do all lcd monitors have hdmi ports for sale

As the coronavirus spreads, you may have been asked to work from home. Instead of leaning over your laptop computer and trying to do everything on its tiny screen, I"ve recommended adding a full-size monitor to your desk.

Depending on where you live, you may not be able to go out to a store to buy a monitor in person. So, I"m going to do my best to tell you what you need to look for. And I"ll keep it inexpensive, since we"re going to assume you"re using a monitor for work instead of gaming or watching 4K videos.

Your laptop probably has a screen size between 12 and 17 inches, measured diagonally. Desktop monitors range in sizes but, most of the time, you"re going to want to go between 19 and 27 inches. You want enough room to spread out your documents and apps, but you also don"t want a big screen taking over your entire desk.

If you"re considering adding two monitors, I think 22 inches is the perfect sweet spot between "too big" and "too small." They"ll go nicely side by side without taking over your entire desk. If you"re just getting a single monitor, consider moving up to 24 or 27 inches.

The most expensive monitors cost hundreds of dollars. But you don"t need to spend that much. I bought a pair of HP 22er 21.5-inch monitors over the weekend for $110 each (on sale.) They"re currently going for about $150 each on HP"s website.

In terms of specs, a 1080p resolution is fine for most people who are just doing work. If you"re going to use it as a gaming monitor, too, then you need to think about all sorts of things that will add to the price, such as a sharper resolution, better refresh rates and more.

You don"t need a curved monitor. They look cool but really don"t add much to the experience. And make sure you get other basics such as an IPS screen for better viewing angles, which most have, and a good contrast ratio, at least 1,000:1, so that you get a good balance between black and white pixels. More expensive monitors will have much better contrast ratios.

Consider other things: Some monitors have built-in speakers, but most don"t, which means the audio will still just come out of your laptop. Does it have an adjustable stand? You may want this if you want to adjust how high or low the monitor sits on your desk. Does it tilt forward and backward? Can it flip 180 degrees? These are other features I don"t need but that you may want.

There are several different ways to connect a laptop to an external display, and the technologies have moved in and out of favor over time. You want to make sure that whatever monitor you buy will connect to your laptop. I"ll walk you through the different types of ports here, including DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, VGA and USB-C.

If your laptop has an HDMI port that looks like this, you"ll only need a regular HDMI cable. Note: new monitors often don"t come with HDMI cables. So buy one.

If you have an older laptop you may see a blue or black VGA port, which connects to the left side of the adapter in the picture below. That won"t support a full 1080p resolution on its own, so you"ll need an adapter like this VGA to HDMI cable for your monitor:

Some laptops — particularly gaming rigs — have a DisplayPort input, which is marked with a little rectangle with two lines on each side of it, and connects to an input that looks like the picture below. You can order a DisplayPort to HDMI adapterhere.

Some laptops, such as Microsoft Surface computers, also have mini DisplayPort plugs, which connect to the left side of the adapter below. This is the adapter you"ll want for that.

Finally, newer laptops have USB-C Thunderbolt 3 out, which connects to the tiny connector you see in the photo below. These offer a lot of power, so I recommend getting a small hub that converts it into an HDMI port, a traditional USB port and another USB-C port for charging or other accessories. Something like this hub will do the trick.

While youcan technically use a TV for a display, I don"t recommend it. I"ve used a variety over the years and find that they"re either far too big or end up hurting my eyes. They"re not designed for sitting a foot in front of, while computer monitors are. So they often have more glare and don"t have the refresh rate you want for running computer programs. They can also look pixelated, since most TVs you"ll find in the smaller 19-to-24-inch range have lower 720p resolutions.

Now that you have your screen plugged in, it"s time to set it up. On Windows, for example, it"ll just duplicate what"s on your laptop screen by default. But you can use it as a second display by doing this:

Go to the top of the menu and make sure the monitor properly reflects its location to your laptop by arranging the boxes. This lets you move your cursor between monitors so it"s like you have one giant desktop extending across all of them.

An HDMI monitor is a monitor that is connected through a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port. The connection is generally the first obstacle you encounter when buying a monitor. Most LCD monitors use VGA and HDMI ports, with the latter being somewhat more important. This is because the image’s definition depends on it.

For most modern home entertainment devices, flat-screen TVs, and monitors, for example, HDMI is the standard connection interface. In the case of DVI, on the other hand, the signal is transmitted in digital format, which means that it maintains the original quality.

HDMI ports have completely taken over the current market because this system allows uncompressed and encrypted transmission. This means that the connection is made directly, improving the quality of two factors in the process. Both high-definition video and multichannel digital sound are made possible.

The audio is transmitted through eight channels without stopping during compression, while videos do not need to be compressed and therefore keep their original quality.

Various versions have improved HDMI monitors over time. Simultaneously, the cables have evolved to adapt and offer new functions. Knowing the various versions helps you to make a comparison between different HDMI monitors.

If you want to make the most of your monitor, you should opt for an HDMI model. Visual enhancements are a vital aspect for anyone looking for the optimal experience. Before purchasing the best HDMI monitor for you, you will have to evaluate a series of key criteria. If you pay attention to them, you will make the right decision and find the best HDMI monitor for your personal needs.

