VGA to HDMI Converter

[Jeff Gaines]

Must curb my enthusiasm for pressing the send key.

I have an ATI graphics card in my N54L with a wobbly HDMI connector.

VGA will do all I want, can anybody recommend a make/model for a VGA to
HDMI converter that works? As usual searches on Amazon turn up zillions
that work the other way round so I have little confidence on their coming
up with a working device. Not worried about sound.

[Andy Burns]

can anybody recommend a make/model for a VGA to HDMI converter that works?

Yes, a Startech VGA2HDU, I use it on the occasions I have a VGA only
computer to look at (all my KVM connected stuff is DVI/HDMI/DP)

It requires a USB port for power.

[Jeff Gaines]

Post by Andy Burns

can anybody recommend a make/model for a VGA to HDMI converter that works?

Yes, a Startech VGA2HDU, I use it on the occasions I have a VGA only
computer to look at (all my KVM connected stuff is DVI/HDMI/DP)
It requires a USB port for power.

Many thanks Andy :-)

I always seem to need to convert things in the expensive direction...

[Jeff Gaines]

Post by Jeff Gaines

Post by Andy Burns

can anybody recommend a make/model for a VGA to HDMI converter that works?

Yes, a Startech VGA2HDU, I use it on the occasions I have a VGA only
computer to look at (all my KVM connected stuff is DVI/HDMI/DP)
It requires a USB port for power.

Many thanks Andy :-)
I always seem to need to convert things in the expensive direction...

Just for info I managed to find a rather cheaper VGA to HDMI converter on
Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07K14NR8P

It's £9.99 and runs fine on a 1920 x 1080 60 Hz screen. Fine for what I
want although others may want something a bit more sophisticated. They
offer 2, one for each direction so watch what you click on!

[Theo]

Post by Jeff Gaines
Just for info I managed to find a rather cheaper VGA to HDMI converter on
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07K14NR8P
It's £9.99 and runs fine on a 1920 x 1080 60 Hz screen. Fine for what I
want although others may want something a bit more sophisticated. They
offer 2, one for each direction so watch what you click on!

I've had mixed results with conversion on the Microservers. Sometimes the
BIOS screens don't appear, which is rather unfortunate when the only reason
I want to look at the display is because the boot failed.

(BIOS screens can be a weird resolution like 720x400 and LCD monitors
sometimes don't lock to this. It's possible this is more of a problem with
HDMI-input monitors than those with native VGA ports - by using a converter
you're now using a monitor that never expected a VGA-style resolution)

Also, speaking of wobbly ports, beware that the VGA connector on the Gen7 is
quite fragile. On one of mine I have to wiggle it a lot to get a signal. I
really should take it apart and resolder, but just to be aware that it can
be a problem.

Theo

[jkn]

Post by Theo

Post by Jeff Gaines
Just for info I managed to find a rather cheaper VGA to HDMI converter on
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07K14NR8P
It's £9.99 and runs fine on a 1920 x 1080 60 Hz screen. Fine for what I
want although others may want something a bit more sophisticated. They
offer 2, one for each direction so watch what you click on!

I've had mixed results with conversion on the Microservers. Sometimes the
BIOS screens don't appear, which is rather unfortunate when the only reason
I want to look at the display is because the boot failed.
(BIOS screens can be a weird resolution like 720x400 and LCD monitors
sometimes don't lock to this. It's possible this is more of a problem with
HDMI-input monitors than those with native VGA ports - by using a converter
you're now using a monitor that never expected a VGA-style resolution)
Also, speaking of wobbly ports, beware that the VGA connector on the Gen7 is
quite fragile. On one of mine I have to wiggle it a lot to get a signal. I
really should take it apart and resolder, but just to be aware that it can
be a problem.
Theo

I am probably not alone here in keeping an old, small-ish monitor with a
VGA input specifically for the purpose of occasionally connecting to
'headless' machines.

J^n

[Theo]

Post by jkn
I am probably not alone here in keeping an old, small-ish monitor with a
VGA input specifically for the purpose of occasionally connecting to
'headless' machines.

I tend to use a PiKVM for that nowadays - smaller, neater, no physical need
to be near the machine. I use it on a Pi Zero 2 W (until last week, a Pi
Zero, but they don't support that any more) and an HDMI-CSI capture board.

