However, passive adapters may contain a voltage level converter IC chip to convert the voltage level of the source port to be compatible with the output port. It can be done by passing the same video signal from the source port to the destination port without any signal processing that involves decoding, encoding, and retransmission of the signal. The display adapters or converters that convert one signal to another without any extra power and active circuitry involved are called passive adapters or converters. On the other hand, the conversion of digital signals to analog signals or vice versa is a complicated process because it involves some kind of circuitry and IC chip that converts the digital signals to analog or vice versa. In some cases, the conversion between digital ports or connectors is pretty straightforward and can be done by matching and connecting the corresponding wires from one connector to another. These display converter adapter and cables are available in different lengths, quality, and some can work differently than others.ĭisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI are digital ports/connectors and carry or transmit digital signals while VGA connector or port carries or sends analog signals. Also, some of them have some kind of limitations, which can restrict their usage. Display adapters and converter cables do work pretty well, but in some cases, they may face compatibility issues and fail to work with some devices or hardware. You can also use these display converter cables and adapters to connect your laptop output to the monitor or projector. In such cases, you need some kind of display adapter or converter cable that can connect your graphics output to the monitor so that you have display output on your screen. For example, your graphics card comes with DVI and VGA ports, but the monitor has DisplayPort and HDMI ports. It can happen that the display output port or connector on your graphics card or video adapter does not match with the ones on the monitor. Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!) (*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no extra cost to you).