Topic: HDMI CABLE HELP ...

[Graeme]

Is there only one input on your monitor? Most will have VGA as well at the very least. You can run DisplayPort to HDMI cable from one and DisplayPort to VGA cable from the other. Set the monitor to auto detect the signal and it will pick up whichever input is active automatically.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Guys

Can someone please point me to a HDMI>Display port splitter

My big monitor has HDMI output and my 2 laptops (work and personal) both have a Display Port.

I currently have a HDMI>DP adaptor but I'm sick of manually swapping the adaptor over between laptops

I ideally want some kind of splitter that routes the 1 hdmi cable from the monitor to my 2 x DP devices.  Perhaps I can just press a button or switch on the splitter box to swap between which device displays on the monitor

Hope this makes sense. Cheers 

HDMI switch would do the job,get one with a remote and you're laughing.

Something like this,have a look around and you might find one cheaper.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Techole-Aluminum-Splitter-Switcher-Projector-Black/dp/B07KSYS2L4/ref=sr_1_24?crid=1AZQULHBGT9OF&dchild=1&keywords=hdmi+switch&qid=1625438807&s=electronics&sprefix=hdmi+%2Celectronics%2C177&sr=1-24

[Buck Pete]

Is there only one input on your monitor? Most will have VGA as well at the very least. You can run DisplayPort to HDMI cable from one and DisplayPort to VGA cable from the other. Set the monitor to auto detect the signal and it will pick up whichever input is active automatically.

Good idea. Yes there's 1 HDMI and 1 VGA

[Riquende]

What models of laptop are they? I've never seen laptops with DP instead of HDMI.

[Buck Pete]

What models of laptop are they? I've never seen laptops with DP instead of HDMI.

Work lappy is an HP Elitebook 8470

"As is often the case with business-class systems, the EliteBook 8470p does not feature an HDMI port. This isn't necessarily a fatal flaw, though, since DisplayPort to HDMI adapters are fairly commonplace and ultimately yield the same results as an HDMI cable would by itself."

[Elmo!]

Work lappy is an HP Elitebook 8470

"As is often the case with business-class systems, the EliteBook 8470p does not feature an HDMI port. This isn't necessarily a fatal flaw, though, since DisplayPort to HDMI adapters are fairly commonplace and ultimately yield the same results as an HDMI cable would by itself."

That's weird. We use Dell business class laptops exclusively ayt my work (Latitude and Precision ranges) and I have never seen one with DP. They have been HDMI for years now and were VGA before that.

I would go for the switch over using VGA. VGA looks terrible in Windows 10 in my experience.

[Buck Pete]

Yep pretty unlucky I've been in regards to HDMI

I picked up a Thinkpad T410 as my personal laptop for torrents and streaming etc

Does Lenovo T410 have HDMI port?
The ThinkPad T410 serves up a fairly standard collection of ports. ... You won't find an HDMI port, but the laptop's DisplayPort will allow you to connect it to an HDTV.

[Graeme]

Easy fix then. Keep your existing DisplayPort to HDMI for one of them, and buy a DisplayPort to VGA cable or adapter for the other. Sorted for £5 - £10.

[Buck Pete]

Easy fix then. Keep your existing DisplayPort to HDMI for one of them, and buy a DisplayPort to VGA cable or adapter for the other. Sorted for £5 - £10.

Yeah nice one

Daft question here Graham

If both laptops are powered up how does the monitor know which to display?

[Red Raw]

...
If both laptops are powered up how does the monitor know which to display?

All our work machines are HP aso we all have to carry round a DP-HDMI adaptor which can be a bit of a pain. DP is supposed to be good for daisy chaining multiple monitors although I have not used it personally. Our adaptors are a bit like this:

Presumably your monitor has its own priority/order for checking inputs. If both machines are connected and the monitor selects VGA but you want the HDMI/DP input you would select the source manually using the source button on the monitor (or the remote control if the monitor has one).

If you need sound because the monitor has speakers (or if the resolution is quite high and the VGA signal deteriorates a bit) an alternative would be something like this, which can either do one HDMI input to two HDMI outputs or two HDMI inputs to one HDMI output:


_{https://www.amazon.co.uk/UGREEN-Switcher-Bidirectional-Compatible-Projector-Blue/dp/B07H7JCCKM/}

The button on the top lets you switch between the two inputs which might be handy if the monitor buttons are fiddly or inaccessible.

[Buck Pete]

Cheers RR

Just checked and its a piece of piss to flick my monitor source between HDMI and VGA

So as Graham also suggested, I'll just grab a VGA>DP cable and use that to my personal lappy.  Not too fussed if I lose any signal quality as its only for torrenting and streaming stuff to my TV.

Will keep the HDMI>DP to my work laptop which is a better machine and one I use much much more.

[Craig S]

I don't think I have seen a switch with display port inputs.

Does your monitor not have another port? DVI? So you can swap source on the monitor and get a display port > dvi cable.

Alternatively:
Monitor > HDMI cable > HDMI switch > 2 x HDMI to display port cables > laptops

[Buck Pete]

Presumably your monitor has its own priority/order for checking inputs. If both machines are connected and the monitor selects VGA but you want the HDMI/DP input you would select the source manually using the source button on the monitor (or the remote control if the monitor has one).

Easy fix then. Keep your existing DisplayPort to HDMI for one of them, and buy a DisplayPort to VGA cable or adapter for the other. Sorted for £5 - £10.

Yep, £4.95 for the VGA<>DP cable.

I just press the source button on my monitor to flick between the HDMI and VGA.

Cheers for all you help guys. Sorted and happy.

[Riquende]

Work lappy is an HP Elitebook 8470

"As is often the case with business-class systems, the EliteBook 8470p does not feature an HDMI port. This isn't necessarily a fatal flaw, though, since DisplayPort to HDMI adapters are fairly commonplace and ultimately yield the same results as an HDMI cable would by itself."

Weird, we use exclusively HP ProBooks and they're all HDMI.

I can understand DisplayPort in a business product as it's a superior cable, and Desktop machines are now coming standard with DP and not HDMI. We're having a problem at the moment finding suitable office monitors as our suppliers can't find anything with height adjustment and both HDMI and DP inputs - and to me, buying a monitor with just one restricts it to either laptop or desktop use for the future (without an investment in adaptors which seems like a faff waiting to happen).