Archive for the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ Category

 Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Cable Guy Clive

Cable Guy Clive

Hi, I’m Cable Guy Clive.

Over the coming weeks we will be giving you the opportunity to submit any cable related questions you may have.

Each week your questions will be included in a Q & A post and will also be include in our Podcasts.

It doesn’t matter how silly you may think your questions is. The chances are if you’re thinking about your gripe, that someone else is too.

So whether you are looking at converting SCART to USB or information on How to connect a laptop to your TV, I have the answers. If you need to know more about HDMI or are unsure about what a DisplayPort Cable is, then drop your comment in below.

And of course if you needed advice before I post your questions, feel free to call me on 0845 009 9134.

If you would like you question posting simply fill in the comment form at the bottom of this post. However, please do not place any links back to your website, as these comments will not be allowed. This is due to the large amount of spam we are getting.


 
 
 
 Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

cables-and-leadsWith various ways of connecting a 2nd, 3rd or more screens to your computer or laptop. Or perhaps you want to connect a TV to your laptop for bigger screen entertainment. Here is our quick help guide on what to do and how to go about it!

Once you have got the right cables and connected your computers 2nd display or TV, you need to let your Windows operating system know what you have done. If you haven’t got the cables yet and need help, either get in touch or view our Computer to TV cable help guide now.

So here we go:

For Windows XP Users
1 – Right click your Windows Desktop anywhere but on an icon and select ‘Properties’.
2 – Then the Properties box should appear, then select tab ‘Settings’
(If you have connected a 2nd or more displays you should see a window 1 and window 2.)
3 – Select the display from the dropdown or the number for your 2nd display or TV.
(If you are unsure which is which, select the tab that says ‘Identify’, this should help!)
4 – Now enable and select the box ‘Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.’
5 – Make sure you set the screen resolution to a setting that your 2nd display can handle. If unsure check the manual that came with your monitor or TV for help.
6 – You should now select ‘Apply’ and now be able to drag and drop a Windows program or ‘Window’ on and off 1 display and onto another!
7 – That’s it! You have now setup your 2nd display or TV for multi-screen viewing.

For Windows Vista Users
1 – Right click your Windows Desktop anywhere but on an icon and select ‘Personalize’.
2 -In the next window, towards the bottom, then select the text ‘Display Settings’
(If you have connected a 2nd or more displays you should see a window 1 and window 2.)
3 – Select the display from the dropdown or the number for your 2nd display or TV.
(If you are unsure which is which, select the tab that says ‘Identify’, this should help!)
4 – Now enable and select the box ‘Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.’
5 – Make sure you set the screen resolution to a setting that your 2nd display can handle. If unsure check the manual that came with your monitor or TV for help.
6 – You should now select ‘Apply’ and now be able to drag and drop a Windows program or ‘Window’ on and off 1 display and onto another!
7 – That’s it! You have now setup your 2nd display or TV for multi-screen viewing.

Multi Display Error Messages and Problems to be aware of!

If you are faced with a blank screen or the ‘Out of Range’ error on your 2nd display or TV, please check the following:

1 – Are you sure you have set a resolution in the instructions above that your 2nd display or TV can handle? On some screens or TV sets you may also need to set a matching ‘Frequency’ too. To make this change, while in the Display settings window mentioned above, select the tab ‘Advanced’… then the tab ‘Monitor’.
2 – You should now see a Monitor Settings dropdown selection. Ensure you change your frequency to that, that is recommended by your monitors guide or TV instructions. Some TV sets require the frequency to be as low as 60Hz, but do check 1st.
3 – Ensure the correct display cables are connected. See our Computer to TV cable help guide now if you are unsure or need to double check your cable connections!

If you are still stuck, then feel free to add your comments below or contact us for further help!

We offer a full range of converters and cables for all computers, monitors and TV’s old and new. So feel free to get in touch or view our guide above for further details.


 
 
 
 Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Cables & Leads

Cables & Leads

This is another of the cables & leads series of FAQ’s which have been developed to help you our customers get a better understanding and options available to you for your home entertainment equipment  connection needs.

Syndicat des Constructeurs d’Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs or SCART as it’s most commonly known was originally developed and mainly used in Europe for connecting audio and video equipment together. Developed in 1977 it soon became popular and in France it was a required fitment on all new TV’s. Although now it’s usage is on the decrease due to newer, faster better connection technologies like HDMI cables have had to be developed to meet the ever increasing demands put on their equipment by users.

