Displayport - using with monitor with no Displayport socket?

This is a bit of an odd question....i think.

Ok, so the M17x is equipped with Displayport - which is designed to be the newest and best way to connect an external monitor - right???

Now, looking around at monitors, there are hardly any that currently offer Displayport connections and, if they do, they are ultra-expensive high end monitors.

So, like many of us, im in the market for an external monitor and was wondering on the best way to hook up my screen with my laptop given that the monitors I can afford will not be Displayport equipped.

Having looked into this a wee bit, my monitor of choice atm has x2 HDMI and 1 vga. (samsung BX2450)

Question being, and may be obvious to some, but what is the best way to hook the two up?

I can see that there are several ways:

1. HDMI to HDMI (obvious)
2. Displayport via adaptor to HDMI
3. Displayport via adaptor to VGA

Now, im thinking that using the adaptor to "downscale" the signal output via the laptops Displayport to any other input method would be pointless??? - I cant see that taking the signal from Displayport and converting it to HDMI or VGA would make any use of the supposed better output of the Displayport on the M17x, right?

Would anyone like to comment or suggest the best way to hook up a Non-Displayport equipped monitor to the M17x??? - atm im thinking just HDMI-HDMI but if (and its a big if im thinking) that using an adaptor with the Displayport out on the laptop would result in any better quality???

 

Display port came about becuase it was a standard that did not require royalties to be paid.

Better monitors have the DVI interface, and that would be they way I would go other than HDMI.

The only observation I have with HDMI is the native resolutions are more suited for Televisons, but I have not played with a dedicated monitor with HDMI either, just Tvs with HDMI.

having said that i still game now and then on my 55 inch LED LCD TV

other than that the hardware used in the display port to xxxx adaptor will be your limiting factor so check the specs on the converters closely.

 

From what i have read about the various methods to connect, HDMI is the same as DVI-D but has the addition of the ability to carry sound. (not that a monitor without speakers needs sound).
They are both digital signal carrying cables, but HDMI is more universal these days.

The monitor in question has x2 HDMI sockets and a VGA - no DVI as obviously HDMI carryies the same signal as DVI, right?

Hmmm.....if i go for the Samsung BX2450, I guess my best way to connect is via HDMI over VGA as VGA is only analogue and prone to RF interference.

 

You're correct about HDMI and DVI carrying the same video signal. This is why you can use passive HDMI-DVI adapters to plug a computer into a HDTV.

For connecting to the monitor, a pure digital signal of any kind is better than an analog one. There's not really much difference between the various digital signals, so any of them will beat VGA.

I've looked a little bit into DisplayPort, and it's a little unusual. You can get DP++ ports that can output an HDMI signal, and allow you to use a passive adapter to connect to an HDMI display. Ordinary DP ports can only output a DP signal, and you have to use an active converter to change the signal type. (Check out the linked Wikipedia article for some good info.)

 

Yeah, my research into Displayport told me that its good if you have a Displayport equipped monitor (of which there are not many about that are within my budget - most seem to be very pricey)

The other thing that i seemed to understand (hopefully) is that there is probably no point in using the Displayport from my M17x, then convert it to HDMI to plug into my monitor. I would imagine that the signal output by the Displayport would get "mutilated" to a degree by any form of converter and would result in no better gain had i used said output in the first place...ie HDMI to HDMI.

Therfore, all i can assume is that by using Displayport, its only gonna be beneficial if you have a DIsplayport equipped monitor - other than that, HDMI and DVI will perform the same and VGA would be a last resort.

As my monitor of choice has x2 HDMI and a VGA only, would i be right in saying the best way to connect it to my M17x would be via HDMI to HDMI rather than use the Displayport out with a converter to what would be a HDMI input to the monitor.....going HDMI to HDMI would mean that i bypass a converter that really isnt required.

Or would the converted signal from the Displayport be any better?

Would this summation be about right anyone? - its confused the heck outta me LOL

 

Correct.

The good thing about digital signals is that they're lossless, which means that the picture sent is pixel-for-pixel identical to that received. It shouldn't make a lot of difference if there's a digital conversion process in the middle, because the picture the converter puts out should be identical to the one it receives.

In short, it doesn't matter which digital connector you use, the picture is going to be the same. I'd probably go HDMI, because you can pick up a cable for next to nothing.

 

My second external monitor is connected to one of my usb slots. It works well tho not for gaming. Excellent for school and work though.

 

Im just wondering if there is any benefit to be had by using the Displayport out from my lappy , converting it to HDMI and then connecting to my external display....

The way i see it is that if i have to "downgrade" the output to HDMI via a converter of some variety, i may as well just use the HDMI out straight to the monitor and avoid another box sat on the desk....

As my monitor has HDMI and VGA, i obviously will have to plug in via HDMI for best results, i really dont know if there is any added benefit by using the DIsplayport tho.....

 

I'm just curios why all the hoopla and fuss? Just use a HDMI cable or VGA. I have 23.5" samsung that I use the VGA on to my laptop and it looks just fine. And the really nice thing about is I don't have to play around with limited resolution opitions (IE 720p, or 1080p)

 

Its no big fuss....I just wanted to be sure of the best way to connect. VGA is far inferior in terms of signal bandwidth compared to HDMI and same can be said about HDMI comapared to Displayport.

In Hierachy, the best way (or best in terms of optimal performance) is:

Best - Displayport - Displayport monitor required for best results. Has the highest bandwith of all digital connections, so in theory, provides the best digital images.
Good - HDMI - Universally used but not as much bandwidth as Displayport technology.
Worst - VGA - Provides an analogue signal only and is inferior comapred to digital signals carried by the previous two.

It all boils down to choice and what connections you have i guess - as i have never used Displayport technology before, i thought i would simply ask the question in the hope that someone has used it opposed to HDMI or with a Displayport to HDMI converter.

Yep, I could just hook it up as you say, but i didnt buy an external LED monitor to NOT get the best out of it.

 

Assuming you've got a 2560x1600 screen, HDMI 1.3 provides enough bandwidth to drive it at 75fps for 24-bit colour, and 60fps for 30-bit colour. I don't think Windows properly supports more than 8 bits per channel (24-bit colour), and you have to use an IPS display to get 10 bits per channel (30-bit colour), so HDMI will work perfectly fine.

 

Thats my understanding of it too.....in other words, Displayport is useless for the majority of us unless you can afford an IPS panel display equipped with a Displayport in......im going HDMI.