How important is DVI / HDMI for a 24 inch display?

Hi there,

I'm trying to decide between a HP 6930p (14.1") or 8530p (15.4"). I would prefer a 14 inch laptop. However, the 6930p only has a VGA port; the 8530p has an HDMI port. Probably 50% of the time its in use, it will be connected to a 24 inch display (a Dell 2408wfp).

I am concerned about the difference in picture quality between the VGA versus the digital connection? In practice, how much difference am I likely to notice? I will be using it mainly for office type work.

Thanks in advance! Your feedback is much appreciated.

 

I don't know about hdmi but I connect mine to a 20 inch LCD via VGA and DVI. I can't tell the difference at all. If you're using it for office work only, I don't think HD screen quality isn't an issue for you.

 

VGA is absolutely not going to be a noticeable difference in your application, and will be more than fine for movies/games should you decide to go that route.

 

That's great. Thanks for the advice. I do have one further question. One thing I may want to do with the laptop is use it for occasional boardroom presentations - both PowerPoint and also playing video with audio (as part of the presentation). I imagine if the room has a projector, then VGA would just plug into it and sound would play directly out of the laptop. However, a lot of meeting rooms seem to have large flat panel TV monitors now.

How would it work if I only have a VGA port? Could I use a VGA to DVI connector, plug that into the flat panel and then play sound from the laptop or external speakers (if there was sound)? I imagine if the laptop had HDMI you'd just plug it into the monitor and it would automatically play both picture and audio.

If there is a suitable workaround (which I imagine there might well be as a lot of people presumably give presentations with a laptop that only has a VGA port), then I'll go with the 14"...

Thanks again!

 

Just plug the VGA in, and next to the VGA on your typical flat panel display, you will either have a 1/8" female jack (just like your headphone jack on our laptop), or a left and right (red /white) pair of RCA jacks.

Bring both cables with you.

1/8" STEREO (has 3 separate metal contacts, vs 2) male to male



& 1/8" stereo to rca adapter.


Then you can adjust to whatever you have.

And most of the flat panels can switch audio & video - meaning you can plug the video into the VGA, and select with the remote to get audio from Video 2, or whatever else. But with both of those cables you should be good.

To be extra sure on the video end to have all possibilities, get a VGA to composite / s-video (yellow RCA) adapter,

just in case you get one of those older displays with the 3 RCA's as your only hookup. It's obviously less quality, but if that's the best that the display offers, it doesn't matter.

All of these are available at the local Radio Shack.