital signal from its VGA port.
m
0
l
Related resources
August 10, 2013 4:36:51 AM

can i ask why you bought the cable? the monitor only accepts vga? Possibly other video sources youre using but if its a video card, they all come with dvi which works much the same as hdmi and usually comes with an adapter for vga as standard in the packaging.
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 4:39:31 AM

whats the point of vga then? all vga ports on every monitor/display is analog. Can use dvi/vga adapter but thats still to analog. I was hoping for an legit reason for the cable, perhaps wiring itself is done internally to support one end.

Still, there no display using vga input as digital. And the monitors that do have it as an option can not be shared simultaneously with the other digital connection.
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 4:53:22 AM

The point of VGA is that its old, and is lingering around because people have old equipment. I can only assume that some VGA revision or manufacturers included a digital output so that it can easily be adapted to newer/future connections.
I would also assume that a digital VGA port is still capable of putting out an analog signal through the use of some internal KVM switch, since it doesnt have the luxury of just adding in extra pins like DVI has for that functionality.
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 4:57:20 AM

i already have 1 monitor going from DVI to vga, and i have a gtx 670 so i brought this cable because the second monitor i have is the exact same as the one i already have and i was hoping to dual screen and if it is possible to output using the HDMI to VGA then the problem im getting now is that its not working
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 5:02:25 AM

So you have two VGA only monitors, and only the DVI-D connector with the extra pins (the top one) can adapt to VGA passively. HDMI, Displayport and your other DVI port cant adapt without using an expensive Active adapter.

Options I see. Use integrated graphics if you have it, get yourself an active adapter or buy yourself a cheap as graphics card (say a GT210) and use that for the extra VGA port.
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 5:10:19 AM

yeah turns out the one im using is a DVI-i so ive got a DVI-D spare ill just buy a cheap DVI-D male to VGA female on ebay or something cheers for the help guys
m
0
l

Best solution

August 10, 2013 5:15:07 AM

No, that's the problem. Only that top DVI port has the pins necessary (around the flat pin) for an analogue signal, which you are already using.
As is, you don't have any more analogue signals to use. Getting an adapter for your remaining DVI port wont do anything unless your monitor can accept a digital signal, which if your HDMI-VGA cable didnt work I doubt it can.
Share
August 10, 2013 5:24:16 AM

ah i see =/
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 5:32:38 AM

It might, but it could be basically the cable you already have.
I would go with this, it overtly claims to be an Active adapter so you can be sure that it will work.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Matters-Active-Female-Ada...

Just for clarification.
Passive adapters are like what you already have, all they really do is change the shape of the connector and rely on the analog/digital signal already being there.
Active adapters take in the analogue/digital signal and convert it to the other, hence why it can be used on ports that don't support the signal you want.
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 5:36:03 AM

yeah for the current screen i am using a DVI-I to vga adapter however ive just thought about the dvi-i adapter i have as it can dual link, so would there be any issues if i had a DVI-i to 2x VGA
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 5:38:56 AM

I suspect if you did that you would get two screens showing the same thing.

Dual-Link isn't representative of how many screens it can support, all it means is that it has extra pins (Digital ones) and hence has the bandwidth to support higher resolutions/refresh rates.
Nothing to fo with its Analogue capabilities. Using a VGA connector I believe the max you can get is 1080p 60hz.
m
0
l
August 10, 2013 5:41:56 AM

ah, then ill go for the digital to ano converter then cheers Mano
m
0
l
!