Dec252011

Can I connect my VGA laptop to my HDMI TV?

Shyam asks:

My laptop has VGA connection, but my HDTV has HDMI. I have a cable which can connect VGA terminal on my laptop to  the HDMI terminal on HDTV – will that work?



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7 Answers -

0 votes

FIDELIS

December 25, 2011

Hello, I would say you have three options with your setup:

1.– Use a VGA cable to connect laptop with HDTV but with no sound.  You have to use a separate cable for sound:

2.– Use VGA to HDMI converter/adapter.

http://www.amazon.ca/HDMI-VGA-HD15-Male-Cable/dp/B003OE7UES/ref=dp_cp_ob_ce_title_0

3.– Try your cable.  I have never used a cable from VGA to HDMI.  Is this what you have?  If it is, it might just work.

http://www.amazon.ca/VGA-HDMI-Cable-6-feet/dp/B002TUC64W/ref=dp_cp_ob_ce_title_2/175-1816051-8831263

0 votes

Mike

December 25, 2011

Well, it will work but most likely a “VGA to HDMI cable/adapter” won’t cut it. VGA is a analog video signal wherein HDMI is digital. Hence you will most likely need an Analog-to-Digital Video converter.

that’s what Amazon spit out:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HNXM4M/
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016SN49Y/

Shyam

Haven’t tried it yet – will do tomorrow. No adapter – just vga connect to HDMI – will see what happens/let you know. Thanx

December 25, 2011
Jason

did it work? i have the same problem. i bought a vga to hdmi converter, changed the resolution on my laptop, got picture. no sound though. plus i tried an audio cable, still no sound

December 29, 2011
Nena

how big is your tv? cuz im trying to do the same with my laptop and the vga to hdmi cable adapter only, and the tv wont give me a picture. can someone help me please? ive been searching forums and posts all night..

June 17, 2012
Mike

It has nothing to do with the size of your TV. Once again, the problem is signal related:
VGA is a analog signal
HDMI is a digital signal

They are incompatible – one doesn’t ‘understand’ the other.

If you ask me stores should pull all those VGA to HDMI cables off the shelf because in most cases they CAN’T work.

Those cables will ONLY work IF your graphics card is capable to send a DIGITAL signal over VGA.

What you can try:
1. turn off both computer and TV
2. connect the cable
3. turn on the TV
4. turn on the computer

If the TV screen stays black you HAVE TO get a converter that converts the analog VGA signal to a digital signal (DVI).

To prevent any misunderstand:
Such a converter is an active component that mostly looks like a little box and sometimes has an external power supply.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_scat_280341_ln?rh=n%3A280341%2Ck%3Avga+to+hdmi

June 20, 2012
Nena

i have tried the same with a vga to hdmi cable adapter only no converter, and im getting “no signal” on the tv display. my tv is 50in so im concerned if its too big to convert the image. any advise?? thanx in advance

June 17, 2012
0 votes

Shyam

December 29, 2011

It didn’t work for me. I just went back to my newer laptop which has a HDMI terminal and all fine. Buy now going to VGA to VGA on the older laptop. Wondering if that will have a quality of picture and sound thats almost equal

0 votes

Alexandra

January 13, 2012

HI THERE

I WANT TO CONNECT MY LAPTOP TO TV I HAVE A VGA TO HDMI CONNECTOR BUT IT STILL DOESN’T WORK….. AM I DOING SOMETHING WRONG? I DON’T NEED SOUND JUST NEED DISPLAY. PLEASE HELP…..

PS: I CONNECT ONE END (VGA TO MY LAPTOP) AND THE OTHER END (HDMI TO MY TV) AND IT DOESN’T WORK …….. I TRIED CHANGING DISPLAY SETTINGS ON MY LAPTOP AND NO RESULTS….. TRIED 2 DIFFERENT TV’s…

THANKS FOR HELP 

Mike

As previously explained VGA is an analog signal wherein HDMI is digital – by default a setup using a single cable can’t work.

it’s like trying to run a diesel [car] with gasoline

The only exception to this is if your graphics/video card supports to send a digital signal via the VGA output.

But in most cases you don’t get around a converter.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_scat_280341_ln?rh=n%3A280341%2Ck%3Avga+to+hdmi

January 13, 2012
0 votes

Tanker_tot24954

March 5, 2012

It will not work unless you have a VGA to HDMI adapter, not just the cable. I’ve been on the phone with HP for hours and they finally gave me that answer. You have to have an actual converter to go from VGA (analog) to HDMI (digital) and you’ll still need a seperate sound cable.

Shyam

I agree. I had to go back to the VGA method. Now trying to use a spiltter w/LMV switch – having trouble with image size. Don’t quite understand and therefore don’t know how to fix. Anyone?

March 5, 2012
0 votes

Olu

May 15, 2012

I have a Dell latitude D620 laptop with VGA adaptor, and a toshiba LCD with HDMI ADAPTOR pls. how can i connect laptop to tv?

Mike

This has already been answered before.

VGA is an analog signal, HDMI is a digital signal ~ you need an active component – a converter – to go from VGA out to HDMI in.

example links are in the answers below

May 15, 2012
0 votes

Ian

July 9, 2012

I had to look into this as well. Thanks to all who have helped describe how to get it to work. I found an article describing some of the converters as well: http://sewelldirect.com/articles/vga-to-hdmi.aspx