Nowadays, there are many different ways to connect a monitor. While HDMI monitors are increasingly gaining popularity, you still have access to other methods. They range from the classic VGA connection to modern USB-C systems that can reach speeds of up to 40 Gbps.

With the DisplayPort interface, all you have to do is connect the ports and start enjoying your new monitor. Many models currently have a node with several USB connectors. While some integrate speakers, audio inputs, and outputs in the design, multimedia monitors stand out for offering quality solutions in that sector.

A wall-mounted monitor allows you to have more space on your desk for other items. The ergonomic capacity of your monitor is another key criterion. Make sure that the model you buy has a base that can be adjusted and rotated to your liking.

You may also be interested in the Low Blue Light technology. This feature protects your eyes from continuous exposure to blue light by focusing on reducing the brightness of blue tones, which converts images into warmer tones. You can even find monitors with customizable lighting systems.

Several key differences exist between HDMI monitors and previous systems. First of all, the usual DVI (Digital Visual Interface) connection doesn’t support audio signals. This means that you would need an auxiliary cable for the sound. In addition, HDMI supports higher resolutions. The DVI was designed to connect to the PC, while the HDMI is able to connect to any audiovisual device.

The HDMI also has a protection system called HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) that allows to safeguard the data transmission, hence preventing unauthorized copies. Its aim is basically to avoid plagiarism in the output of a source. To do so, a transmitter verifies the receiver’s authorization and encrypts the material.

The HDMI connection isn’t exclusive just yet, and there are still versions and models that include other types of connectors. This is why various adapters have been created to allow you to keep using your devices. In the following paragraphs, we explain the most common types for you.

While most current devices integrate HDMI outputs, you may have a monitor or projector that only has a VGA input. This could prevent you from connecting your two devices. With an HDMI to VGA adapter, you can convert the signal and enjoy high-quality audio and video.

This adapter is particularly useful for linking HDMI monitors to another portable device. With this cable, you will be able to connect your smartphone or tablet without having to configure them. These adapters tend to have longer life cycles, and they have already been upgraded with the

We have talked about HDMI monitors, cables, and adapters. But what if all this could be done without cables? This is now possible. Wireless systems can connect to the monitor port and to the device you want to link it to. The transmission of the content keeps its quality and doesn’t require compression.

If you want to display images on high-resolution monitors for work, school, or recreation, you should check out the HDMI monitors in this collection. If you"re looking for the best place to stock up on these monitors, there"s no easier platform than eBay, and here are some of the things you should know before you pick a monitor.

Since HDMI is now considered the standard port when it comes to monitors and TVs, a variety of different companies make monitors that are equipped with HDMI ports. Examples of these companies include the following:

While some monitors only consist of a screen, a bezel, an HDMI port, and a power supply, other monitors in this collection are equipped with special features that set them apart from the competition. Some of these extra features that you might want to look out for include the following:

To get started in picking out the right monitor for your needs, you should first measure your desk area. Choosing a monitor that"s the right size for your desk is always important, but this factor becomes even more vital if you"re planning on running a multi-monitor setup. Once you"ve figured out which size monitor you want, you"ll need to pick from among the brands and features that are offered. If your computer isn"t already equipped with speakers, for instance, picking a monitor that has speakers installed might be the way to go.

As the coronavirus spreads, you may have been asked to work from home. Instead of leaning over your laptop computer and trying to do everything on its tiny screen, I"ve recommended adding a full-size monitor to your desk.

Depending on where you live, you may not be able to go out to a store to buy a monitor in person. So, I"m going to do my best to tell you what you need to look for. And I"ll keep it inexpensive, since we"re going to assume you"re using a monitor for work instead of gaming or watching 4K videos.

Your laptop probably has a screen size between 12 and 17 inches, measured diagonally. Desktop monitors range in sizes but, most of the time, you"re going to want to go between 19 and 27 inches. You want enough room to spread out your documents and apps, but you also don"t want a big screen taking over your entire desk.

If you"re considering adding two monitors, I think 22 inches is the perfect sweet spot between "too big" and "too small." They"ll go nicely side by side without taking over your entire desk. If you"re just getting a single monitor, consider moving up to 24 or 27 inches.

The most expensive monitors cost hundreds of dollars. But you don"t need to spend that much. I bought a pair of HP 22er 21.5-inch monitors over the weekend for $110 each (on sale.) They"re currently going for about $150 each on HP"s website.

In terms of specs, a 1080p resolution is fine for most people who are just doing work. If you"re going to use it as a gaming monitor, too, then you need to think about all sorts of things that will add to the price, such as a sharper resolution, better refresh rates and more.

You don"t need a curved monitor. They look cool but really don"t add much to the experience. And make sure you get other basics such as an IPS screen for better viewing angles, which most have, and a good contrast ratio, at least 1,000:1, so that you get a good balance between black and white pixels. More expensive monitors will have much better contrast ratios.

Consider other things: Some monitors have built-in speakers, but most don"t, which means the audio will still just come out of your laptop. Does it have an adjustable stand? You may want this if you want to adjust how high or low the monitor sits on your desk. Does it tilt forward and backward? Can it flip 180 degrees? These are other features I don"t need but that you may want.

There are several different ways to connect a laptop to an external display, and the technologies have moved in and out of favor over time. You want to make sure that whatever monitor you buy will connect to your laptop. I"ll walk you through the different types of ports here, including DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, VGA and USB-C.

