[mikeybud]

Hello! First post! hope someone can help me...

So i bought a cheapish desktop PC unit for the spec i was getting. they have obviously cut back on a few things including a graphics card that has a HMDI output port.

I have two VGA output ports but my HDTV doesnt have VGA input. *sad face* ive searched and it seems i would need to buy a analogue to digital convertor as well as the cables for VGA to HDMI. I figured i would be cheaper to install a new graphics card?

but where do i go from here?

in case you hadnt spotted as yet, i have no idea what im doing...

I have a Zoomstorm E3400 PC base unit. i cant remember what the graphic cards are. but i searched online and it says "intergrated graphics"...

[LiveBrianD]

You really can't go from analog to digital. You could buy a USB adapter, but those are often $60 or more. A better bet is a new GPU. What is your PSU brand, wattage, and 12V rail? For instance, I have a geforce 210 which ran fine with a 350 watt unit. That was $50, and I've seen ones for about $30 at local stores.

[coastie65]

mikeybud, on 27 September 2011 - 03:01 PM, said:

Hello! First post! hope someone can help me...

So i bought a cheapish desktop PC unit for the spec i was getting. they have obviously cut back on a few things including a graphics card that has a HMDI output port.

I have two VGA output ports but my HDTV doesnt have VGA input. *sad face* ive searched and it seems i would need to buy a analogue to digital convertor as well as the cables for VGA to HDMI. I figured i would be cheaper to install a new graphics card?

but where do i go from here?

in case you hadnt spotted as yet, i have no idea what im doing...

I have a Zoomstorm E3400 PC base unit. i cant remember what the graphic cards are. but i searched online and it says "intergrated graphics"...

Hi MIkey and welcome to the forums. I couldn't find a lot on that PC. Yep, it is Integrated graphics. I was trying to find out if it had a PCIe x16 expansion slot where you could add a dedicated card with HDMI. As for adapter, you can go from VGA at the Computer port to DVI, if the monitor has no VGA port. Anyway, the only way you will be able to get HDMI is if you can upgrade to a dedicated video card that has an HDMI port ( most all of them have DVI these days ).

[LiveBrianD]

There are lots of cheap integrated graphics that ONLY have VGA. Remember, HDMI is just DVI (they are electrically compatible) and digital audio. Adapters are cheap. However, you probably won't find it on integrated graphics. I couldn't find a ton of info on that computer though, so it's hard to know if it has that. See this: http://i4memory.com/...8_T3RS_PCIE.jpg If it's a long slot and it has that little thingy at the end (toward the middle of the motherboard), it's a PCI-E x16 slot. Small short ones are PCI-E x1. Long ones withOUT that thingy are plain old PCI. (you almost certainly have maybe 2 PCI slots or so, a PCI-E x1, and hopefully a PCI-E x16, needed for graphics)

[coastie65]

I do have HDMI on the intergrated graphics on this MOBO, course the graphics are integrated in the Sandy Bridge Processor and the reason.

[LiveBrianD]

coastie65, on 27 September 2011 - 04:30 PM, said:

I do have HDMI on the intergrated graphics on this MOBO, course the graphics are integrated in the Sandy Bridge Processor and the reason.

His machine has a 775 Celeron (and DDR2, though Windows 7), so you've got whatever the mobo manufacturer opted to include.

[mikeybud]

Hey guys thanks for the responses. I havent opened up the unit yet so i am unsure about the jpeg, Brian, but thanks i'll use that when i get home.

Would i be easier converting VGA to DVI then, as Coastie said? and using the DVI to hook up to my TV?

[coastie65]

LiveBrianD, on 27 September 2011 - 04:33 PM, said:

coastie65, on 27 September 2011 - 04:30 PM, said:

I do have HDMI on the intergrated graphics on this MOBO, course the graphics are integrated in the Sandy Bridge Processor and the reason.

His machine has a 775 Celeron (and DDR2, though Windows 7), so you've got whatever the mobo manufacturer opted to include.

I looked up the Machine and it has a low end C2D in there ( 2.5 Ghz I think ). At least i think it was as the peocessor was an E something or other.

mikeybud, on 28 September 2011 - 03:59 AM, said:

Hey guys thanks for the responses. I havent opened up the unit yet so i am unsure about the jpeg, Brian, but thanks i'll use that when i get home.

Would i be easier converting VGA to DVI then, as Coastie said? and using the DVI to hook up to my TV?

You would need a DVI cable and VGA to DVI adapter.

[LincolnSpector]

mikeybud, on 28 September 2011 - 03:59 AM, said:

Hey guys thanks for the responses. I havent opened up the unit yet so i am unsure about the jpeg, Brian, but thanks i'll use that when i get home.

Would i be easier converting VGA to DVI then, as Coastie said? and using the DVI to hook up to my TV?

If you don't want to get a new card, you could get a VGA-DVI adapter, then a DVI-HDMI adapter. I haven't tried that, but I imagine it would work.

Another thought: Do you really need HDMI? I've yet to see an HDTV that didn't take VGA.

Lincoln

[coastie65]

LincolnSpector, on 28 September 2011 - 06:39 AM, said:

mikeybud, on 28 September 2011 - 03:59 AM, said:

Hey guys thanks for the responses. I havent opened up the unit yet so i am unsure about the jpeg, Brian, but thanks i'll use that when i get home.

