As new technologies replace old ones, it can be very easy to get completely lost in a world of connections and cables. Most people can remember the first VCR they had and how it seemed like it was high technology. Then along came the DVD player and we wondered how we ever lived without it. Now there is the Blue Ray DVD player, all kinds of video game systems and LCD televisions. It seems like there is a never-ending electronics assembly line somewhere.
Thankfully, for each new technology there seems to be a solution to make things work together. Now, there is a question of how to connect a VGA component to an HDMI component. This has fueled a lot of online debates, in fact. Before we talk about VGA to HDMI cable, first you need to know what VGA means.
A VGA connection is the same one that you normally see on the back of your computer where you hook up your monitor. VGA has been replaced with something called DVI (Digital Video Interface). DVI was created to overcome some limitations that were being seen with VGA. As people have been switching from the old, bulky CRT computer monitors to the thinner LCD monitors, they have been trying to connect to DVI because video looked better. However, DVI provided only video and not sound.
Because of these drawbacks, yet another technology called HDMI came along and replaced DVI. HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It contains nineteen wires all connected in one single cable. HDMI transfers video and audio very quickly. This is now the new connection for any technologies being produced today. These cables are priced on both the low and high end, but you typically can purchase a basic one for about $15.
So, can you convert from VGA straight to HDMI? This is a debatable topic and although VGA to HDMI cables exists, opinion vary greatly as to their effectiveness. You can convert from VGA to DVI because DVI has one analog signal. However, HDMI is digital which means it does not support analog signals. There are signal converters that can convert a digital signal to an analog one, however they are very pricey.
Some people have had good luck converting VGA or Component Video and Audio to HDMI by using a VGA to HDMI Transcoder. This electronic box lets you connect your computer (notebook or desktop) to a flat panel TV screen. The transcoder will also permit hooking up your ‘toys’ like a DVD, Wii, Xbox 360 or PS2 to your computer monitor than only has HDMI or DVI inputs. This unit runs a little less than $100.