DVI and VGA and KVM and help me please.

elevature

I have a Macbook and a PC and want to connect them to the same monitor. I want a KVM swtich so I can share the monitor/kb/mouse between the two.

I had planned on getting a Belkin Flip VGA switch as it's pretty cheap. The problem is, my monitor only has DVI input. I could get a DVI switch, but instead of $35 that would cost me $115 which is a huge jump.

I had planned on going VGA cable from PC to KVM, mini-DVI to VGA adapter and VGA cable from Mac to KVM, and then VGA cable out from KVM, into a VGA-DVI adapter, and then to the monitor, as I have most of these cables already.

The guy at the computer store said this would not work, that I couldn't run a VGA cable into a DVI adapter and then into the monitor. When I got home, I tried running a VGA cable from my PC into the VGA-DVI adapter and then into the monitor and it works fine.

So, is there something about the KVM that will stop this from working? Or is the guy at the store wrong?

Xenogears of Bore

He's probably wrong, I've never done it myself though. Might be a juice issue.

travathian

He's wrong, duh, that is the whole point of the freakin adapters. I mean, the VGA signal will look like crap compared to a native DVI signal, but if that is ok with you, then go for it.

Have you thought about a software solution like this?

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/remote-desktop/default.mspx

I dont have any macs at the moment, so I have tried this, but I have 4 PCs and access 3 of them via RDC and it works quite well. I ditched my old 4 port kvm and have been using this method for a few years.

Shorn Scrotum Man

Yeah, pretty sure sales dude is wrong.

That_Guy

Yeah. That dude is dead wrong. Granted you will lose a great deal of quality is turning everything to VGA, but it should be functional. Really a KVM is not for gamers. It is for people who need to control multiple computers for tech/programming. At work I make extensive use of a couple of 9 port KVMs, but at home I just use RDP to control my secondary computers. My media center and torrent boxes really don't need a high end video connection so it works fine.

Foomy

you could just buy a dvi kvm switch, for a lot less than $100

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10102&cs_id=1010203&p_id=4074&seq=1&format=2
or http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011004&p_id=4069&seq=1&format=2 for just the video.

or if your monitor has multiple inputs just plug both computers in and use it to select and any ol cheap $10 kvm switch for the mouse/keyboard.

Infidel

If the monitor DVI connection is DVI-D, it won't work, and it will work if it's DVI-I.

It probably would work, but it's possible it won't.

A DVI-I just resends the basic VGA analog style signal on separate pins altogether. (Those four off to the side, with the wide slot pin between them.) So if your monitor is looking purely for a digital signal, it's not going to find one just because you use an adapter.

But especially since it's the only connection on the monitor, it should be DVI-I.

elevature

Foomy, that first KVM switch is PS2 instead of USB, and I'm not sure if it works with macs. All the ones that are usb and mac compatible are pretty expensive.

I tried VNC and it works but it's very slow and the resolution is shit. RDP looks like it's only to control Windows PCs on a Mac, does it work the other way around?

I just want the cheapest and easiest way to use the same monitor, keyboard and mouse for both computers, preferrably with both displaying at 1920x1080.

useless4

Are you wired or wireless? Most VNCs have the ability to set quality.

On a wired connection you should get real time, real resolution as long as you aren't trying to game or watch videos thru it.

elevature

the PC is wired, the Mac is wireless.

I think I may just leave the Mac connected and physically switch the cables to the PC when I want to play games, that's all I use the PC for anyway. Everything else is done on the Mac so it would be the one getting daily use.