Would i be easier converting VGA to DVI then, as Coastie said? and using the DVI to hook up to my TV?

If you don't want to get a new card, you could get a VGA-DVI adapter, then a DVI-HDMI adapter. I haven't tried that, but I imagine it would work.

Another thought: Do you really need HDMI? I've yet to see an HDTV that didn't take VGA.

Lincoln

Hey Lincoln, I believe he is in the UK, so no telling.

[mikeybud]

I am in UK.

The tv has the inputs for Component video (Ypbpr),Component audio inputs,HDMI inputs,Scart1,Scart 2,Aeriel,PC audio input,S-VHS input,Audio line out.

^^ I copied that from another forum.

Will the idea of VGA to DVI then DVI to HDMI be ok?

I suppose it doesnt HAVE to be HDMI, just as long as i can use the TV as a screen for my base unit.

[waldojim]

The only way to move from VGA to HDMI is with an encoder box. Those are fairly expensive. A VGA to DVI adapter does NOT change the signal type, and HDMI does NOT accept analog signals (VGA).

Your best bet is to open the side of your PC and look at what expansion options you have available.


That right there has both PCI-E and PCI slots labeled. The colors are irrelevant. Do you have slots that look like the yellow PCI-E 16X slot?

[LiveBrianD]

mikeybud, on 28 September 2011 - 03:59 AM, said:

Hey guys thanks for the responses. I havent opened up the unit yet so i am unsure about the jpeg, Brian, but thanks i'll use that when i get home.

Would i be easier converting VGA to DVI then, as Coastie said? and using the DVI to hook up to my TV?

DVI and HDMI are ELECTRICALLY COMPATIBLE and therefore pretty much the same thing. Therefore, that won't help. You simply can't really go analog>digital. You can go DVI>VGA without an active adapter, but DVI includes analog pins. Therefore, HDMI>VGA is NOT possible.

OP, while you're in there, look at your power supply. What is the wattage, 12V rail, and brand? For instance, my last PSU was an Antec Basiq 350W, with 23A of 12V rail (10A and 13A), and it ran a system with an i5, Geforce 210, and 2 HDDs just fine. I've had that thing for nearly 5 years and it still works. (upgraded it though so I can upgrade the GPU)

Oh, and are you sure that you don't have a VGA port? Most HDTVs do. If not all.

This post has been edited by LiveBrianD: 28 September 2011 - 02:43 PM

[ReviverSoft]

@mikeybud

Why don't you post the specs. of your PC for us? You can use Speccy to do this.

This should indicate the following:

1. If you have PCI-E slot
2. Details of your onboard graphics chipset (a decent GPU can power a HDTV to its full glory)

This post has been edited by ReviverSoft: 29 September 2011 - 05:06 AM

[waldojim]

ReviverSoft, on 29 September 2011 - 05:04 AM, said:

@mikeybud

Why don't you post the specs. of your PC for us? You can use Speccy to do this.

This should indicate the following:

1. If you have PCI-E slot
2. Details of your onboard graphics chipset (a decent GPU can power a HDTV to its full glory)

Not if it doesn't have the right ports... as is the case in the current scenario.

[smax013]

LiveBrianD, on 28 September 2011 - 02:40 PM, said:

DVI and HDMI are ELECTRICALLY COMPATIBLE and therefore pretty much the same thing. Therefore, that won't help. You simply can't really go analog>digital. You can go DVI>VGA without an active adapter, but DVI includes analog pins. Therefore, HDMI>VGA is NOT possible.

OP, while you're in there, look at your power supply. What is the wattage, 12V rail, and brand? For instance, my last PSU was an Antec Basiq 350W, with 23A of 12V rail (10A and 13A), and it ran a system with an i5, Geforce 210, and 2 HDDs just fine. I've had that thing for nearly 5 years and it still works. (upgraded it though so I can upgrade the GPU)

Oh, and are you sure that you don't have a VGA port? Most HDTVs do. If not all. vga1.jpg

Slight clarification/correction.

DVI-D and HDMI are nominally electronically compatible.

You are correct that you cannot go from VGA to HDMI (either directly or "through" DVI) with just an "adapter".

But, as waldojim mentioned, you CAN go from VGA to HDMI with an (active) "converter" box. Such a device will "convert" the analog signal to a digital signal. Look them up on NewEgg. I have no clue how well they work. And if the OP does not have a good option to going to a dedicated video card with HDMI (or DVI-D), then it might be the only option.

[LiveBrianD]

Oh yeah, forgot about that.
http://www.hisdigita...61616114965.png
DVI-D is the digital only connector, typically on the monitor, and DVI-I is the digital AND analog compatible one typically on the PC.

[LincolnSpector]

LiveBrianD, on 01 October 2011 - 09:42 AM, said:

Oh yeah, forgot about that.
http://www.hisdigita...61616114965.png
DVI-D is the digital only connector, typically on the monitor, and DVI-I is the digital AND analog compatible one typically on the PC.

Another possibility: There are devices that connect wirelessly from USB to HDTV. I briefly discuss a couple of them in Can I Wirelessly Connect My PC to My HDTV?



Lincoln