DVI (D) to VGA Adapter not working

Question

I just bought a new DVI type D to VGA adapter to use my tv as a screen for the computer I use for a media server. It doesn't seem to be working out of the box. My first thought was that the adapter was bad, but I wasn't sure if I needed to go into my video preferences on my computer and tell it I'm using DVI for my output or if this would be redundant. I have tested the cables, computer graphics card etc to make sure they all work. Thanks for any help!

Os is XP Pro, the video card isn't anything special, just whatever came built in to the IBM motherboard. TV is a Samsung Model number:TXP2670WHX/XAA

Well the output on the computer is VGA, that's why I bought the adapter, the TV has a DVI input. There is only one video output on the computer.

Solution 1

Based on your edits, you are trying to achieve the impossible. There is no way to convert VGA signal to DVI signal without a convertor box of some kind. It would be cheaper an easier to purchase an add-in card that will allow you to have a DVI output from your PC. This will work well for you.

I should have asked what adapter you bought, as the answer would have been immediately apparent.

Solution 2

What type of adapter do you have? If it's one of the "passive" ones that come with graphics cards, it won't work with DVI-D-only devices, because DVI-D only carries a digital signal - VGA is analog video. Those types of adapters expect a DVI-I or -A output.

If the adapter has active circuitry to convert digital to analog video, what resolutions does it support? Does it need an external power source? (Is it possible you might be running into HDCP issues? I don't have any experience in that area.)

Solution 3

Try booting the computer with the TV as the only display, and make sure that you have the VGA input selected on the TV.

If you do not see your Bios screen at least, there is somethign wrong with your VGA cable or the adapter.

Be aware Your TV only supports resolutions up to 1920x540 as it is a 1080i TV.

the integrated graphics hardware on older motherboards can have trouble with non-standard resolutions. If none of the above works, please post your Motherboard model or internal graphics card type.

Dvi to VGA adapters are very simple, but yours could be defective. Do you have another Monitor to try it out on?

Comments

[Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams]

Did you plug it into the wall?

[G Koe]

What operating system, video card, and brand/model TV are you using?

[Blake]

XP Pro, the video card isn't anything special, just whatever came built in to the IBM motherboard. TV is a Samsung Model number:TXP2670WHX/XAA.

[Blake]

Okay thanks, I'll try that as soon as I can and post the results. I have tried it on another monitor and it works when using just the VGA but when I use the DVI adapter and plug it into a DVI monitor it doesn't. But I still wasn't sure if it would work anyway or if I still needed to set my video output to DVI.

[G Koe]

Does it work on the DVI monitor if you boot with only the DVI plugged in?

[Blake]

No it doesn't. I also tried rebooting it with the TV as the only display and still nothing. Let me see if I can get a number on the motherboard...

[G Koe]

Sounds like your DVI is disabled in the BIOS, or the DVI output is toast.

[Blake]

Okay it's an IBM NetVista 8319-52U motherboard.

[Blake]

Well the output on the computer is VGA, that's why I bought the adapter, the TV has a DVI input. There is only one video output on the computer.

[Blake]

It doesn't require an additional power source so I assume it isn't converting the signal in anyway. It's small and one end plugs into the VGA cable and the other end plugs into the DVI on my TV.

[user55325]

There's your problem then. The DVI input is designed for digital video signals. You're just passing the analog signal from the computer into that port - I doubt those pins are even hooked up to anything. You'll need to either get a different graphics card or some kind of active converter.

[G Koe]

Sorry, without a convertor box you CANNOT convert VGA to DVI signal.

[Blake]

Okay, thanks so much for the help. There goes five bucks for the adapter :/ Guess I'll have to look into getting a new card.

[Lèse majesté]

Couldn't he just use a VGA to DVI-I/DVI-A adapter? I've connected my VGA video card to a DVI/HDMI-only monitor and it works just fine. It's not a true digital signal, but the monitor displays it just fine (really no noticeable difference from a true DVI connection TBH).

[Lèse majesté]

That's not completely correct. You can't convert VGA into a DVI-D signal (which is digital) without a convertor box, but you can convert it to DVI-A (which is analog) with just a simple adapter.

[Lèse majesté]

@Blake: As per this answer and this chart, it is possible to use a simple adapter to connect a VGA source to a DVI display. You just need to trade the VGA-to-DVI-D adapter for a VGA-to-DVI-A or VGA-to-DVI-I adapter. They're less than $20 usually, and it's cheaper than buying a VGA-to-DVI-D convertor box, which, even if such convertors are available, would not give you any better quality than a DVI-A adapter since you're starting with an analog signal to begin with.

[user55325]

If the display supports DVI-I, yes. But in the last few years I've come across displays that require DVI-D. (My experience is with computer monitors rather than TVs - my TV supports both VGA and DVI-I - but I'm certain that these devices exist.)

[Lèse majesté]

@user55325: True, there probably are devices that are DVI-A only. DVI-I support is probably more common in computer monitors than TVs since there's more a need for legacy support for VGA. And it's cheaper/more useful to provide 2 DVI-I jacks rather than 2 DVI-D jacks + 1 VGA jack or 1 DVI-D jack + 1 VGA jack. Nonetheless, it is possible on many displays to use a straight VGA-to-DVI-A adapter.