Help please - HDMI to VGA?

write-stuff

write-stuff

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write-stuff
I have to replace the laptop in my workstation. I have a single monitor/keyboard/mouse and a switching system so I can use one of several computers. My switching system and external monitor is VGA (probably SVGA to be precise).

It appears that new laptops no longer have a VGA port. Instead they're all HDMI. So here's my question:

If I buy a new laptop with only an HDMI output, can I use an HDMI-to-VGA cable and get the signal to my monitor without any appreciable loss in quality?
 
You can't plug a VGA plug into an HDMI input. They are not the same shape. You're going to have to find an older laptop. Only solution.
 
He said "HDMI-to-VGA cable" so that implies an adapter. Or he can use an adapter on the HDMI cable.
I think most of us here are smart enough not to try to cram a VGA cable into an HDMI port. If it don't fit, just use a flathead screwdriver, right? :D
 
Whoops. My bad. You can plug HDMI into a VGA outlet but you have to bend some of the pins out of the way.
 
HDMI-VGA adapters work, too.

edit:

D'oh!! I was swapping DVI-VGA adapter around today and that was on my brain. Disregard the above.
 
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HDMI is digital. VGA is analog. You will need an active converter (i.e. Something with some processing on board not just a wiring adapter). The second issue is copy protection /signal encryption. HDMI widths with an encryption scheme called HDCP. From your computer it will most likely not be an issue, but some of the laptops will not allow any or all output to an analog device. Usually that just means you can't watch a DVD or Blu-ray (or a protected digital video file) in the external analog monitor.


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We use the adapters at work and I haven't heard of any complaints. We're just use office type software so video quality isn't something we're after.
 
BigBadLou said:
He said "HDMI-to-VGA cable" so that implies an adapter. Or he can use an adapter on the HDMI cable.
I think most of us here are smart enough not to try to cram a VGA cable into an HDMI port. If it don't fit, just use a flathead screwdriver, right? :D
Click to expand...

No screwdriver needed, just use a hammer. If it still doesn't fit, get a bigger hammer. Repeat until done. :)
 
Just used a borrowed adapter yesterday, worked fine..now I am going to need one and will be looking.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Just used a borrowed adapter yesterday, worked fine..now I am going to need one and will be looking.
Click to expand...
The one I linked was just the first on the list. I've carried the startech branded adapters with my laptop for years to connect to projectors for presentations and the picture has always been fine. Vga will always be the bottleneck, hdmi dvi displayport etc are all a higher signal.
 
I have, probably, a dozen like that, they work fine for me in multi-monitor use.
 
write-stuff said:
If I buy a new laptop with only an HDMI output, can I use an HDMI-to-VGA cable and get the signal to my monitor without any appreciable loss in quality?
Click to expand...

"appreciable loss in quality"? If you mean your old monitor will still look equally bad, yes. But you won't get the quality of an HDMI monitor and you'll probably need to reduce the resolution on your actual laptop.

But yes, those "cables", "adapters", "dongles" work well.
 
SVGA quality is fine, but I'm not happy with the prospect of having to reduce the resolution. That's a very likely source of diminished "quality".
 
Many computer DVI outputs have an analog signal wired into some of the pins (VGA) which is why a straight DVI to VGA adapter will work on a DVI laptop to a VGA monitor. This however is not true for all DVI output devices.

That is why you can go DVI to VGA on computers with just an adapter. You can not go VGA to DVI or HDMI to VGA without a signal converter.

DVI and HDMI are digital signals and can be converted with just an adapter, although DVI is just video where HDMI is audio and video.
 
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