If your laptop has an HDMI port that looks like this, you"ll only need a regular HDMI cable. Note: new monitors often don"t come with HDMI cables. So buy one.

If you have an older laptop you may see a blue or black VGA port, which connects to the left side of the adapter in the picture below. That won"t support a full 1080p resolution on its own, so you"ll need an adapter like this VGA to HDMI cable for your monitor:

Some laptops — particularly gaming rigs — have a DisplayPort input, which is marked with a little rectangle with two lines on each side of it, and connects to an input that looks like the picture below. You can order a DisplayPort to HDMI adapterhere.

Some laptops, such as Microsoft Surface computers, also have mini DisplayPort plugs, which connect to the left side of the adapter below. This is the adapter you"ll want for that.

Finally, newer laptops have USB-C Thunderbolt 3 out, which connects to the tiny connector you see in the photo below. These offer a lot of power, so I recommend getting a small hub that converts it into an HDMI port, a traditional USB port and another USB-C port for charging or other accessories. Something like this hub will do the trick.

While youcan technically use a TV for a display, I don"t recommend it. I"ve used a variety over the years and find that they"re either far too big or end up hurting my eyes. They"re not designed for sitting a foot in front of, while computer monitors are. So they often have more glare and don"t have the refresh rate you want for running computer programs. They can also look pixelated, since most TVs you"ll find in the smaller 19-to-24-inch range have lower 720p resolutions.

Now that you have your screen plugged in, it"s time to set it up. On Windows, for example, it"ll just duplicate what"s on your laptop screen by default. But you can use it as a second display by doing this:

Go to the top of the menu and make sure the monitor properly reflects its location to your laptop by arranging the boxes. This lets you move your cursor between monitors so it"s like you have one giant desktop extending across all of them.

A computer monitor gives a desktop system the window to show its configuration and features. You might have a high clock speed, a fast processor or great graphics, all you need is the right screen to flaunt all the cool features. Target offers you a wide range of options for different sizes and features that meet your requirements and style. Are you confused about choosing a monitor? We are here to help you. If you are wondering about size, then always go for the biggest one depending on your space. There are different types of screens such as ultrawide, curved or flat to help you narrow down your choice. Find monitors with different resolutions, HD or Full HD is the basic one. If you are looking for crisp and detailed quality then there are QHD and 4K options. Keep in mind about the pixel density, it decreases as the size of the computer monitor increases. For gamers, it’s ideal to choose a screen with a high refresh rate and a low response, while color accuracy should be a top priority for professionals. Then there are other features for accessibility such as HDMI and USB-C ports. From gaming monitors to a high-end professional one, we have computer monitors of top brands such as Dell, Samsung, ASUS, Sony and many more. Browse through and find your perfect computer screen.

We all know that multiple monitors can extremely improve our productivity and bring a great experience, especially when you’re using a laptop. But how to connect external monitors to a laptop? You’ve come to the right place. This article introduces an easy and clear guideline toconnect two external monitors to your laptop.

Note: the instructions below apply to adding multiple monitors for laptops, but it also works if you want to add external monitors to your PC/desktop.

Generally speaking, most Windows laptops now support dual monitors, at least. But you need to make sure your laptop is capable to add two external monitors. And that depends on your Windows operating system, the capability of your graphics cards and drivers.

First of all, you may need to make sureyour graphics card supports multiple monitors. Normally, every graphics card provides at least two outputs, but you will need to check the graphics card properties on the manufacturer’s website, find your graphics card and check the specificationsto see if it supports adding two external monitors.

For example, if you are using the NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, you can check it out on the official website, and click your graphics card, and check the specification, then you will see if it supports multiple monitors.

If it does not support adding multiple monitors, you may need to buy and install a correct graphics card (e.g GeForce RTX 30 Series) before you keep processing.

You can check the ports on the back or on the sides of your laptop. In addition to the ports on your laptop, the monitors should have the corresponding ports as well. That will save your time and money to connect them. Otherwise, you will need to buy an extra adapter, such as a

If the ports on your laptop are not the same as the connectors in your monitor cables, or there are not enough ports, don’t give up. There is a workaround! You can try one of the methods below to continue:

Plug the cable of the second external monitor to the other correct port on your laptop. So I plug the HDMI cable of the second external monitor into the HDMI port on my laptop.

You will see three displays labeled with 1, 2 and 3 in display mode. Generally speaking, the display 1 is the monitor of your laptop, and the display 2 and 3 are the external monitors.

Tips: You can click and drag each display (1, 2 or 3) to rearrange the display. You can also change the size of items, display resolution, andorientationaccording to your preferences.

Sometimes the external monitors cannot be correctly detected by your laptop.This can be caused byimproper connection, defective monitor or cables. Ensure all the cables connect correctly, and do some tests with an alternative monitor and another cable.

Manually– You can manually update the printer driver bysearching the correct driverthat is matched with yourWindowsOSon themanufacturer’s website and install it in your computer. This requires time and computer skills.

Automatically– If you don’t have time or patience to manually update drivers, you can do that automatically with Driver Easy. Its free version can detect and download the outdated drivers on your Windows with only a few clicks.

