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Plugable HDMI to VGA Active Adapter Cable
$31.95 USD
SKU: HDMI-VGAAmazon Rating : (574 Reviews)
Features
- HDMI to VGA—Connect a HDMI output on a laptop, desktop, or docking station to a VGA computer monitor or projector
- Supported Resolutions—Compatible VGA displays up to 1920x1080 at 60Hz refresh rate, lower resolutions are supported at 60Hz
- Simple Installation—No installation software or drivers required; connect the VGA end of the 6ft/1.8m cable to the display, and the HDMI end to the computer, the flat cable helps prevent tankgs and makes management easy
- Compatibility - Compatible with desktop and laptop computers with HDMI outputs, due to power requirements—not recommended for use with Apple computers, Raspberry Pi, Roku, Apple TV, BluRay players, DVD Players, or gaming consoles
- 2-Year Coverage, Lifetime Support—Every Plugable product, including this HDMI to VGA Adapter, is covered against defects for 2 years and comes with lifetime support. If you ever have questions, contact our North American-based team - even before purchase
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Product Description
Plugable's HDMI to VGA cable connects your HDMI capable computer to a VGA monitor, projector, or other display device. The robust flat cable prevents tangling and can easily be tucked away behind your display and computer.
Our cable's CH7101A Digital to Analog chipset converts from the source's digital HDMI signal to an analog VGA signal both business class displays without a HDMI input, as well as older monitors with only a VGA connection. This conversion is performed inline without any external convert boxes or power sources necessary.* Please note, while HDMI can carry audio the VGA is not compatible with audio, a separate audio cable.
(*Most HDMI outputs will provide enough power to run the digital to analog conversion, some extremely low power devices may not be compatible with this adapter cable ).
Compatibility
Directionality
Plugable active HDMI to VGA adapter cable is a one-way adapter from a HDMI source to a VGA display. Most common HDMI sources are desktop computers or laptops. The adapter will not function to connect a VGA source to a HDMI display.
VGA does not support audio transmission; only the HDMI video signal will be converted. The maximum supported resolution of the cable is 1920 x 1080 (60Hz). Does not support playback of HDCP-protected content such as Blu-ray discs.
Power and Incompatible Devices
The Plugable HDMI to VGA adapter requires a powered HDMI port to power the digital to analog converter, as well as a display device that outputs valid EDID configuration data for the source device to correctly detect the external display.
Due to power requirements this adapter cable is not recommended for use with the Raspberry Pi, Apple TV, Roku1/2/3, Blu-ray players, or Playstation 3/4.
Apple Compatibilty
Different Mac models vary substantially in the amount of power supplied to the HDMI port. The MacBook Pro 13" (mid-2014) and Mac Mini (mid-2011) have been tested and confirmed working. Use with other Mac models is not recommended.
Features
- HDMI to VGA Active cable 6ft (1.8m) length
- Durable PVC Plastic cable
- Unique flat cable design
- Supports a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 (60Hz)
- CH7101A Chipset
Is there a suggested order for which end of the cable should be connected first?
For best results, plug in the VGA end of the cable to your display prior to plugging in the HDMI end to your output device.
Does this HDMI to VGA cable work with MacBooks or OS X?
No, our cable does not work with MacBooks or OS X. It's compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11.
Why isn't this cable working with my HDMI device or VGA display?
The Plugable active HDMI to VGA cable requires a powered HDMI port, unfortunately the HDMI powered port standards are not widely complied with, so it is device-dependent whether the HDMI to VGA cable will work properly. Similarly the VGA display must support Extended Display Identification Data (EDID), some older displays may be incompatible. Please feel free to contact our support team through Amazon's Contact Seller button on this page and we will be happy to help!
After connecting this cable I no longer have audio through my system speakers?
