The word adapt has been taken quite literally by the computer hardware industry. As connection standards evolved, we made adapters to connect the old and the new. Certain OEMs usually tend to adopt new standards immediately and leave behind old, popular ports. This means you need to use adapters if you want to connect devices that came out more than 2 years apart.

Why Does This Need Arise?

Well, that is a very basic question. OEMs of different devices are, well, different. And they make different choices. If a camera manufacturer chooses the mini HDMI port, but a projector manufacturer only uses DVI, how do you connect them? This is, of course, keeping in mind that the cable that comes in the box with your camera is a mini HDMI male to HDMI male. In order to plug in this cable into your projector, you can use HDMI to DVI adapter where the port is HDMI and the connector is DVI.

The whole industry simply does not adopt the same connection standards at the same time, so we have to adapt and use adapters.

One of the most popular, and ubiquitous connection standards is HDMI. And the device it is generally always found on is a TV. This made HDMI adapters also equally popular. The many forms they came in were HDMI to DVI adapter, HDMI to VGA adapter, HDMI to USB A adapter, etc.

I know it is supposed to be a wireless world, and everyone likes the convenience of using various casting technologies, but casting technologies have limitations that good old cables never have to deal with.

With cables, you don't have to worry about wireless connections that can get tricky. So what are the different HDMI adapters like this and where will you use them?

HDMI To USB Adapter:

If you want to connect an HDMI cable to your computer, it is possible that it doesn’t have an HDMI port. This can happen, if the computer is too old or too new! Yes, new computers sometimes don’t have any ports apart from USB C. This is when an HDMI to USB adapter comes into play. You should look for the specific HDMI version support in both, the adapter and the cable, to ensure you get the promised results.

HDMI To VGA Adapter:

It is quite unlikely that you will need a port from the 1980s, but in case you come across a unique, historic device, that is somehow still running, and the only display port on it is the VGA, then this adapter will definitely come in handy. But apart from such unique situations, there are VGA ports that might be on your old laptop on which you have your childhood videos which you want to project through a projector. This adapter can help you do that.

HDMI To DisplayPort Adapter:

This adapter is the easiest solution to use when you want to connect an external monitor to your laptop. The monitor may have a DisplayPort port.

HDMI To DVI Adapter:

This one can be used to transfer what you are watching on your computer to your TV. And the audio also passes through to the TV. You can also use the adapter on a gaming console.

The argument against this can be that you can just use an HDMI cable with the required connector at the other end. As opposed to that, adapters can help create an easier workflow because you can just keep them plugged into the device with the unique port and switch between your devices with a single HDMI cable!

Another thing that you need to keep in mind is the version of the cable you use. It affects the output you were expecting.

An adapter like this is an efficient way to put an HDMI port on devices that don’t have it. Especially if there is nothing else about the setup that you need to change. This solution disrupts none of your workflows and definitely adds to the convenience.

Not only are these adapters available at SF Cable, but they are also available in various form factors, some that extend with a short cable in between, some that swivel and some that are at specific angles. Whatever your unique cabling needs and adaptation needs are, we have you covered.

If you are not sure which version to get, or even if you need more ideas about how to make your setup easier to work with, reach out to us. We will not only consult on it but get you the best cables that work for you.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/hdmi-adapters-breathe-new-life-into-old-tech

The technology industry is known for disruption. Many in Silicon Valley live by the motto “live fast and break things”. This means that the minute tech launches something new, they are already inventing three new things in the background. These are not always new inventions, they can also be iterative inventions to what they launched the previous day. But the point is that nothing in tech remains new and latest for too long a time.

At the same time, new tech is often, if not always, expensive. So if you buy a $1000 computer today, then you are not likely to buy the new one that comes out tomorrow, or even for that matter, one that comes out next year. With each iterative update of gadgets, come new connection standards. Therefore with each iteration, we take both, a step forward and a step backward.

The backward step is when tech tries to make their new ways of doing things backward compatible. It’s a cha-cha!

In an average person’s life, they have a computer/laptop, TV, phone, power banks, hard drives, headphones, tablets, and a variety of other gadgets, give or take. With all these gadgets come to their unique life cycles. While we may change our phones every two years, we are not likely to change our TV as frequently. A contributing factor to this is also price. What price are you willing to pay to always be up-to-date? Especially acknowledging that new tech may not always work.

This is where computer cable adapters come in. They help the old connection adapt to the new one. Or the other way around.

Currently, there’s one example that comes to mind: USB C. It is everywhere. But not quite everywhere. So the adapter market has risen. If your latest laptop only has the USB C port, it might be difficult for you to connect your old HDD to transfer your data. Because old HDDs connect to a computer through a USB A port. One of the gadgets that we update perhaps even slower than a TV is our printer. You are probably still using a wired printer. And that was working fine in your older workflow where your computer had ports to accommodate it. Now with the USB C port, things are different. Your printer cable suddenly needs an adapter, until you phase it out, of course.

Let’s Go Through The Different Computer Cable Adapters You Will Need With This New Computer:

• USB C to HDMI:
  
  In order to connect your computer to your TV, you will need an HDMI cable. And therefore a USB C to HDMI adapter for your computer. Make sure to check that the version of the HDMI ports and cable is the same for promising results. It is the quickest way to bring entertainment to the biggest screen in your house.
  
  
• USB C to Ethernet:
  
  Of course, your fancy new computer uses Wi-Fi but so do three other people and ten other devices in your house. When you don’t want a connectivity issue, you know a wired connection is better. This is where the handy USB C to Ethernet adapter comes in. You can use your same old Ethernet cable to connect to your computer that doesn’t even have the port for it!
  
  
• USB C to USB A:
  
  Storage devices, printer cables, cameras, and a number of other gadgets use the USB A port. Your previous workflow was efficient because you always had the port to plug in your peripherals. The easiest replacement of this is a USB C to USB A adapter. Keep one in your bag and one on your desk so you never have to scramble for it in a pinch.
  
  
• USB C to SD card reader:
  
  An SD card is the easiest way to transfer photographs or videos from a camera. Nothing beats it. If your laptop cannot directly read an SD card, it makes your workflow cumbersome. If you are someone who takes a significant amount of photos you know the ease of an SD card reader. Not only does it make your life easier, but it also makes it easy to collaborate with other photographers. No matter what camera anyone uses, the SD card remains a common standard. This makes the USB C to SD card reader an essential tool in your kit.

At SF Cable, we believe in gadgets, old and new. If you have bought a new computer that makes computing difficult for you, browse our store to get adapters for a variety of connection standards in various form factors. Choose the ones that work the best for you.

We are always available to consult on the varying versions and standards that your particular workflow may require.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/computer-cable-adapters-old-adapting-to-new