I am very confused about HDMI to VGA converting. Will this cable work?

Question

I have an VGA monitor. I'm looking forward to buy an HDMI to VGA converter, looking like this. But, I have readed on many forums that cable like that won't work or burn my RPi, and some say that it'll work. And here I'am very confused. Will this cable work? I don't want to burn my RPi.

What do you also think about this cable from ebay?

I've got the same looking converter and it's working fine with my old VGA monitor. I bought it on aliexpress. — Huczu, May 31 '16 at 07:00

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered May 31 '16 at 06:49

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It is unlikely any one could provide a definitive answer based on a picture of a cable. Even if the look the same visually they could be very different internally.

The best way to be sure is to buy from a reputable dealer and one that specifies it works with the Pi. You don't mention where in the world you are, but below are a couple of suggestions:

The PiHut (UK) sells an HDMI to VGA adapater and adafruit (US) has two models standard HDMI connector and a mini HDMI connector.

answered May 31 '16 at 06:49

Steve Robillard

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Can it burn when I use adapter? Also, here is link to the converter I want to buy: http://allegro.pl/adapter-konwerter-z-hdmi-do-vga-kabel-dsub-fv-wwa-i5787177698.html (But its not in english D:) – PixelGGamer May 31 '16 at 08:17
I have used a number of VGA/HDMI converters with a few different monitors that run for days at a time and never had a "burn". Only issue I have had is some of the monitors required the adaptors be connected to Pi's that were powered by a powered Hub, the standard PSU did not cut it. – rob May 31 '16 at 10:26
@PixelGGamer i don't know what you mean by burn, but buying from a reputable dealer like those I linked to is unlikely to cause any problems. – Steve Robillard May 31 '16 at 16:45
@SteveRobillard I'm neither from US or UK D: – PixelGGamer Jun 01 '16 at 08:15
@PixelGGamer it does not mean they can't ship to you. – Steve Robillard Jun 01 '16 at 08:17
@SteveRobillard yeah, but it will cost a lot – PixelGGamer Jun 01 '16 at 08:33
@PixelGGamer and how much does a cable that doesn't work cost? – Steve Robillard Jun 01 '16 at 08:34
@SteveRobillard I'm talking about shipment cost – PixelGGamer Jun 01 '16 at 10:22
@SteveRobillard After checking shipment prices it says "£4-£10". I'll think about it. – PixelGGamer Jun 01 '16 at 10:24

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered May 31 '16 at 17:35

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Like Steve said, you need more than a pic of an adapter cable, especially when it comes to Chinese stuff. The Chinese love to reuse/copy things (for good or ill), so the case isn't always a good indicator of the guts.

I have had good success with this adapter with the Pi B+ and Pi 2, and ordered a similar one from eBay (haven't tested it yet though). Coincidentally, they look very similar to the one in your pic.

answered May 31 '16 at 17:35

YetAnotherRandomUser

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What's the difference between the first and second adapter? I'm gonna buy it from amazon/ebay, if you can confirm that it works. Unfortunately, the ebay cable won't ship to Poland :( – PixelGGamer Jun 01 '16 at 08:18
The second one allows for power in (if required) and has audio out. The first is video only. I expect the second to work, just havent gotten around to playing with it yet. I'll try to hook it up tonight. – YetAnotherRandomUser Jun 01 '16 at 13:55

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:56

See this similar question: Can a simple cable convert HDMI output to VGA?

The answer is that you can't simply wire up a connection from HDMI straight to VGA. HDMI does not contain any of the signals (analog ones) needed to drive a VGA monitor. So how does it work? HDMI to VGA "cables" are actually converters in the traditional sense, they use circuits to interpret the digital signal, convert it to analog and drive the analog pins of the VGA connector.

This requires power (some more than others, depending on the circuit design) which is why it has been observed that some Pi power supplies are not strong enough to use it with. Also, with great power comes great (heat spreading) responsibility. The power handling circuits on the Pi will heat up as a consequence to having increased demand. You will need to account for that and make sure your Pi is well ventilated.

The parts of the Pi that heat up in this case are not the usual SoC chips. You are probably OK just using traditional ventilation, but if that's not possible you will need to spot the hot components and apply a heatsink to them. — Jeff Meden, Jun 01 '16 at 12:54

I am very confused about HDMI to VGA converting. Will this cable work?

3 Answers3