How do I set up a dvi to vga adapter?

Should I use a VGA-DVI adapter?

• This may be a dumb question, but, I'm going to ask it anyway. I know there is a slight difference between using the DVI connection on a video card. Well, my LCD monitor only has a VGA input. So, currently, I am using a VGA to VGA cable. My question is, if I use a DVI to VGA cable will I notice a difference? What if i just use a DVI to VGA adapter at the end of the VGA cable? Or do you only benefit when both connections are DVI?

• Answer:

  1) It depends, nowadays DVI devices include HDCP (High Definition Copy Protection) so connecting a non-HDCP device (your VGA LCD monitor) to a DVI HDCP device, you will get a very low resolution or no colour at all. The reason why HDCP was created is to protect digital video content so if you buy a HD DVD movie, in order to play the movie, the HDCP from the movie will communicate to your HD DVD player (Blu-Ray, etc) and your HD DVD player to your Monitor...each of them have to agree on a communication protocol to identify legal playback at FULL 1080i or 1080p playback. without HDCP, you won't have FULL quality playback. 2) DVI displays pixels much higher than the RGB colours so if certain videos were created to broadcast on DVI to display it to analog RGB will render the image "pixel" like a zoomed in pixel image (but you will still have clarity). The effect is clearly visible in games, eg. playing a Xbox 360 game on a plain analog plasma TV. Hope this helps