Will a scart switcher damage my tv?
If the SCART switcher is of good quality and care is taken when using it and the cables then there should be no damage from using is. Always remember to follow manufacturers instructions carefully and if in any doubt contact them for help.

What is SCART?
SCART is a connection type which was developed to connect audio and video devices together. SCART is most commonly found in Europe although attempts were made to re-brand SCART and introduce it in to America and Asia with little success.

What is a SCART socket?
SCART sockets are rectangular in shape and carry 21 pins inside them. Developed and very popular in Europe.

Do phono leads give a better picture than scart lead?
If by phono leads you mean RGB cables then SCART in theory should be better but this will most likely be a very minor improvement and hardly noticeable to the majority of people.

How to convert SCART cables to video and audio cables?
There are many SCART adapters and SCART converters available to suit your equipment and needs. Giving you the ability to use your older equipment with newer devices.

How to connect RGB SCART to DVD?
Connecting SCART RGB to your DVD will depend heavily on the type of equipment that you have and the connections available. There are SCART kits available to connect RGB outputs to SCART sockets and many other things besides.

Can I share SCART sockets?
You can if you use a splitter device to give you more SCART socket connections. Although if you have round RCA connections available it may be possible to use this instead.


 
 
 
 Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Cables & Leads

Cables & Leads

Here is the latest in our series of FAQ’s which we have been developing to help you our customers understand a bit more about the technologies which are now all around us.

VGA originally developed by IBM in 1987 and remained the most popular way to connect a computer display for many years. As time has gone by expectations of computer users has grown with the wealth of digital media which is commonplace now in our lives now we are in the digital age has seen a need for new faster and better technologies to be developed. Things like HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort have been developed to fill this need.

What does VGA stand for?
In its original guise it means video graphics array which was developed by IBM originally. It is also used as a term to mean the 15 pin connector used for the connection.

What is better DVI or VGA?
DVI due to it’s higher bandwidth and the quality of the transferred data to the display / screen. Also DVI is able to support higher resolutions.

What is the difference between DVI and VGA?
The two are very different in the way they work and the way that they interact with your display. DVI works on a pixel by pixel basis and interacts with them individually. Where as VGA sends the whole image to the display and it has to work out where to display them. DVI offers far greater image quality and better performance than VGA.

How convert VGA to component?
To be able to convert VGA to a component connection you will need a adapter cable available at cables and leads.

What is VGA resolution?
Technically the original VGA resolution was 640 x 480 although some of the later updates to the VGA display standard claim to be VGA and will support higher resolutions.

What is VGA?
VGA is a display standard that was first released and developed by IBM. Although in recent years many people call the 15 pin connector VGA now.

Are VGA monitor cables and power cords universal?
Yes they are. Although some monitors came with the VGA cable hard wired in to them.

What is a VGA camera?
A digital camera which can take photo’s at the standard VGA resolution 640 x 480. Good enough for email and internet use not so good if you want to print them out.

Which is better VGA or DVI for lcd?
To get the most from a lcd display it is far better to use a DVI connection due it’s increased speed and image quality.

How to connect VGA to HDMI?
You can buy a converter which will allow you to connect the two together. Although the image will not be in HD as VGA is only a analogue signal and not a digital one like HDMI is. Also the VGA interface is not fast enough to transfer the amounts of information needed by a HDMI cable.

What is a VGA monitor?
VGA monitors are the now old and outdated computer displays that were commonly connected to computers in the 90’s and very rarely used nowadays for various reasons.

What is the difference between VGA and megapixel?
VGA’s resolution of 640 x 480 holds 0.3 megapixels of information about the photo. So the more megapixels the camera is rated at the better the outputted image quality and detail. A old school 35 mm camera image will have around 20 million pixels worth of information.

What is a VGA port?
It is a graphics port which passes a analogue signal to a display a rounded rectangle in shape with a 15 pin connection.

How to use VGA laptop to TV?
First you need to make sure that you have the correct cable, connectors and any adapters to suit your equipment. Once you have then it is simply a process of plugging each end in to the respective ports and selecting the correct input channel on your TV. Before turning on your laptop you will also need to alter it’s resolution, it may be necessary to check your help documentation if you are unsure on how to do this.

