vga to dvi to hdmi to dvi ------ HELP!!!!

C

completelyhis

Member
I have an inwall cable that is is dvi where my tv is, and dvi where the a/v closet is. As best as I can figure, it is a DVI-D cable, so it should be backwards compatible with DVI-A also, right?

anyway, I want to connect my automation computer (which is in the a/v closet) to the tv. My computer currently only has vga. So, I need to get a vga to hdmi cable, which I can't seem to find. so, here's what I have come up with:

I found a vga to dvi-a cable, which I could connect to a dvi to hdmi adapter, which would connect to the hdmi end of my in wall cable. here are some links to what I am proposing to use:

vga - hdmi
http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/10v4-05302.htm

hdmi - dvi adapter
http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/30hd-00300.htm

then i would need an hdmi coupler, because i can't find an hdmi female/dvi female adapter:
http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/30hh-00400.htm

the cable that most closely resembles the one in my wall:
http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/hdmi-21550.htm

Is this going to work? It feels a bit frankensteinish at best. I suppose I could get a DVI video card, but it's hard to find an affordable one that's not pci express.

I'm also concerned about the whole dvi-a/dvi-d thing. any thoughts?
 
There is some good information on DVI at Wikepedia.

There are a number of variations on the DVI connector, but the three of most interest are DVI-D (Digital), DVI-A (Analog) and DVI-I (Integrated - analog & digital).

VGA, being an analog signal, can be carried on DVI-A or DVI-A cables. If you look at the images on Wikipedia you will see that the four pins and the "plus" shape carry the analog signals - the "plus" indicates a DVI-A (or more likely) a DVI-I cable.

HDMI is a digital only standard, so you can't convert from DVI-A to HDMI. If you look at the picture of the HDMI-DVI adapter you linked to you will see that it is missing the analog pins - it can only connect to a DVI-D cable.

If the cable you have in place is a DVI-I cable (Look for the pins around the plus) then you could Use something like this at the PC end and this at the TV end - you might need to add some gender converters as well, but this will get VGA to your TV.

If you have a DVI-D cable then you will need to convert the analog VGA signal to digital. Use a VGA to DVI or HDMI convertor box such as this one This will cost more but gets you a digital signal that will work with a DVI-D cable and HDMI to DVI adapters.


Paul
 
wow, that's all very helpful! I'll go down to the basement this afternoon and inspect the inwall dvi cable, i think it is dvi-i, but i'm not sure. i'll also pick up a video card from ebay. looks like I could get one for about the same as one of the adapters that eliminates, and it feels like it is a better set up (and an improvement on my video card, which is a good thing!

thanks again,

Ian
 
Similar but slightly different question:

If i want to connect my TV directly to the home automtion PC (so i can use a mouse a control CQC) i assume i can use a DVI output from PC and convert to HDMI. Whats the quality of this signal will it be pretty sharp on my tv?

Secondly i know HMDI cannot be field terminated, what about DVI? I was planning on having 3/4" conduit running between the 2 locations, not sure if a HDMI connector will feed through that...pretty sure a DVI connector will not.

Automation server is in basement and TV one floor up.
 
MavRic said:
Similar but slightly different question:

If i want to connect my TV directly to the home automtion PC (so i can use a mouse a control CQC) i assume i can use a DVI output from PC and convert to HDMI. Whats the quality of this signal will it be pretty sharp on my tv?

Secondly i know HMDI cannot be field terminated, what about DVI? I was planning on having 3/4" conduit running between the 2 locations, not sure if a HDMI connector will feed through that...pretty sure a DVI connector will not.

Automation server is in basement and TV one floor up.
Click to expand...

DVI to HDMI should be perfect. Two things you can run into- a card/tv combo with no common video mode, and a TV that does not support a 1:1 pixel mode. The 1st is unlikely. The 2nd is likely, but shouldn't be much of an issue unless you are trying to look at very fine text, or trying to get perfect scaling from your computer. Using it with a "10 foot" interface should be fine regardless.

DVI is the same- can't really field terminate, unless you are handy with a soldering iron. You might be able to get a small HDMI connector through. . . if so just plan which way you are feeding your cable, and/or where your adapter is, and that part should work. Otherwise, think about 1". ;-)

Markd
 
I just checked a few in the lab- most are just over 3/4" wide, and maybe 3/8" thick. Some are quite a bit thicker, more than 1/2", and a touch wider. Some have ferrite cores on them too- 3/4" diameter there.

There is quite a bit of variation. Looks like the 1" might be required!

Markd
 
CollinR said:
Just use a balun, make all your stuff run over Cat5. the wonder wire!!! :blink:
Click to expand...

For a new installation where the TV and the Server are above each other just separated by a floor i would rather not spend the money on baluns and just use a slightly biffer smurftube to run this HDMI connector through...
 
I wasn't really talking specifically to you however remember HDMI may not stick around forever but I'm pretty certain UTP will be here for a while yet.

Also what happens if your equipment won't play nice together in my case my plasma cannot do a 1:1 pixel map over HDMI no matter what you do. So I am back on VGA, luckily for me I am in a similar situation as the display is directly below the server closet, further I have a minimum of 6" diameter space to pull wires to it. So I was able to pull DB15 and HDMI without issue. SCART could invade the US! :blink:
 
MavRic,

Have you considered using component video to your TV? I have an ATI card with the component video coverter. It does a great job at 1080i. It should be quite easy to push three coax cables through your conuit and termination is a breeze.

Rod
 
Something else to consider is distance ... I don't know how far you can run an HDMI cable for.

An alternative is to use component. I have 3 runs of RG6 between my TV and automation closet, which are ~ 60' long. The RG6 is easy to terminate after running it. The video card has a dongle to provide component out and all I needed was some converters from the F-connectors on the end of the coax to an RCA plug. The picture looks great, though there are some overscan problems around the edges.

Of course, if you are pulling wires then run CAT5 as well, you never know what it will be useful for in the future!
 
I'm also using coax but mine is RG6QS. I've got 6 runs of each from basement(headend location) to each rooms. Component and RGBHV(via HDFury) signal from my HD-A2, MythTV and DCT6200 works pretty well. I don't see any signal loss at all. The longest cable I have if I remember correctly is about 105'.

I've read an article before that if you want longer HDMI distance, you need an HDMI extender.
 
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