Sometimes Windows will switch the playback device to the HDMI port when it detects an HDMI cable connected, even if that cable isn’t able to transmit sound. There’s a Windows setting that can be changed so that audio will continue to play through your computer speakers. The settings change should only need to be made once. With the HDMI-VGA cable plugged in to the system, we’ll change the preferred playback device setting to tell Windows to use the computer speakers rather than trying to output over HDMI. This page has a good quick guide to where the setting is found (the process should be virtually the same for Windows 7, 8.1, 10 and 11).
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Can I Connect a DisplayPort (DP) Monitor to the HDMI Port on This Device Using an Adapter or Cable?
No. Most DisplayPort to HDMI cables and adapters are one-way adapters from a DisplayPort Source (computer or docking station) to a HDMI Sink (television, computer monitor, or projector). These cables do not work in reverse.
DisplayPort uses packet-based data transmission, breaking the video stream into individual packets of data allows for longer cable runs, use in both copper and fiber-optic cables, and allows for higher bandwidth than other video formats. It is relatively easy to convert from DisplayPort to HDMI (computers with HDMI output ports already do this internally) and dual-mode DisplayPort outputs have built-in adapters to output a HDMI signal for use with passive DisplayPort to HDMI adapters.
HDMI uses a video signal, similar to DVI, this requires more power to operate at the same cable lengths as DisplayPort and requires significantly more processing power to create DisplayPort packet-based data.
Externally powered HDMI to DisplayPort adapters do exist, these generally have a USB or small barrel plug for power, and can convert from a HDMI Source to DisplayPort Sink. In most cases they have reduced resolution or refresh rates compared to modern signal sources and can introduce delay in the data connection between the display and computer potentially causing reduced connectivity or display performance problems.
We do not currently recommend using HDMI to DisplayPort adapter with our docking stations. In our testing they have been unreliable compared to a native DisplayPort connection. Many of our newer docking stations include both HDMI and DisplayPort outputs to reduce the need for additional adapters or adapter cables.
My Docking Station/Adapter Works Well With My Windows Laptop, but When I Close the Lid the Displays and Laptop Turn Off or Sleep. How Do I Fix This?
Most Windows notebook computers power management settings will default to putting the computer to sleep with the lid closed, regardless of any external displays, keyboard, or mouse connected to the computer. If this is happening but you would prefer the system to remain active with the lid closed utilizing the external display or displays, these settings can be changed by performing the following:
For Windows 10:
- Start by right-clicking on the Start button and select Power Options from the menu.
- From the right side of the Power Options settings page, select the blue link for Additional power settings
- From the choices present on the left-hand side of the Power Options window, please click on Choose what closing the lid does
- Make sure the setting for When I close the lid under the Plugged In column is set to Do Nothing
- Click the Save Changes button and restart the system (making sure that the laptop’s power adapter is also connected) and test the behavior again.
For Windows 11:
- Start by right-clicking on the Start button and select Power Options from the menu.
- In the upper left corner of the settings window, in the search box, type "lid" then select Change what closing the lid does from the search results
- Make sure the setting for When I close the lid under the Plugged In column is set to Do Nothing
- Click the Save Changes button to apply the new settings.
Closing the lid should no longer put the computer into sleep mode when an external display and power source is connected, instead one of the external displays should now become the Primary display with the desktop icons instead of the laptop's built-in display.
The lid may still need to be opened to perform the following tasks:
- To power on the computer from a fully powered off state
- To log into the computer if logged out or if the computer is restarted with the lid closed
- To wake the computer from a deep sleep state ( hibernation, or Windows hybrid sleep states )
How To: Set the Display Refresh Rate in Windows 11
Many modern displays can support above the default 60Hz refresh rate, however this may need to be manually set within Windows 11. Please note, not all computers, graphics adapters, and docking stations can support all resolutions and refresh rates.