You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks (and you get full support and a30-day money back guarantee):

Click theUpdatebutton next to a flagged device to automatically download the correct drivers (you can do this with the FREE version), and install it on your computer.

Or clickUpdate Allto automatically download all the correct drivers that are missing or out of date on your Windows (this requires thePro version– you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).

These are the easy instructions to connect two external monitors for your laptop. Comment below if you have any questions, and we will see what more we can do to further help.

Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) – When digital data is transmitted, especially over long distances, it is susceptible to noise and signal loss. TMDS is a way of encoding an HDMI signal to protect it from interference as it travels from source to receiver. It works like this:

Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) – This feature allows a user to control up to 15 connected HDMI devices using one remote controller. Most TVs and streaming devices support CEC but it may be turned off by default. Manufacturers sometimes refer to CEC using their own branded term (e.g. Anynet+, Viera Link) so it may not be apparent that your device supports it.

High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) – this authentication protocol allows a sending and receiving device to verify each other"s credentials (stored on each device"s Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) chip) and, if every checks out, create a shared key that is used to encode and decode the data passing between them. This process, known as a handshake, happens almost instantaneously at the beginning of a session and ensures that an unauthorized device cannot intercept the data as it travels between two devices. In the United States, HDCP support is mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Display Data Channel (DDC) – The HDMI interface includes support for VESA DDC, a set of protocols that allow a source (a computer"s graphics card, for example) to ask a monitor what audio and video formats it can handle, and adjust settings on the monitor, such as brightness and contrast. The information exchanged by a source device and a display is called Extended Display Information Data (EDID) and is transmitted through the Display Data Channel.

Each pixel in a video image includes information on brightness (luma) and color (chroma). Since human eyes are more sensitive to differences in brightness than color, chroma subsampling reduces the amount of data transmitted by allowing pixels to share color data with adjacent pixels.

Chroma Subsampling is represented as three digits. The first number is the number of pixels in each row of the sample. The second number indicates the number of pixels in the TOP row that have color information. The third number indicates the number of pixels in the BOTTOM row that have color information.

The initial HDMI specification provided support for 24-bit Color Depth (8-bits per color x 3 colors RGB). HDMI 1.3 introduced Deep Color, which added support for 30-bit, 36-bit and 48-bit color depths. It"s worth keeping in mind that the human eye can only distinguish around 10 million different color, so 24-bit color is adequate for most situations.

Audio Return Channel (ARC) – Most TVs connect to a sound bar or AV receiver using an optical cable. ARC enables a TV to send audio back to a sound bar or AV receiver through the same cable that delivered the HDMI signal to the TV. In other words, video and audio to the TV and audio back to the sound bar (the "return" part). The benefits of ARC include fewer cables, use of the TV remote to control sound, and the ability to transmit higher resolution audio, such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio, to your sound bar or receiver. [Version 1.4]

HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) –First introduced in the HDMI 1.4b specification, HEC allows Ethernet-enabled devices to share an Internet connection. It combines the features of an Ethernet cable into the HDMI cable, thereby avoiding the need for a separate Ethernet cable. Xbox 360 and Roku are two examples of devices that can take advantage of HEC to connect to the Internet. [Version 1.4]

Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) was introduced in HDMI 2.1 and provides support for higher-quality audio bandwidth and speed. eARC requires a High Speed HDMI cable with Ethernet or an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. eARC is not backwards compatible with ARC but some products may support both eARC and ARC. [Version 2.1]

Display Stream Compression (DSC) – HDMI is uncompressed audio and video. The higher the resolution, color depth and frame rate, the more bits need to be transmitted until the maximum bandwidth is reached. Then, the only way to transmit more bits is to add more lanes to the cable or compress the signal.

HDMI 2.1 introduced support for Display Stream Compression (DSC) 1.2a, a visually lossless compression for ultra-high definition (UHD) video. Using DSC, an HDMI 2.1 cable can support a maximum compressed bandwidth of 128 Gbps (sufficient for 10K, although it will be some time before there are commercially available devices that need that much bandwidth).

LCD TVs have come down in price, but not enough. If you have a cable box, than your tv tuner is in the that box, not in the tv, so then why buy a tv with a tuner you will never use? Believe it or not you can save almost $200 when you buy a computer monitor instead of a tv.

To start, make sure that your cable or satellite provider offers a cable box with DVI or HDMI output. Next, you need speakers. Any kind will do, but it needs to accept RCA audio cables (or digital, whatever kind of sound cable your cable box uses). I used a small sony stereo with a remote. If you picked a cable box with an HDMI output you will need an HDMI to DVI Cable (If your monitor has HDMI input you don"t need that, but most do not).

Now for the most important step, choosing a display. There are a few requirements for the monitor. First, it MUST be HDCP Compliant (High Definition Content Protection, think TV DRM). Next, it must have a DVI or HDMI input. It doesn"t have to, but I recommend getting a widescreen monitor. Also, make sure that it can display at Least 720p (use This image to make sure). I used a dell E207WFP which I will be using as an example for setup. It can display up to 720p and is cheap with a picture rivaling most high end HDTVs.

