# Set-Top-Box/Receiver to Computer Monitor (VGA)



## kofte (Sep 5, 2009)

Hello everyone. In a nutshell;

I have an IPTV STB called MAG250 (works like a charm with my HDTV). It has the following output display ports:

1) HDMI
2) AV for composite cable (1 black end to 1 yellow, white, red end)

Because I'm a little bit odd, I'd like to use it hooked up to an an older ASUS VW195D Widescreen 1440x900 Computer monitor (for testing (and viewing) purposes. Don't know if its HDCP compliant or not, my guess, not due to lack of HDMI. I'm aware that sound will not be carried over and that is fine by me. Picture is what I'm after.

Now, how do I go about doing this (with best picture possible in mind, but I will settle for whatever if need be)? 

From what I've read, I can go either one of the following routes;

1) HDMI to VGA converter
example; http://www.lindy.co.uk/images/hdmi-to-vga-converter-adapter-p6787-5236_zoom.jpg

2) AV (composite to VGA)
example of cable (no converter?); http://image.dhgate.com/albu_102547536_00/1.0x0.jpg


Can anyone with the know-how confirm all of this or tell me if either of the two routes mentioned will or will not work? I'm planning on purchasing them from ebay/aliexpress and so I'd like to hear from the techies before going ahead and spending money.


MAG250 picture of back of STB; 
http://tvandsatellite.com/images/mag250_a.jpg

ASUS VW195D picture of VGA port:
http://storage1.album.bg/24f/asus_vw195d_134c8_23760871.jpg



Thanks in advance to anyone who takes time to reply. Any help is truly appreciated.


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

HDMI to VGA converter would be the way to go. Having said that, a simple cable converter will not work. HDMI is digital, VGA is analog. It takes an active converter (ie: box with digital to analog circuitry and AC power) to convert the signal. Cables as you have linked are specialty cables for specific hardware.

I'm fairly certain the same applies to AV (ie: composite video) and VGA. Not too mention composite video is low quality (ie: typically below DVD quality) with a resolution of 640x480 or below. Composite has been around since the days of VCRs, when the resolutions were about half of DVD. And even then, S-Video came about to provide a higher quality output and that was roughly the equivalent of DVD.


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