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I recently bought this HDMI to VGA cable to use with a computer which only has HDMI output:

HDMI to VGA cable.

However, it doesn’t work and now I realize that an active device is needed to perform the conversion. My question is basically: Is the cable a fake product or are some graphics cards able output a VGA signal through the HDMI output?

Edit: By "output a VGA signal through the HDMI output" I mean switching from HDMI output to VGA output with a hardware setting.

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    A VGA connection would require at least 4 signal wires (for RGB and composite sync) plus grounds. The HDMI connector does not have enough unused/spare pins to allow a dual HDMI+VGA interface. The cable you bough seems to be frankenstein creation.
    – sawdust
    Feb 9, 2016 at 21:09
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    DVI is capable of carrying analog data, but HDMI is strictly digital. That means the HDMI output from the computer has only digital information. To convert it to VGA requires active conversion. It's theoretically possible to fit that inside a standard-sized connector. However, the listing implies that it's bi-directional, requiring active conversion from VGA to HDMI (and recognition of which is the source), also. The $1.99 price tag hardly covers the wire and "gold-plated" connectors, unless those are absolute crap. I don't see any way this isn't a scam (and the glowing reviews BS).
    – fixer1234
    Feb 9, 2016 at 21:34
  • If you're curious, use a multimeter to check which pins, if any, are actually connected. Since there's no relationship between HDMI and VGA, any connections other than grounds could cause problems. Wire is expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if the "cable" is just a plastic tube or some scrap cable.
    – fixer1234
    Feb 10, 2016 at 20:07

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Yeah I believe that is a scam. Although I'm not sure about your question. If you are trying to use HDMI OUTPUT to VGA INPUT (new pc to old monitor) then this is what you need: http://www.amazon.com/Fullink-Female-Audio-Converter-Adapter/dp/B00JK09P52/ref=sr_1_15?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1455067495&sr=1-15&keywords=hdmi+to+vga

If your trying to convert VGA OUTPUT to HDMI INPUT (Old pc to new monitor) then you need this: http://www.amazon.com/VicTsing-Output-1080P-Converter-Adapter/dp/B00K4W62R4/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1455067978&sr=1-5&keywords=vga+to+hdmi Hope this helps!

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  • If there was a graphics card which could output a VGA signal instead of a HDMI signal through its HDMI socket (maybe controlled by a hardware setting) and the cable was wired to allow this, then there would be a use case for this cable.
    – August Karlstrom
    Feb 10, 2016 at 8:42
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    @AugustKarlstrom: No. Each type of connector is associated with a standard that defines everything about it in excruciating detail. The HDMI standard defines what every wire does, what kind of signal it carries, etc. A manufacturer can't make a graphics card with an HDMI connector, call it HDMI, and then do anything else with it but have it comply with the HDMI standard. If they want to make a VGA signal available, they need to use a different connector or add a VGA connector. There is simply no way that cable can work, anywhere, in any way. It's a scam to steal $1.99.
    – fixer1234
    Feb 10, 2016 at 9:13
  • @fixer1234 -- "Each type of connector is associated with a standard ..." -- As a blanket statement that is false. Not every connector is associated with an interface standard. E.G. DIN and DB style connectors are all generic connector standards that are independent of any pin-to-signal assignment, and are used for many different interfaces. It's the proliferation of consumer electronics that have prompted manufacturers to use connectors that are part of an complete interface standard, e.g. HDMI, USB, SATA.
    – sawdust
    Feb 10, 2016 at 19:13
  • @sawdust: you're right, of course. I was referring to the kinds of connectors relevant to this question. I should have worded it more precisely. (Although in this case, that would probably have resulted in a follow-up question like, "What if the manufacturer had a hybrid HDMI/DB connector; wouldn't the cable be useful in that case?") :-)
    – fixer1234
    Feb 10, 2016 at 19:57

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