Now the setup. If you don"t see a picture on your display do not panic! Your cable box is probably trying to display a resolution which your monitor can not display. Find out how to enter HD setup mode, or change the maximum resolution (for Explorer cable boxes turn off the box and hold guide and info at the same time). After you find the instructions, Follow the them to change the maximum resolution to the resolution of your monitor (most likely 720p). Also, if the cable box says your monitor is not HDCP compliant, either you bought the wrong kind of monitor, or it is like my setup which flashes that message everytime I turn on the monitor, but only for half a second or so.

You can wall mount your monitor, tiger direct has a good mount, but it doesn"t swivel. I got it, and it was easy to setup and install. Also you can connect your computer to the monitor for an extra usage. I also chose to connect the power cable of my monitor to my cable box so I could turn it off and on by turning my cable box off and on via remote. This may not be a feature on all cable boxes. My monitor also happens to return to its last state when it is plugged in (So if I turn the cable box off when it was on, when I turn the cable box on again, the monitor will turn on). This also may not be true of your monitor, but it is easy to test. Just leave your monitor on and unplug it, if it turns back on when you plug it in, then this trick will work.

So far there are only two downsides. One, you are limited to the consoles you can attach, but a switch or a cable box with inputs will fix that. So far, the combination of my cable box and computer have allowed me to watch pretty much anything on my display.

So, if you want an LCD TV without the price, and can deal with some minor inconveniences, this is a great option but if you want a lot of inputs, 1080p and a huge 50" TV this is probably not for you.

Yes a DVD player can be hooked up...Dvd players are usually set one way and only have video/audio out, in which you can hook it up to any display that recognizes Conponent or Digital0

If you don"t have cable and want to get OTA signals through an antenna, you can get a DTV converter box. Be sure to get one that has HDMI output, and then you can connect that to your monitor. (You might need an adapter if your monitor only has DVI or VGA inputs. DVI > VGA...HDMI = DVI plus audio.)

Daniel...but is this assuming one has satellite HD service? As I"ve been told my DVR MIGHT not be compatible with it, I"ve hesitated to "go that route."..and, until my CRT set went out...things have worked SPLENDIDLY. It feels like I"m "stuck between a rock and a hard place!!!"

1. OK, my CRT TV, which has been great, just died. I"ve been wondering if I might use my back-up PC monitor as a TV set. Now, this monitor has a DVI input (and the satellite box has a HDMI output...so, apparently, MINIMUM, I"d need an adapter cord...but I"m not viewing TV content in HD mode...so, would I get ANY picture...or is this a TOTAL waste of time?

My family just bought a huge mistake it or to use as a TV screen. We set it up, ok, I think k and added speakers, etc... However, the picture remains a small screen within the larger available monitor screen space! How can we change the t.v. picture screen to enlarge into the available monitor screen space? We have direct t.v.satelite system. Please help!?

As a movie enthusiast, I would choose a big screen TV with a built-in USB player and surround system. But if I"am only a TV enthusiast, I"m willing to choose a PC monitor with speakers over small TVs. This idea is perfect for those who can"t afford flat screen TVs, just to save energy or want a TV just to watch TV shows using external TV tuner, but its more complicated to set up. Converters or adapters made PC monitors usable as TVs and old TVs as PC monitor.0

I have a monitor with only one HDMI input, I have all inputs connected through a receiver and output to the monitor, no issues.More CommentsPost Comment

Which begs the question, “how to connect monitor with no HDMI ports?”. Fortunately, there is a very easy solution to this. Basically you can use a different port or video interface adapter.

The adapters can be small dongle or an entire cable that turns the HDMI on one to another interface on the other. Options include HDMI-to-VGA, HDMI-to-DVI etc cables and adapters.

No, it is not necessary for monitors to feature an HDMI port. In fact, if you have a monitor that is a decade or so old, then there are chances that it may not feature an HDMI port at all.

Take for instance the Acer V6 V22HQL 22″ monitor. This monitor DOES NOT feature an HDMI port at all and instead only features a DVI and a VGA port for connectivity.

I mentioned earlier that a majority of the newer devices use HDMI ports for audio/video output. However, majority of the desktop computers still feature a VGA or a DVI port.

You can use the VGA end of this adapter to connect to your monitor instead and use the HDMI input for connecting your desktop or laptop to the adapter. You will need an HDMI cable for connecting this adapter to the laptop or desktop.

Therefore, when using an HDMI to VGA or HDMI to DVI adapter, you will not be able to transfer the audio signals to a monitor if it has built-in speakers. Instead, you will need to use the separate 3.5mm audio port for sound.

Basically, if you have an HDMI-to-VGA adapter or an HDMI-to-DVI adapter, it will take a signal from an HDMI SOURCE (Laptop, Desktop) and switch it into VGA or DVI on the other hand (connected to monitor).

You cannot use this the other way around. Meaning you cannot take a VGA or DVI source, and then convert that to HDMI output. HDMI-to-DVI DOES NOT EQUAL DVI-to-HDMI.

If you want to connect your gaming console i.e PS4, Xbox One, PS5 etc to a monitor with a VGA or DVI-D port, then the average HDMI-to-VGA or HDMI-to-DVI adapters or adapter cables will simply not work.

This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

It is such a waste to only use the LCD for desktop computers. Connecting it up with a laptop PC has many merits for the user and can also bring out the latent power of the laptop.