Do you use both DVI and VGA cables?
No, only use one preferably a DVI connection if you can as they give far superior image quality to the older VGA standard.

What is better VGA or component?
For quality output a good quality component cable will give far better results than a VGA connection.

What is a VGA cable?
VGA cables are used to connect a computer to it’s display although this is now outdated and nowadays you are more likely to see DVI or DisplayPort technologies used for the same purpose. VGA cables have 15 pin connectors on both ends and will vary in length.

How long can a VGA cable be?
There are a number of things that can affect the length of VGA cable that you can use things such as cable quality, resolution, refresh rate of the output and display. As a general rule though with standard retail cabling you will possibly start seeing interference at around 10 feet in length. Over this you would most likely need higher quality cables or take it over a cat5e/6 network cable.

How to convert VGA to s-video?
It is a very simple process to convert VGA to s-video all you need is a adapter cable then plug them in.

Why use a DVI to VGA adapter?
There are number of reasons for this, you may want to use two monitors but have only one DVI output and one VGA output. You may want to use a older display on your DVI only computer and the list goes on..

How to connect VGA to your TV?
This will depend on the TV and what sockets you have spare then you will need a adapter or converter to connect the two together. This can be achieved by using a USB to VGA adapter from a computer.

VGA connector on TV is that good quality?
VGA is a legacy connection type now being outdated by newer and faster technologies which will give far better results.

Can dual monitors work if VGA and DVI are on motherboard?
Yes they can work seamlessly together although you should only connect one to a monitor at a time.

Laptop only has VGA out how do i connect to a TV?
You will need a laptop to TV kit which will include all the cables and connectors you will need to connect them together.

How to use RCA cable with VGA monitor?
To use RCA on your VGA monitor you will need a converter cable or converter plug.

What is a VGA adapter?
VGA adapters are used when you don’t have a VGA input on one of the devices that you want to connect together popular VGA adapters are available for many things like DVI, HDMI, RCA etc..

How do I connect my laptop to my TV using a VGA cable?

There are kits available to suit most laptops that allow you to do this take a look on our site for TV to laptop kits.

Cant get sound from TV when in the VGA mode?
This is because VGA does not transmit sound only images. You will need to connect the sound from your laptop / computer using a phono / RCA lead.

Can VGA be converted to component?
You can convert the connection using a adapter but the signal will be only as good as VGA.

How to fix no VGA detected?
Check the connections are both ok and that they have both been tightened up correctly also check the condition of the cable itself to see if it is in good order.

Is there a real difference between DVI and VGA?
Most people who have looked at a computer display using both connection types that they can see a big difference in image quality and crispness when using DVI.

Can VGA to HDMI converters increase picture quality?
Some people say that they can see a difference but there shouldn’t be any, as you are restricted by the VGA connections limitations.

Can VGA cable carry an HDMI signal to a TV?
Simply put, no. As they are both completely different technologies one HDMI is digital and one is analogue.

Can you covert direct TV signal to VGA monitor?
Yes you can do this conversion but you will need to use a dedicated signal converter.

Can I connect my VGA cable to an RCA input?
Connecting VGA to RCA is possible with the correct converter kit.

Related Articles:
HDMI Frequently Asked Questions


 
 
 
 Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
Cables & Leads

Cables & Leads

We get asked all kinds of questions about HDMI cables day in day out, so we have decided to put together this useful HDMI Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) article to help answer some of your questions.

If you cannot find the answer to your HDMI questions, feel free to post a comment at the bottom of the article and we will add it to to our FAQs’. Alternatively why not give us a call on 0845 009 9134 and speak to one of our technicians.

What is HDMI?
HDMI is the industry standard for connecting high definition devices such as Sky HD box’s and Blu-Ray players to high definition TV’s & screens.

What does HDMI stand for?
HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface.

What is a HDMI input on a TV?
A HDMI input on a TV is an interface for connecting High Definition devices such as SKY HD box’s and Blu-Ray players.

What is the difference between DVI and HDMI?
Both DVI & HDMI are used for delivering High Definition signals; however the main difference is that DVI will only deliver Video Signals, it will not deliver audio signals, whereas HDMI delivers both. As a result of this their main uses are varied. HDMI cables are used for TV devices whilst DVI tends to be used more for computer monitors and displays.

