HDMI -> Displayport problem

cats_five · 5 Mar 2015 at 09:00

I have a Dell monitor which has VGA, DVI & Displayport inputs. The DVI works fine using an HDMI->DVI cable from my PC or my (Dell!) laptop.

If I try an HDMI cable with a HDMI->DP adapter I get no joy at all, even if I manually select the DP.

Should this work? Obviously there is nothing wrong with the HDMI->DVI cable, or with the HDMI ports on the laptop or PC.

The adapter came from a well-known company, sadly the Dell monitor will be out of warrantee.

Baddass · 5 Mar 2015 at 09:10

HDMI to DP conversion is very tricky and quite hit and miss. can you link to the adapter in question (as long as it doesnt break any forum rules)? is it an "active" adapter?

any reason you need to use that when you can just use HDMI > DVI?

if it's for a second machine, it might be better to use VGA > VGA or DVI > VGA instead.

cats_five · 5 Mar 2015 at 11:39

Linking to the cable would break the forum rules and I'm pretty sure it's not an active adapter. It is a 'no brand' cable and I made the mistake of ordering in a hurry instead of waiting for my support ticket to be answered...

I have HDMI on the laptop and the PC, and DVI as well on the PC.

The Eizo (FlexScan S2242W-H) has DVI only, the Dell (UltraSharp U2412M) has DP & DVI (oh why couldn't it have had HDMI?). Of course both have VGA but obviously I don't want to go there.

If DVI to DP is any better I can switch the strategy - I know that HDMI to DVI works so the PC could do DVI to DP and HDMI to DVI, and the laptop could do HDMI to DVI.

Baddass · 5 Mar 2015 at 11:56

sorry, but confused. just explain what it is you're trying to do? what system is connecting to what screen?

cats_five · 5 Mar 2015 at 12:25

The PC should be connected to both screens. At present I'm using a DVI-DVI to one monitor which only has a DVI and a VGA, and an HDMI-DVI for the other which has DVI, DP & VGA.

I want to be able to connect my laptop to the second screen without unplugging the PC.

I don't want to use VGA.

cats_five · 5 Mar 2015 at 14:02

Got an email from a supplier, over £80 for the right adapter!!!!! (it's an active adapter, what I have must be a passive bit of cable with a plug on each end)

I think some sort of KVM that can switch DVI inputs might be a better - certainly cheaper - idea....

Baddass · 5 Mar 2015 at 14:04

ok i understand now. and i'm assuming the laptop has HDMI and VGA outputs? i really think VGA would be your best and simplest bet. not sure why you wouldn't want to use that, as modern VGA connections are generally very good and i doubt you'd notice much/any real difference in ppicture sharpness and quality

cats_five · 6 Mar 2015 at 14:07

The difference in sharpness is obvious editing text, which is what I wanted to use it for.

I should have got a non-APU CPU and a graphics card with DP as well as DVI, would have solved the problem. Too late now...

@simpleMr · 11 Mar 2015 at 00:33

Its wired differently so as mentioned in the first post the very fact that its not working is not a surprise and it is hit and mis i find that with a VGA to console cable adapters a real pain but eventually it works.