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My LCD TV has only one DVI-I port as PC input. I'd like to connect 2 PCs at the same time: one via VGA and one via HDMI.
Can i use this setup without a switch:
PC1 --> VGA --> DVI splitter --> TV
PC2 --> HDMI->DVI adapter --> DVI splitter --> TV
This is the DVI splitter i'm considering.
For the audio there is the same problem, can i use an audio jack splitter like this?
eadmaster
Posted 2014-07-24T22:36:55.400
Reputation: 706
0
That DVI splitter is meant to connect one output to two different monitors. If you try to use it the other way and hook up two outputs (computers) to it, the will interfere and potentially cause damage to the graphics cards (depending on the output impedance, two different signals put to the same pin can cause high current flow).
If you make sure to only let one computer output to the DVI splitter, it might work, but I wouldn't recommend it at all. Depending on the actual electronic design of the video cards, it's possible to damage them when the DVI connectors are used as input.
Same goes for the audio splitter. Audio devices have the lowest possible (or as low as possible withing financial limits) output impedance, which will cause problems when you put two sources on the same line.
Simon
Posted 2014-07-24T22:36:55.400
Reputation: 207
"Depending on the actual electronic design of the video cards, it's possible to damage them when the DVI connectors are used as input." please explain this sentence more in detail or link some sources... – eadmaster – 2014-07-24T23:04:24.350
It's explained in the paragraph above. If both video cards have low output impedance, then both putting a different signal level on the line results in high current flow through the line (high voltage/low resistance = high current, according to Ohm's law. Now, even if they have a higher output impedance, two sources putting different signals on one line will always result in interference and a bad signal. – Simon – 2014-07-26T02:36:52.543
Ok, but in this case the 2 PCs are using different DVI lines: PC1 is connected via the C1-C5 pins only (for analog video), while PC2 is using the digital lines. – eadmaster – 2014-07-26T03:23:23.367
Ah yes, I missed that detail. Interesting... I think that you'd need to check the DVI protocol description to see how it handles both analogue and digital signals detected. For the audio, though, the principle remains the same. – Simon – 2014-07-27T07:13:08.033
Which input would be displayed if both PCs are on? – heavyd – 2014-07-24T22:41:20.913
@heavyd: i have no idea, will they conflict? – eadmaster – 2014-07-24T22:42:18.927
Just trying to help you think about it, and why it doesn't work that way. 1 signal -> 2 is easy.. always the same signal on all wires, 2 -> 1 you have to decided which one to display, so you need a switch of some kind. Not to mention the gender on your connections would be opposite what you need. – heavyd – 2014-07-24T22:44:03.697
what if i connect only one PC at a time to the splitter? (the genders look correct to me btw) – eadmaster – 2014-07-24T22:46:07.523
@eadmaster What model of TV is it? Any LCD display I've seen with a DVI input is DVI-D, not DVI-I. – Jason – 2014-07-24T22:58:40.093
Philips 20PF4121 – eadmaster – 2014-07-24T23:00:03.073
@eadmaster Interesting. You realize 640x480 is a lower resolution than the minimum requirement for most modern operating systems? – Jason – 2014-07-24T23:26:58.213
@Jason: yep, i'm going to use it only to play old games... – eadmaster – 2014-07-24T23:30:35.250