Hooking an m15x to a monitor

I am thinking of buying the m15x but what puts me off is the smaller screen, this is no issue for most things as I will be carrying it around for the most time but at home I would like to hook it up to my desktop monitor and thus my question arises. I know the laptop comes with a HDMI socket but will I be able to link it up to a standard monitor with the normal VGA (I think) socket? if so, what lead do I need?

Thanks a-e

 

U can get a converter i think.

 

well, HDMI is digital and VGA is analog, so you'll need a converter. however, i don't think VGA can output HiDef, so you might want to consider getting a monitor that can actually display what the m15x is cranking out graphics-wise, the additional benefit being that almost all modern monitors have an HDMI input anyway.

 

That would be good because I think the m17x will be out of my price range.


I cant justify a new monitor so would that mean the monitor wouldnt work or would just be really poor quality?

 

you would get about the standard 720p wich is a form of HD but not 1080p. for that you need iether DVI or HDMI

 

well not terrible, but you will definitely notice the difference compared to the m15x's screen. i _think_ VGA is limited to like 1024x768, but i'm not sure.

 

Well my monitor is 1280x1024

 

it will still work fine, it will just be working at smaller resolutions. actually, i had a 1200p 22" screen a while ago and it as able to take its full resolution through a DVI cable that had a VGA adapter on it...... dont know if that matters.

There wont be a noticable difference IMO arnold.

 

good good, that will make my home gaming so much easier

Thanks everyone

 

make sure you can find a converter that will work before you buy the m15x

 

I bought the HDMI to DVI connector from Alienware with my laptop. I think it was $20. but I think you can buy a cable which converts HDMI to DVI for cheap ($12 I think)

I use my Dell 24" monitor with my m15x. I use it at 1900x1200 resolution. Here is a Video I made, you can see the monitor and laptop hookup near the end of the video.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FOOcNT-7d88

 

yeah the only problems is he is trying to use VGA connection

 

Yeah, otherwise this would be very easy

 

What type of converter do we need then to connect the laptop to a screen that only has a vga input?

 

actually, i just remembered you might actually run into problems with HDCP (HDMI's copy protection). i'm not sure if there's a way to circumvent it yet. beyond that, i seem to remember there was a hdmi-to-vga converter out at some point, but it cost like 350 euros (which is pretty much the price of a new monitor).

 

wow so we really need a screen that has a digital input...
if i'm at school and I have a presentation and I want to plug in my laptop to a projector that only has a vga.. well I can't do my presentation..

 

pretty much. you i keep thinking some sort of VGA-over-expresscard thingy would be awesome...

EDIT: something like this might help: http://sewelldirect.com/Belkin-ExpressCard-Docking-Station---DVI-VGA-Audio-USB-Ethernet-Out.asp it's got a vga out. kinda expensive though.

 

yeah if you have to do stuff like that I probably wouldn't go with the m15x.

 

I think Belkin already does a docking station that has an internal graphic card and that connects through express card.
The problem is that it is not very transportable. But if you wanted to connect your m15x to a screen at home then it is good.

 

HA i've found it. all you've ever wanted and more. http://sewelldirect.com/vtbookpcmciacard.asp

 

That pretty much blows the m15x out of the water for me then, I wont buy a new monitor and I sure as hell arent buying the adaptor thing (at least not at that price) and as I need more than a 15" display it means either the m17x or the unfortunately ugly m1730

Thanks for the help whizzo

 

Actually, would this work?

http://sewelldirect.com/DVIAMTOVGAF.asp

Its $9

 

nope. that's dvi-a (for analog) to vga (which is analog anyway). and you can't just hook that to a hdmi to dvi adapter because that will be dvi-d (digital). we want hdmi to vga, or rather, expresscard to vga.

 

What about a HDMI to DVI converter then a DVI to VGA converter.
You will lose the quality but it would be a cheap solution.

 

That means the m15x is effectively completely of the table then

 

I was thinking that but I know nothing about this stuff so assumed it wasnt possible, how bad would the quality loss be?

 

won't work, i'm afraid. the hdmi-to-dvi-thingy outputs dvi-d (for digital). the dvi-to-vga only takes dvi-a (for analog) as an input. dvi-d and dvi-a have different plug specs.

someone correct me if i'm talking BS

 

Please someone say he is saying BS, not that I want you to be wrong whizzo I just want to hook my m15x up

 

u cant... its one of the main limitations of the m15x... no VGA suport....

its a real bumber as LOTS of projects at work/schools etc only use vga...

its one of the main reasons im holding off and thinking about going for the sager 15inch which will have vga also...

 

This is becoming a problem, m15x too small, m17x maybe too expensive and I might not be able to buy a laptop in time to get a m1730 (depending of course on how long it is still on sale and if rumours are true)