Note: Below is the translation from the Japanese of the ITmedia article "The dual display in Windows 7 is now even more convenient" published March 1, 2010. Copyright 2011 ITmedia Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Most laptops have a handy "external display output" port. It can be used in the home to transmit videos played on the laptop to a large screen TV or, in the office, to connect up with a projector for presentations. In fact, there must be many users who already use it like this. However, people tend to use just the laptop in their daily routine and there are probably not so many cases where they use the external display output.

A laptop can be put to more effective use if it is connected to an external LCD. The photograph shows an EIZO 23-inch wide-screen LCD connected by HDMI to a Sony VAIO C laptop (VPCCW28FJ/R).

This time we would like to suggest a style that can be used in both the home and the office, where a laptop and stand-alone LCD remain connected. A laptop already has an LCD, but using it with an additional stand-alone LCD offers various merits. Not only does it make the laptop environment more pleasant and convenient, it also expands the potential of the computer itself, for example by making it possible to use it for new purposes.

Even if the LCD is already connected to a desktop computer and being used for something other than the laptop, most monitors nowadays have two or more video inputs and they tend not to use this capability to the full. It is such a waste to let the laptop"s external display output function and the monitor"s video input function remain dormant, so we would like them to be put to effective use. Of course, we would also recommend the introduction of a new LCD to connect to your laptop.

The biggest merit of connecting a laptop with a stand-alone LCD is that it gives you a large screen and high resolution dual display environment. Standard laptop models usually come with a built-in 13-inch to 15-inch wide-screen LCD with a 1280 × 800 dot or 1366 × 768 dot resolution.

This level of resolution is good enough for basic Windows operations, but it goes without saying that a large, high-resolution computer screen is much more user-friendly. Combining a laptop with one of the latest wide-screen monitors enables you to easily construct a large-screen, high-resolution dual display environment. It is a real boon to dramatically boost the screen size and resolution while continuing to use your familiar laptop.

In particular, the increased vertical resolution makes applications such as web browsers and document display and editing far easier to use. For example, you can do things like check things with the web browser, refer to pdf files, organize data using word processing or presentation software, and create spread sheets and documents without having to change windows.

Another plus is that you can create the luxury of a "watching while" environment where you run the web browser, for instance, on the laptop"s built-in LCD and watch the video content on the large screen of the external monitor. This can be really useful for hobbies too. For example, while playing a game on the large external LCD screen you can check out strategies on websites, post information on a BBS or communicate with other users.

You can smoothly use multiple applications at the same time in the large workspace provided by a dual display. The photograph shows an EIZO 24.1-inch wide-screen LCD, the FlexScan SX2462W connected to a VAIO C. By supplementing the laptop"s built-in 1366 × 768 dot 14-inch wide-screen LCD with a 1920 × 1200 dot 24.1-inch wide-screen, it is possible to show more data at a time, a huge boost to work efficiency.

With two screens it"s easy to have full-screen display of the video content on one screen while you operate the computer on the other. The photograph shows an EIZO 23-inch wide-screen LCD monitor connected to a VAIO C. The VAIO C has HDMI output and the LCD monitor has HDMI input so visuals and sound can be transmitted by a single HDMI cable. The LCD monitor has full HD screen resolution (1920 × 1080 dot), making it the perfect match for HD video content.

At the office, it is very helpful for presentations to use "clone view" for the laptop"s built-in LCD and the external LCD screen. Clone view means showing exactly the same content on two display screens. It is normally set by a graphics driver function.

When holding small meetings it is certainly very convenient to be able to offer simple explanations of the presentation materials displayed on the external LCD, rather than having to ready a projector. Being able to explain about what is displayed on the screen means fewer documents to distribute, helping your office to "go paperless", which can only be a good thing.

We would like to point out here that you should check in advance the maximum resolution that the laptop"s external display output can handle. This can be found in documents such as the laptop"s specifications chart and support information. This is because, although most laptops can handle output up to 1920 × 1080 dots or 1920 × 1200 dots, some slightly older computers have an upper limit of 1680 × 1050 dots or 1600 × 1200 dots.

Even if the upper limit is 1680 × 1050 dots, the LCD can still display the data if its own resolution is 1680 × 1050 dots or higher. In such cases, it is better to use a monitor that offers dot-by-dot display, which displays the input resolution as it is, or enlarged display, which maintains the screen"s aspect ratio as it is. You do not need to worry because EIZO wide-screen LCDs can handle such display methods (although in some cases they do not function properly depending on the laptop computer or input resolution).

This is an example of a low-resolution display on the 1920 × 1200 dot display SX2462W. Since dot-by-dot display outputs the physical "1 dot" of the LCD and the input resolution "1 dot" without enlargement or reduction, it is shown small in the center of the screen (photo on the left). The display is a little blurred if it is enlarged while maintaining the aspect ratio, but this method is suitable for displaying images as they are shown large with low resolution to make the most of the screen size (photo on the right). Many monitors that cannot handle such display methods enlarge the display to full screen regardless of the input resolution. In such cases you have to be careful as the aspect ratio of the image is altered (for example, people appear to be thinner or fatter).

It is easy to set up a dual display in Windows 7. A menu is displayed when you right-click on the desktop. From "Screen resolution" it is possible to detect and align the external LCD, and set details such as resolution, display method and which will be the main display screen.

