Many experienced users often use the second and third monitors at work, more often gamers resort to such tricks, but even an ordinary person may want to connect a computer or smartphone to the TV. There are many options for connecting devices: from a standard VGA connection to a wireless connection. However, the most popular and easiest way is to synchronize using an HDMI cable.
Now the HDMI connector is present on almost all new video cards, both in laptops and on personal computers. And if this port is not there, and you don’t want to change the whole machine just for the sake of being able to connect a new generation monitor or TV, then in this situation you need to purchase an HDMI / USB adapter. The choice of such devices is large enough, so let's figure out how to choose the right adapter and how to use it.
How it works?
You need to understand that both USB and HDMI are physical interfaces that transmit digital rather than analog data. However, they transmit different types of information. Most likely, without special software, you cannot transfer a file from one device to another via HDMI, nor can you transfer sound directly using a USB connection. Therefore, before purchasing such an adapter, you need to search for suitable drivers.
It is important that no drivers can be installed on the TV, because usually the manufacturer of TV screens installs a closed operating system on the gadget, so you only have to work with the computer.
How to connect devices to the monitor using such a device?
There is nothing complicated about this type of connection. First you need to connect the device to a laptop or computer. Often, manufacturers offer the necessary software in the kit, however, if there is no media with drivers, you can easily find it by entering the device ID in the search bar of your browser. After installing the programs, you need to restart the computer and connect the monitor to the HDMI output connected to USB. For such devices, it is recommended to use the latest generation of USB connectors, not lower than the second, since version 1.0 is unlikely to provide the required information transfer speed.
How does the USB to HDMI adapter work?
In general, you can call this device a conventional adapter only conditionally. Most often, this is an ordinary external video card. In addition, there are wireless devices that have approximately the same functionality as adapters of this type. All of these devices, including active cables, require a power source.
An important feature of such a device is the inability to transmit sound. That is, if you have run out of connectors through which you can connect a monitor, then an additional port is created precisely due to such an adapter. However, if you want to connect a TV, you will need an HDMI / USB adapter for the TV. But in order to use its full functionality, you will have to bother either with an additional connection or with software. However, you can always leave audio output from the speakers of your system.
Types of adapters from HDMI to USB
Of course, the presented adapter has subspecies. In addition to the usual adapters from HDMI to USB, there are more narrowly targeted. They are as follows:
- Micro USB to HDMI adapter. It is primarily used to connect handheld devices to a TV. If your tablet is powerful enough and you want to use the familiar adaptive video player installed on your device, then using this adapter you can easily connect the gadget to a TV or widescreen monitor.
- Micro HDMI to USB adapter. In principle, it performs the same functions as the previous type of adapters. In modern tablet PC models , a micro HDMI connector is installed to save resources without losing performance and data transfer speed.
As you can see, there are not many subspecies, because the ports themselves are few in the devices, so if you want, you can always find the right adapter.
Important considerations when purchasing an HDMI to USB adapter
It is also important to know a few things when buying, so that when the adapter is attached, everything works fine.
- Firstly, FullHD support is needed. This is the ability of a cable to transmit high resolution images. Typically, the manufacturer can offer instead of Full HD HDReady, which significantly affects the quality of the picture, but most likely will not affect the price of the device. Be careful, because you do not want to overpay for a gadget if there is a better analogue.
- Secondly, the sound. Prepare in advance that it is you who may have problems in this aspect. You should read the thematic forums and figure out how to connect a particular gadget. Otherwise, instead of high-quality sound, you can get only stereo noise, or even just silence.
- The third point will be software compatibility. Often drivers are not suitable for the operating system, which should also be clarified at the preparation stage.
- And the last one is the version of your USB port. Obviously, unlike 1.0, version 3.0 will give a higher transmission speed, and hence better image detail.
Finally
Of course, before acquiring such an adapter, you should consider whether there are other options for connecting devices, because the HDMI / USB adapter is a rather problematic topic only when connected to a TV, but if you need to connect a second or third monitor and there is no desire to sacrifice quality, then this adapter perfect for you.