What is better HDMI or DVI?
Both HDMI & DVI support High Definition resolutions, however DVI cannot distribute sound. HDMI’s ability to support both sound and video makes it the more versatile of the 2, and the preferred choice amongst professionals.

What is the best HDMI cable?
There is a lot of confusion about whether you should spend a lot of money on a high quality HDMI cable or whether a cheap cable would be just as good. To help answer this question we have written an article about choosing the right HDMI cable. Click Here To Read “Why HDMI Doesn’t Have To Cost As Much As You Think”

Are all HDMI cables the same?
The functionality of HDMI cables remains the same throughout. This is because HDMI uses a digital signal, so the signal is either on or off. The quality of that signal cannot vary like analogue signals can. There are 2 main aspects that can change from cable to cable. The first is the speed at which the cable delivers the signal, and the second is the quality of the components used to manufacture the cable. The more expensive HDMI cables tend to run at higher speeds and use more expensive components.

Why use a HDMI cable?
HDMI cables are a very inexpensive way of delivering a High Definition signal. Their cost effectiveness means that they are the perfect way of connecting High Definition Devices to TV screens.

Who makes the best HDMI cable?
Although this is down to personal choice, Monster Cables are widely regarded as being the market leaders in high end HDMI Cables.

Do I need a HDMI Cable?
It all depends on what you are looking to connect and what kind of quality you are looking to achieve. Because this is such an open question, we feel the best way to answer this would be on an individual basis, so why not give us a call and speak to one of our technicians on 0845 009 9134

What are HDMI cables used for?
HDMI Cables are used for connecting High Definition devices to High Definition Display’s like TV’s. Some of these devices include Sky HD boxes, DVD players, set top receivers, Blu-Ray players, and games consoles.

Are Flat HDMI cables better than round ones?
No. There is no difference in the quality these 2 cables deliver; the only difference between them is cosmetic.

Does HDMI deliver 7.1 sound?
Yes as long as the device you are connecting from outputs 7.1 via HDMI. For example SKY HD boxes only output stereo sound via HDMI, if you want digital sound you need to output you sound via an optical cable.

Can I run a laptop through the TV using HDMI?
Yes! We have even written an article about how to do this. Click Here To Read “How to Connect a Laptop to a TV”

What is HDMI 1.3?
HDMI 1.3 is an industry standard. It was released on the 22nd June 2006 and supported a higher bandwidth of 340 MHz (10.2 Gbit/s) than the previous 1.2 standard. Most cables manufactured these days support HDMI 1.3.

What is the maximum distance HDMI Cables can go?
HDMI can travel to around 25 metres without the signal needing to be amplified. Any further than 25m then you will need to use a HDMI over Ethernet Extender to distribute the signal.

How can I extend HDMI?
For Distances over 25 metres you can extend HDMI using a HDMI over Ethernet Extender.

Why buy a monster HDMI cable?
Monster HDMI Cables offer a high end solution for true high definition resolutions. Monster Cables use high quality components allowing the HD signal to be delivered at high speed. Monster Cables also come with quite a long warranty giving you piece of mind that your cable will be remain of the high standard you would expect.

Do HDMI cables really make a difference?
Yes, a HDMI cable can deliver 1080p true HD resolutions.

Is HDMI better than Component Video?
Yes, although component video cables support High Definition they are not digital cables, they are analogue. Therefore are not quite as good as HDMI Cables. Also, component does not support audio.

How do you distribute HDMI?
If you are looking to split the signal and distribute to more than one screen you should use a HDMI Splitter. If you are looking to distribute the signal over distance you should use a HDMI over Ethernet Extender.

Why is my HDMI picture no better than terrestrial TV?
HDMI is just the cable that is used to send the signal and will only ever be as good as the signal it is sending. Most TV stations do not transmit in High Definition instead they have dedicated HD channels e.g. BBC HD. These channels are the only channels you can currently watch in high definition; all other channels will seem no different. There will be a time when all TV channels are transmitted in HD; however we are some way off that at present.

Can you get 1080i using HDMI to component video cable?
Yes, Although HDMI is digital and Component is Analogue, both support 1080i resolutions so converting one to the other should not pose any problems.