[SneakerElph]

I can't seem to get a straight answer anywhere I look online about this. I plan to build an HTPC around this mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813121353

As you can see, it has HDMI and DVI out. I believe it's DVI-I. Anyway, I'm building an HTPC that I'd like to be able to just carry over to a friends house and hook it up to their TV, regardless of whether or not it has HDMI inputs. Since I can't seem to find a straight answer anywhere, I figured you guys might be able to help.

I'd like to know if theres a simple adapter from DVI-I to composite. Apple makes one, but it's unclear whether it just works with DVI-I or if it's Apple specific. I'd really rather not go DVI->VGA->scanline converter as that detracts from my all in one solution to the HTPC.

Thanks!

[Sloppy]

Must admit I've never seen a dvi to composite. On ebay you can get a dvi to split component/s-video. Have ordered one, still waiting for it to arrive til I can say it definitely works ok.

Most old tv's have s-video, think it might be your best bet.

[SneakerElph]

from the s-video I can just grab a cheap converter right? I don't really know of many TV's with S-Video that don't just have HDMI/component in. All of my old TV's do, however, have composite in.

[sIRwa2]

if you have a skart with s-video (Y-C) in, probably all tv's will be able to display that. but i guess your best of with some usb to compsite or firewire to composite thingy. or try DVI to VGA adaptor > vga to RGB-H-V kable > RGB-H-V to composite convertor (try your local AV rental for a nice cheap 2e hand one)

[snappz]

Not cheap but I think this will do what you want
http://www.hdtvsupply.com/dvitocomposite.html

[SneakerElph]

I've ordered a cable like Sloppy, will test with my PC when it gets here to see if it works.

[sIRwa2]

can you post a link of the cable? i can only find dvi to component. and old tv's rarely have component inputs.

@snappz, yhea gefen is a professional brand that shit works for sure!

[Avictus]

I'm not an expert, but I don't think you can use a plain adapter to convert DVI to composite. I'm sure that plain adapters exist, but the video out of your computer's DVI/VGA port is RGB and the composite in on TVs is different (YUV or something.) As far as I know, you'll have to use an active converter like posted above. A cheaper solution would be to get a cheap video card with TV out on it. Almost every Nvidia card made in the last few years has one, ATI probably does too. The newer Nvidia cards will usually output composite/component/s-video all from the same port and will usually come with a cable that has all of those ends on it. I'm sure you could find a video card with this feature for less than $50.

[SneakerElph]

I would just get a video card, but the motherboard i want to use only has one PCI-E x1 slot, and the case (Apex MW-100) doesn't have room for expansion cards. I may look into getting another case though, and a PCI-E x1 graphics card.

[sIRwa2]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Modu...&U=strat15

@Avictus you are right. dvi>composite cable is nice but only apple configured there dvi port so it can output composite tru the dvi port using an cable adaptor. normal dvi-i or dvi-a can only output rgb (i think its rgb-s or rgb-h-v like vga) and no tv can handle that. http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/vga2tv...rcial.html

[SneakerElph]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Modu...&U=strat15

@Avictus you are right. dvi>composite cable is nice but only apple configured there dvi port so it can output composite tru the dvi port using an cable adaptor. normal dvi-i or dvi-a can only output rgb (i think its rgb-s or rgb-h-v like vga) and no tv can handle that. http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/vga2tv...rcial.html

I guess we'll see what happens with this DVI- component/s-video cable that I ordered on ebay.

As far as I know, component can be RGB or Y/U/P, but there's no specification for S-Video to carry an RGB signal, so I guess unless it's a non-standard S-Video connection, it's Y/U, which can be converted to composite.

[sIRwa2]

component can be RGB or Y/U/P

Y/U/P is not a standard, its ether YUV, RGB with some sort of sync signal or YPbPr (Y B-y R-y) which is all component but all differ in how they build there image.

s-Video is actually called Y-C for Y= luminance (black and white signal) and Y= chroma (colour info). All component formats have the Y in common for the sync, but the colour is transmitted in different ways.

it's Y/U, which can be converted to composite

the U needs a V in order to display the correct colour.



basicly component cant be made composite without an electronic convertor. but you can cut up a s-video cable and hotwire the 2 signal and 2 grounds together and make composite, but thats a dirty trick

but let me know how it goes when you receive your cable. the only way for it to work as we like is if the graphics card/driver can be told what to put out.

[Sloppy]

FYI my cable just arrived today ... will test it tonight and report on my results tonight or tomorrow!

Someone asked earlier in the thread exactly which cable it was, don't see an answer, so this is the one I bought: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...0295165863

Don't see any others for sale right now, but I'm sure they come and go through various sellers.

[Sloppy]

Hmmm, haven't managed to test my cable yet, and won't be able to

Little did I realise that there are multiple connectors/standards for DVI and my cable is the wrong one

The output from my laptop is DVI-D (Male), but the cable I bought has arrived with DVI-I (female). From a quick bit of googling, DVD-I to DVI-D is straight forward, the cables even connect, but DVI-D to DVI-I is not so straight forward (DVI-I has 4 extra pins).

So ... the big question ... and one I haven't managed to find a definitive answer for ... does there exist a DVI-D (male) to DVI-I (female) adapter? I'm plugging into an old CRT TV, so I assume that means it's analogue ... and perhaps the digital transmission from the DVI-D port won't be compatible?

Bit of guess work involved there. Is anyone an expert in such matters?

Cheers,

[SneakerElph]

That's the exact same cable I ordered. There aren't any DVI-D to DVI-I converters that don't cause a ton of money. DVI-D is a digital only signal, and DVI-I carries analog on the 4 extra pins you were talking about. I find it odd that your laptop only has DVI-D though, since you'd think you'd want the ability to convert the DVI to VGA easily, which is done pretty easily from DVI-I.

Anyway I guess my cable will be here in a week or two and I can test the results.