I have an old Sony VAIO with onboard video (64mb) that I'd like to use as an htpc. My hdtv is an RCA Scenium with HDMI, S-Video, Component, and Composite. I stopped by the store and picked up an hdmi-to-dvi adapter and a dvi-to-vga cable. I booted up the pc but unfortunately there was no video from the hdmi input. Im just looking for the easiest way to turn the pc into a dvd/surround-sound player, preferrably without having to upgrade it. Im not an hdtv whiz, is it even possible to take vga output to hdmi input? Would I need a video card with a dvi connection? Any help is appreciated.
Its not possible to take vga into hdmi with just cable adapters. Because HDMI is a digital signal, but VGA is analog (thats why you can convert DVI to HDMI, as DVI is also digital) im not sure if its possible to go from vga to hdmi, if it is it would be a hardware solution. I would just buy a new video card that has HDMI, you could get something that beats that onboard video for extremly cheap! Plus if you did manage to get VGA to HDMI for a hd tv the video picture wouldent be very sharp and would look much nicer if you used a digital signal from the computer. Go for a new card
I do believe you could use that cable, but then again... the picture wouldent be nice and sharp http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2201371&CatId=0 even that would beat your onboard video
You'll either need a Graphics Gard with an HDMI output (eg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102032) Or a gfx card with DVI and then take the sound across seperatly. You cant use cable adaptors. The DVI output from a computer carries both Digital and Analogue signals. When you use a DVI-VGA adaptor it just dumps the digital signals and carries on the analogue ones. In order to use the VGA output you would need some convertor box to convert the Analogue VGA signal to Digital. A DVI-HDMI cable works because the DVI is a digital. Simplified: DVI - Digital Video HDMI - Digital Video + sound
Component is probably the answer here, you can use a VGA to component cable such as this and component is capable of delivering hi def video. Youd be out of luck further down the line as this wont be hdcp compliant but thats the same as most current HTPCs.
The problem is the mobo doesnt even have an AGP slot! What will happen if I get the vga-to-component cable, will I lose quality with dvd playback?
Not really, component is the highest quality analog video feed and as I said it is perfectly capable of transmiting Hi-Def. Most top end DVD players before HDMI relied on component output.
Since my dvd player is already connected via component then I shouldnt notice any difference. I found a Radeon9250 with dvi-out for $60. What should I do: 1. Keep existing onboard vga and go vga-to-component? 2. Buy the Radeon and go hdmi-to-dvi? 3. Just buy a home theatre system?
Looks like i may have been mistaken, I know you have a sync issue when running an RGB feed from VGA but i assumed component was different.
It is (component has sync-on-green), but the two aren't completely incompatible either. You just generally can't do such conversions passively, since you need to add the sync into the Y cable. So, options are limited to replacing the graphics card with something that has DVI (and then use a DVI->HDMI plug, and ponder the audio separately), getting a whole new system, or buying some sort of overpriced VGA-to-component box.
I just put together a new HTPC. The motherboard I used is an Intel D945gpm which has hi-def optical audio, and it has Intel VIIV 950 video onboard. I thought no problem to connect to HDTV! Wrong! Motherboard only has VGA connector. I ended up buying a Sapphire(ATI) X1600 pro 512mb card. It has a VGA, DVI, and a TV-out component connector. I havent yet tried connecting it to my CRT HDTV yet. The TV has both DVI and component connections available, I'm going to try them both. The X1600 has ATI VIVO technology and the price was right, about $85-$90 after rebate. So I think the graphics will be better than the onboard anyway. I had a small problem with the system memory, waiting for Corsair to send my replacements, then I'll repost my results.
