VGA to HDMI adapters?

[Spiteface]

The HDMI port on my laptop's a bit fucked. This is a problem as I watch a lot of stuff using my laptop plugged into my telly via HDMI. In seeking a solution that doesn't involve buying a new laptop, I came across these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072KR7MJW/ref=psdc_430444031_t1_B01N2LZDP8?th=1

The VGA port on my Laptop still, as far as I know, works. Using this seems like it could be the solution I'm looking for. Anyone got any experience with these?

[Z]

Seeing as vga is analog, you'd probably be better with a vga to component adapter assuming your screen can take one.

No audio out with vga, mind

[Z]

VGA to DVI-I (NOT DVI-D) could also be a fox

[MojoJojo]

Yes. I'm confused by this product as I don't see how it can work. The reviews are a bit weird as well, even with them all being verified purchases. No one mentions why they need to convert a 30 year old standard to a 15 year old one.

Depending on what you use it for (e.g. mostly netflix), plex/chromecast might be a better way forward.

[Zero Gravitas]

Looks like the extra usb connection is powering a converter inside the gubbins of the oversized vga connector.

[Z]

Looks like the extra usb connection is powering a converter inside the gubbins of the oversized vga connector.

and passing audio through to the other outlet


Tbh I'd say it will work but I wouldn't have very hopes RE the quality. Reliable analog to digital converters seem to cost a lot more (although we're talking high speed ones used by retro gamers here, I guess)

[asids]

I have one of these cheapy adapter things, but the other way around - HDMI to VGA to connect my laptop's HDMI to an old monitor with a VGA port, for the purposes of having a monitor (and also external keyboard/mouse) while having the laptop at home since I can't be fucked with looking at a tiny laptop screen all the time. Mine doesn't have audio like this one but I don't care since I connect headphones to the laptop 3.5mm port anyway, and I did have an issue with the monitor where I would get a black screen every 30 seconds or so, but this was fixed when I changed the monitor's refresh rate from 60Hz to its native 75Hz.

I know this isn't really relevant to your issue, but yeah, these adapters do work, in my experience. They're literally just converting a VGA input/output to a HDMI input/output with no changes accounting for the technical differences so don't expect anything fancy and I wouldn't recommend it as a long-term solution.

[buzby]

and passing audio through to the other outlet


Tbh I'd say it will work but I wouldn't have very hopes RE the quality. Reliable analog to digital converters seem to cost a lot more (although we're talking high speed ones used by retro gamers here, I guess)

The audio comes from the 3.5mm jack you plug into the headphone socket. The USB connector is purely to pick up the 5V power for the framestore and HDMI encoder hardware built into the VGA connector (i.e. it's an 'active' cable).

They work by storing the analogue scanline RGB VGA sugnals for each pixel into a RAM buffer and when the frame is complete (i.e. VGA sync pulse is detected) it is then encoded into a HDMI signal in one of the standard resolutions (576p, 720p, 1080p etc), with some upscaling or windowing of the image in the frame store, depending on how clever it is (one of the reviews comments about loss of some of the image on the 4 sides, which sounds like it's 'windowing' the image in the framestore to the nearest standard resolution rather than scaling it (which requires more processing).

At the same time it's sampling the analogue video signal, it will also be sampling the analogue audio (probably into straight 16-bit PCM). hopefully it's clever enough to delay the audio stream to keep it in sync with the video (buffering and converting the video takes a finite time, so the audio has to be delayed by the same amount or you end up with lag between them)

For best image quality it;s usually advisable to pick a resolution on your PC nearest to one of the HDMI standard resolutions and let your TV do the upscaling.

[Spiteface]

I have one of these cheapy adapter things, but the other way around - HDMI to VGA to connect my laptop's HDMI to an old monitor with a VGA port, for the purposes of having a monitor (and also external keyboard/mouse) while having the laptop at home since I can't be fucked with looking at a tiny laptop screen all the time. Mine doesn't have audio like this one but I don't care since I connect headphones to the laptop 3.5mm port anyway, and I did have an issue with the monitor where I would get a black screen every 30 seconds or so, but this was fixed when I changed the monitor's refresh rate from 60Hz to its native 75Hz.

I know this isn't really relevant to your issue, but yeah, these adapters do work, in my experience. They're literally just converting a VGA input/output to a HDMI input/output with no changes accounting for the technical differences so don't expect anything fancy and I wouldn't recommend it as a long-term solution.

Oh yeah, it's pretty much a temporary thing until I want to get a new laptop.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Does your laptop support a docking station? You might be able to pick one of them up cheap on ebay and plug the hdmi into that.

Another thing on check out are USB hdmi interfaces. They have a built-in graphics card effectively. It'll probably be alright for video but don't expect to be gaming.

[Sivead]

Is a Chromecast or something like a Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter (if your laptops windows 8.1 or up) a no go?

[Talasour]

Is there any other display ports on your laptop other than the HDMI? You might be able to buy an X to HDMI connector an use it that way.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Aye check if there's a display port thing, the mini one looks a bit like the old firewire thingy.

[Talasour]

Rather than buying a new laptop wouldn't it be easier just to organise having the HDMI port fixed?