Often, DVI will be your best input option as many budget and mainstream displays have only DVI and VGA connectors. Unpowered DisplayPort-to-HDMI cables won't work.Īlso Known As: DVI-D, DVI-I, Dual-Link DVI Description: While you'll never see a laptop with DVI (digital visual interface)-out, almost every monitor with a full-HD resolution or below has one, and so do many desktops. If you want to go from an HDMI port on your computer to a DisplayPort on your monitor, you'll need a rather-pricey active converter that requires its own power connection and that costs over $30. For around $25, you can get an adapter that goes from USB Type-C to HDMI (opens in new tab), provided that your Type-C supports video. Adapters Needed: If you need to connect to DVI, an HDMI-to-DVI plug (opens in new tab) costs under $10. These are a bit smaller, and it's more difficult to find adapters for them. While most laptops that have HDMI use the full-size port, there are a few superslim devices that employ mini HDMI connectors. If your computer has HDMI-out and your external display has DVI, you can convert from one to the other with an adapter that costs less than $10. HDMI sends audio along with its video, so if your monitor or TV has speakers, you'll get sound. However, you cannot output to dual displays from a single port. Depending on your laptop's or desktop's graphics card, the machine's HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) port may be able to output at up to 4K resolution. £56 (opens in new tab) at Amazon (opens in new tab)ĭescription: This popular port is the most common one for connecting to TVs and also appears on many external monitors and projectors.

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