The "Screen resolution" menu. If the external LCD is not automatically recognized, click on "Detect". After the monitor has been recognized, you can select the display mode from the "Multiple displays" drop-down menu. Select "Extend display screen" to make the laptop screen and the external LCD into a single display screen (dual display).

Select "Duplicate display screen" from the "Multiple displays" drop-down menu to display the same content on the laptop screen and the external LCD screen (clone view). With this drop-down menu you can also set it to display video on one of the LCDs.

You can also call up a settings menu to decide the display method for a projector or external display by pressing the "Windows" and "P" keys. This is a tip worth remembering as selecting "Extension" for dual display or "Duplicate" for clone view here allows you to switch swiftly between them as necessary.

The menu launched by simultaneously pressing the "Windows" and "P" keys. You can easily switch between display methods such as dual display or clone view.

It is also worth noting that Windows 7 has added functions so that dual display can be used more effectively. An active window can be moved to the screen of another LCD by simultaneously pushing "Windows" + "Shift" + "→" (or "←"). It is also possible to maximize the window by pressing "Windows" + "↑", minimize it by pressing "Windows" + "↓", and shift it to the left or right of each screen by pressing "Windows" + "→" (or "←"). Making good use of these shortcuts should enable the efficient placing of windows in the two screens.

In Windows 7, pressing "Windows" + "Shift" + "→" instantly moves the active window from the left-hand screen (photo on the left) to the right-hand screen (photo on the right). Conversely, you can move the active window from the right-hand screen to the left-hand one by pressing "Windows" + "Shift" + "←".

We would recommend a wide-screen model with a screen resolution of 1920 × 1080 dots (Full HD) or 1920 × 1200 dots (WUXGA) as the LCD to connect to a laptop, so that you can make full use of the advantages of dual display. EIZO has an extensive line up of wide-screen LCDs which can offer many benefits, in addition to the merits of a large screen and high resolution, when used with a laptop for dual display.

The SX2462W is also equipped with vertical display function, turning the screen through 90 degrees. Vertical display is really handy when viewing elongated documents, graphics or web pages. In addition, when used as a standard horizontal screen, a 24.1 wide-screen, with its 518.4 × 324.0 mm display area, can display two A4 sheets, in other words one A3 (420 × 297 mm) in actual size. As well as being very useful in areas such as graphics or desk top publishing, this is also bound to come in handy when checking large business or accounting documents.

Setting the connected monitor into a vertical position is very convenient when displaying elongated web pages and documents or photographs that were taken vertically

With a 24.1 inch wide-screen like the SX2462W, an A3 sheet (two A4 sheets side by side) can be viewed in actual size, particularly effective for paper-based creative work ITmedia LCD Course II, Lesson 3: Which is better, 16:10 or 16:9 ? – "Screen size / resolution / aspect ratio"

We must not forget that EIZO"s wide-screen LCDs have non-glare screens (processed to reduce ambient light reflection). Nowadays the trend is for laptops to have an LCD with glare (glossy) surface treatment. While these can display images in bright color, reflected ambient light can sometimes be distracting.

A laptop screen is not so large and adjusting its angle can avoid the reflection of lights and so on, however it is not so easy with the large screen of an external LCD. When it comes to the large screen of an LCD in habitual use, a non-glare type that is not reflective is probably easier to see, as well as being kinder on the eyes. A large screen, high resolution and non-glare ensure that you can comfortably continue viewing over a prolonged period of time.

The surface treatment of an LCD makes a difference to the background reflection. Glare panels do not diffuse background light, making it easier to achieve high color purity, but easily reflect the user or lights (photo on the left). If the lights are similarly trained on a non-glare panel they do not have much effect, only appearing as a fuzzy brightness (photo on the right).

Another distinctive feature of EIZO wide-screen LCDs is a commitment to energy saving. They incorporate various power saving features that support "EcoView". A pivotal feature is the "EcoView Sense" adopted in the FlexScan EV series, such as the EV2333W.

This is the motion sensor on the front of the LCD. It constantly monitors the user"s movements to automatically take finely-tuned power saving measures. To be more precise, if the user"s presence is not detected for a specified period of time, for example if he leaves his seat, the monitor automatically switches to power save mode, and then automatically switches back when the user"s presence is detected again.

Other features include "Auto EcoView", which automatically optimizes the brightness of the LCD based on ambient lighting, and "EcoView Index", which displays a meter on the screen showing how much power is being saved. All these features can be expected to have a strong energy saving effect and to boost the user"s awareness of power saving, making them particularly useful in the office.

A standard laptop computer switches to sleep mode if the built-in LCD is closed while it is running but, if this function is turned off, a laptop can be treated as a "small desktop computer."

It can be set to use only the connected external LCD and not to react when the laptop"s built-in LCD is closed. The transformation into a small desktop PC is complete if you add a keyboard and mouse connected to the laptop via USB ports, for example. The OS is still running even though the laptop"s built-in LCD is closed, so you can carry out normal operations using the external keyboard and mouse, and also use the laptop"s built-in optical drives.

The idea is to use a large screen, high resolution external LCD at home or in the office, and to use the laptop"s built-in LCD as usual for mobile purposes. This helps to boost the longevity of the laptop"s built-in LCD and many people do use their laptop in this way. If you feel reluctant to use a dual display environment, where the screen is split in two, why not give this a try?

