new laptop hdmi connection for projector

For example, you can go from DisplayPort to HDMI with a passive adapter (because DisplayPort was designed that way). So passive connectors only work in certain situations. That only works if the required signal itself is the same on both sides (or compatible). Instead it only electrically connects different plugs. Can you tell me like a layman, what should I be using?Ī 'passive connector' is a connector that does not 'do' anything - which means it does not have electronics inside that convert the signal. I have seen some people in online forums talking about active and passive connector. Note that HDMI-VGA adapters usually only work in one direction - so check the description for the adapter before buying, so you get the right adapter. But the naming convention is not universal. So 'HDMI to VGA' would be an adapter for connecting an HDMI output to an VGA input, which is what you need. Well, the exact naming of the adapter will depend on the vendor, but most vendors put the video source (computer) before the 'to', and the video target (monitor) behind it. So for example a HDMI→DVI adapter would work for DVI→HDMI too.ĭo I need (hdmi to vga adapter) OR (vga to hdmi adapter)? My common sense would tell (vga to hdmi adapter), but I am not 100% sure. As long as passive adapter's plugs physically fit, it will work in both directions. Note that while active adapters are directional (HDMI→VGA is completely different than VGA→HDMI), passive adapters are usually not. DVI-D and DVI-A use physically compatible connectors, but the signal won't go through. HDMI would be converted into DVI-D, and the second adapter needs DVI-A input. You may be tempted to use a passive HDMI→DVI adapter and then a passive DVI→VGA adapter, but this won't work. HDMI and VGA are completely incompatible, so you need an active adapter which will decode the HDMI signal and produce equivalent VGA signal. Similarly HDMI uses the same signaling as DVI-D, so you can convert between them without any electronics - just wires. For example, DVI-A is just repackaged VGA (aka D-Sub) and they can be passively adapted both ways. It's just two different connectors wired together. Passive means there's no signal transformation necessary. Some connectors are physically different, but use identical signaling - in these cases a passive adapter is sufficient. Your laptop is outputting an HDMI signal which has to be converted to VGA.

New laptop hdmi connection for projector