720x400 is an odd resolution though. The PiKVM itself should be able to
handle it (I don't think it's fussy what it's capturing) but the VGA to HDMI
adapter can be problematic. Seems like it's a common problem for people
playing DOS games, so there is info out there on which to go for:

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=73289

Somewhere on page 11:
https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1061162#p1061162
somebody recommends the Foinnex VGA to HDMI adapter, which is one of the few
listed that seems to be available to the UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Converter-FOINNEX-Computer-Projector-Portable-VGA-HDMI-Adapter/dp/B072NCTBVP/
(at least I think, their link is to Amazon US which is a different ASIN)

Free returns, so in the interests of science I've ordered one.

Theo

[jkn]

Post by Theo

Post by jkn
I am probably not alone here in keeping an old, small-ish monitor with a
VGA input specifically for the purpose of occasionally connecting to
'headless' machines.

I tend to use a PiKVM for that nowadays - smaller, neater, no physical need
to be near the machine. I use it on a Pi Zero 2 W (until last week, a Pi
Zero, but they don't support that any more) and an HDMI-CSI capture board.
720x400 is an odd resolution though. The PiKVM itself should be able to
handle it (I don't think it's fussy what it's capturing) but the VGA to HDMI
adapter can be problematic. Seems like it's a common problem for people
https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=73289
https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1061162#p1061162
somebody recommends the Foinnex VGA to HDMI adapter, which is one of the few
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Converter-FOINNEX-Computer-Projector-Portable-VGA-HDMI-Adapter/dp/B072NCTBVP/
(at least I think, their link is to Amazon US which is a different ASIN)
Free returns, so in the interests of science I've ordered one.
Theo

Interesting, I didn't know about PiKVM, thanks.

$WORK do not enable (or allow to be enabled) Remote Desktop on my work
laptop, which is a major pain when WfH.
I wonder if there is a way of using something like this...

[Theo]

Post by jkn
Interesting, I didn't know about PiKVM, thanks.
$WORK do not enable (or allow to be enabled) Remote Desktop on my work
laptop, which is a major pain when WfH.
I wonder if there is a way of using something like this...

Secret PiKVM plus an LTE dongle/router to exfiltrate your session over the
internet behind the back of IT? Can't see how that could possibly go wrong
:-)

I use it as a cheap management interface for servers - sometimes it's a lot
cheaper to buy a desktop-ish server (eg AMD Ryzen) than a Proper Server
(Intel Xeon Scalable / AMD EPYC), but the desktop mobos with remote video
are limited, and sometimes you have reasons to use a particular board that
doesn't have it. With a PiKVM it'll work with any board that has VGA or
HDMI.

Theo

[Theo]

Post by Theo
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Converter-FOINNEX-Computer-Projector-Portable-VGA-HDMI-Adapter/dp/B072NCTBVP/
(at least I think, their link is to Amazon US which is a different ASIN)
Free returns, so in the interests of science I've ordered one.

Received this and can confirm it shows the Microserver N36L BIOS boot on the
PiKVM, which it turns out is 640x480. Various mode changes (periods of 'NO
SIGNAL') as different parts of the BIOS start up (all at 640x480). Once
Linux is started it switches to 1400x1050 and shows some boot messages, and
then it switches to 1920x1080 and the PiKVM shows no signal.

I couldn't say for sure whether that's the Linux setup being wrong or the
mode being beyond the reach of the VGA - it is starting gdm3 so presumably
there's an X desktop running, but perhaps with a refresh rate beyond that of
the VGA converter or the PiKVM HDMI capture, I don't know.

Since I've never wanted an X desktop on this machine I'm not that bothered,
but being able to get at BIOS and GRUB is the main thing in case the machine
doesn't want to boot (and IIRC it doesn't play nicely with my main monitor
so I can't use that to see early boot).

Theo

[Andy Burns]

Post by jkn
I am probably not alone here in keeping an old, small-ish monitor with a
VGA input specifically for the purpose of occasionally connecting to
'headless' machines.

Oh, I've got one I could drag out of the back bedroom if needed, but
it's generally easier to use the VGA->HDMI (into a spare input on the
monitor, as the main KVM is DP)