Select "Only show the desktop on 2" from the "Multiple displays" list in the "Screen resolution" menu. The laptop"s built-in LCD will be switched off and the external LCD will become the main display.

In the case of Windows 7, open "Alter power button operation" from the "Power options" list in the Control Panel"s "Hardware and sound", and alter the "Operation when the cover is closed" to "Do nothing".

By making this simple setting your laptop can be used as a space saving desktop computer. Another plus is that the laptop"s built-in LCD will last longer.

Recently some high-end laptop computers, such as the Sony VAIO F, are insisting on good display quality for their LCDs. However, a typical laptop"s built-in LCD does not have as good image quality as a stand-alone LCD. This is only natural since the costs allowed for display quality are completely different for an LCD incorporated into the PC as one of its parts and a specialized LCD.

However, by using an EIZO wide-screen LCD a laptop user can still fully enjoy such benefits of a stand-alone high-quality LCD as excellent color reproduction, a wide viewing angle, more even display and a wealth of items that can be adjusted to improve image quality. This is a crucial point for people who use their computer for photographs and videos in particular.

EIZO"s wide-screen LCDs emphasize color reproduction, and the coloration in sRGB mode has a high degree of accuracy. The standard color gamut used in PC environments and Internet content is sRGB, so you need have no worries about viewing or editing videos and photographs. They can also display images on web pages, such as products in online shops or goods for sale in online auctions, in colors that are very close to the real thing. (This is also influenced by how the seller took the photographs and processed the images, so we cannot say that the colors will always be accurate.)

Furthermore, in addition to sRGB color gamut accuracy, the high resolution-oriented FlexScan SX has the added benefit of covering more than 95% of Adobe RGB. Adobe RGB is a color gamut whose definitions encompass more highly-saturated colors than sRGB. In other words, it can represent a larger number of colors and brighter hues than sRGB.

Adobe RGB is the de facto standard in the publishing field and, closer to home, is used in digital SLR cameras and high grade compact digital cameras. The FlexScan SX series can reproduce the colors of photos taken in Adobe RGB mode with almost perfect accuracy on the screen. Retouching photographs proceeds more efficiently since subtle differences in color can be checked on the screen.

In this case, if the image is edited on the external LCD with its high color reproducibility and the many tool palettes in the application are grouped in the laptop"s built-in LCD, there is less need to display or hide the tool palettes or to switch back and forth, and the image data to be edited can be displayed in a large form, making for more efficient work.

In this case, if the image is edited on the external LCD with its high color reproducibility and the many tool palettes in the application are grouped in the laptop"s built-in LCD, there is less need to display or hide the tool palettes or to switch back and forth, and the image data to be edited can be displayed in a large form, making for more efficient work.

When doing things like photo retouching, using software where there is a lot of switching between tool palettes it is very handy to display the image data to be edited on the external LCD with its high color reproducibility, and to gather the palette tools to be used on the laptop"s built-in LCD.

Going back to the subject of laptop computers, it is not going too far to say that applications and functions are being spoiled in laptops whose built-in LCD"s image quality is not too good. Connecting a laptop to a monitor with high image quality dispels any concerns about work that deals with colors and also helps to bring out the laptop"s potential.

Combining an EIZO wide-screen LCD with a laptop computer makes viewing videos and images even more fun. Just being able to see them on a large screen is a pleasure, but what makes it even better is that our LCDs are equipped with Fine Contrast, the optimum image quality mode for video and visuals. You can also use the Custom mode to create the image quality you prefer.

We expect that you now understand how displaying screens from a laptop computer on a stand-alone LCD can create a very pleasant environment. It feels as if your everyday laptop has been transformed into a completely different desktop machine. Even if you only use laptop computers, it is definitely worthwhile to add a stand-alone LCD.

When choosing the type of LCD the most important consideration is to choose one with overall high quality. When it comes to that, we can recommend EIZO wide-screen LCDs to a broad range of laptop users. In addition to their high image quality, EIZO wide-screen LCD are built with careful attention to detail, including non-glare screens, versatile stand features, dot-by-dot capability, abundant image quality modes, and our proprietary eco-functions. We want you to make full use of your beloved laptop computer along with an EIZO wide-screen LCD.

This time we have spoken about how an external LCD can be connected to a laptop computer, but if your main machine is a desktop computer then you probably already have a LCD.

In which case, why not consider adding a full HD (1920 × 1080 dot) or WUXGA (1920 × 1200 dot) wide-screen LCD and creating a more advanced dual display environment to further enhance your computer"s usability.

Recently many computers can handle dual display output with their chipset integrated graphics function, and nearly all of them are capable of dual display output with a stand-alone graphics card.

The dual display environment of a desktop PC has a wider range of options than a laptop computer, which is already installed with an LCD. Depending on the combination of products used you can seek for a larger screen, higher resolution and better image quality.

The photograph below shows two EIZO 24.1-inch WUXGA (1920 × 1200 dot) models being used side by side for an overwhelming super high resolution of 3840 × 1200 dots in total.

You can get a super high resolution of 3840 × 1200 dots in total by putting two 24.1-inch 1920 × 1200 dot wide-screen LCDs side by side. The advantage in this is that a larger screen and higher resolution are achieved at a lower cost than buying a single 30-inch high resolution model