Setting the Display Refresh Rate in Windows 11
1. Right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings from the drop-down menu
2. Scroll down to the Related settings subsection and select Advanced display
3. At the top of the Advanced display window, select the external display from the drop-down menu
4. From the Choose a refresh rate drop-down menu select the desired refresh rate
Refresh Rate Limitations
With Windows 24H2 and newer, dynamic refresh rates are supported, this allows the system to adjust the display refresh rate to save power, up to the selected refresh rate. As a consequence of this new mode, when selecting the display refresh rate you may see an asterisk. This indicates that selecting the specific refresh rate may reduce the display resolution or image quality in order to prioritize the refresh rate. This exposes the refresh rate option from the display even if the display cable or computer is incapable of supporting that refresh rate at the native resolution and is the intended behavior per Microsoft. [1]
In the screenshot below the left side shows the 4K 120Hz capable display limited to 60Hz refresh rate without asterisks, and on the right the same display after setting the refresh rate to “120 Hz*”, the “Desktop mode” resolution has been reduced to 2560 x 1440 (1440p) instead of 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD). Unlike when using the display scaling option this also causes a reduction in image quality. On the right side asterisks are no longer shown in the refresh rate list. Setting the refresh rate back to 60Hz does not change the resolution, you will have to go back one page and set the resolution manually.
References
[1] Windows Insider description of new behavior (https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/08/31/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-25941-canary-channel/)
How to Determine Your USB-C Port Video Capabilities
Understanding your laptop's video output capabilities is essential when connecting to external displays. This guide will help you identify what video technologies your laptop supports and how to find the relevant information.
Common Video Output Technologies
Modern laptops commonly use one or more of the following technologies to transmit video to external monitors:
1. Thunderbolt 3
- Supports video output using the DisplayPort protocol.
- Capable of driving up to two 4K displays at 60Hz or one 5K display at 60Hz.
- Uses a USB-C connector and features a lightning bolt symbol next to the port.
Note: An example of Thunderbolt 3 ports
2. Thunderbolt 4
- Provides improved performance over Thunderbolt 3.
- Supports up to two 4K displays at 60Hz or one 8K display.
- Uses a USB-C connector with the same lightning bolt symbol but may also include the number "4" for identification.
Note: Thunderbolt 4 has the same physical connection and “lightning” bolt icon as Thunderbolt 3
3. USB-C DisplayPort "Alt Mode"
- Allows video output directly through the USB-C port using DisplayPort technology.
- Commonly supports one 4K display at 60Hz, but capabilities may vary.
- Often marked with a DisplayPort ("DP") symbol, but this feature may also be specified in your system's documentation.
Note: An example of a USB-C port with DisplayPort capabilities
How to Identify Your Laptop's Video Capabilities
To determine what video technologies your laptop supports, follow these steps:
1. Check Your Laptop's User Manual:
- Locate your laptop's user manual (often available online from the manufacturer's support site).
- Search for keywords like "Thunderbolt," "DisplayPort Alt Mode," or "video output capabilities."
2. Visit the Manufacturer's Website:
- Go to the support page for your laptop model and find the technical specifications section.
- Look for details on Thunderbolt or USB-C video capabilities.
3. Inspect Your Laptop's Ports:
-
Check for identifying symbols next to USB-C ports:
- Thunderbolt 3/4 ports may have a lightning bolt symbol.
- DisplayPort Alt Mode may be marked with a "DP" icon.
“What if I do not have the above technologies?”: USB 3.0 (Type-A) and Display Expansion
While USB 3.0 (Type-A) ports do not support native video output, they can still be used to extend to two or more displays using software-based solutions like DisplayLink or Silicon Motion's InstantView. These technologies enable video through USB-A ports by utilizing dedicated drivers and software.
If your laptop lacks Thunderbolt or USB-C video capabilities, DisplayLink or InstantView may be a viable alternative for expanding your display setup. A few other things to consider:
- Not all USB-C ports support video output. Checking your laptop's documentation is crucial to confirm this capability.
- Thunderbolt ports are backward compatible with USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode but provide enhanced performance and flexibility.
If you have further questions about connecting your Plugable docking station or adapter to your laptop, please reach out to our support team for guidance.
