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Identifying the Correct Video Connectors to use on your Computer to Prevent No Video

Summary: The following article provides a guide to the Video connectors. How to resolve No Video issues where the user has plugged up to the wrong ports on the monitor, computer, or any combination of the above. ...

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Article Content


Symptoms

Table of Contents:

  1. Introduction
  2. Digital compared to Analog
  3. Common types of Display equipment
  4. How to connect up your monitor and avoid a No Video error
  5. Connecting up multiple cables for several displays

Introduction

 

This guide discusses the benefits of a digital signal as opposed to an analog signal and media.

It shows the various common display types in use by most of our users.

It takes you through the correct set-up for a single display and how to avoid a No Video issue during setup.

It also takes you through the correct set-up for multiple displays as well.

This is a general guide. The steps advised should enable you to work confidently on any computer by knowing why you must complete each step.

Cause

Digital compared to Analog

 

Analog Signals:

These are any continuous signal for which the time-varying feature (variable) of the signal is a representation of some other time-varying quantity. (For example: Analogous to another time-varying signal.) It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are meaningful.

Digital Signals:

These use discrete (discontinuous) values. By contrast, non-digital (or analog) computers use a continuous range of values to represent information. Although digital representations are discrete, the information represented can be either discrete, such as numbers or letters, or continuous, such as sounds, images, and other measurements of continuous systems.

What does that mean for you?

The most common analog cable still in use is VGA. Support for this standard was supposed to be dropped with Windows 7. However, it is still widely in use and support has continued through Windows 10. However, just because it is still in wide use does not mean it is still a good interface to use.

The benefits of using a digital cable depend on the type of cable and interface/standard in use. These vary through DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt cables, connectors and standards. Generally, however, there are certain benefits across all digital cables and graphics cards. Such as:

  • A more consistent signal
  • Better/larger screen resolution and faster refresh rates
  • Longer cable lengths
  • Better cable shielding means less signal interference
  • The addition of audio and Internet signals to the video signal
  • Multiple displays
  • Future-proofing your computer setup

This is why we always recommend using the best standard possible, that works on both your computer and your display.

If you would like further information about the different cable types and their properties, check out the following articles in our knowledge base:

If you would like to see a visual guide to identifying the various cable connectors and plugs, check out the following article:


Common types of Display equipment

 

There are many different types of display available. The more recently it was made, the more advanced its quality and function tends to be. The table below shows some examples - starting with the oldest and working down to more recent models:

CRT Monitor: Dell CRT
Projector: Dell Projector
Flat Panel Monitor: Dell Flat
Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor: Dell Wide
Widescreen Curved Panel Monitor: Dell Curved
High Definition Television: Dell HDTV

Resolution

How to connect up your monitor and avoid a No Video error

 

If you do not ask and answer the correct questions when setting up a display on a computer, you may experience a No Video issue. I take you through the correct questions to ask below. I show you some of the most common ways to set up a new computer and display.

  1. Check the back of the display and identify which port types and video cable types are available for you to use? (There is usually more than one port on the display (See figure.1) and appropriate cables (See figure.2) are supplied with the display.)

    • You can use the guides linked in section 2 to identify which is the best port and cable type available to you.

    • You match this port to one on the computer or device that you want to connect the display to.

    • (It is possible to purchase conversion cables (See figure.3) that allow you to plug a cable with different connectors that have compatible video standards. We do not go into this further, other than to say it is possible. However, these cables are not supplied with the equipment as standard.)

Dell Monitor PortsDell Video CablesDVI to Analog

(Figure.1, Figure.2 and Figure.3 Monitor Ports, Video Cabling, and Port Adapters)

  1. Does your computer have an add-on graphics card fitted or does it only has onboard video available? (Graphics cards can come in multiples and fill more than one option slot (See figure.4) on your computer.) Check the back of your Desktop, Laptop, or the back of your Dock (If using a closed Laptop) and identify which video ports are available. (Check if there are any video ports which are blocked off with a plastic cap?)

    • Generally for Desktop computers, when the computer is standing up like a tower, the onboard video ports run in a vertical strip (See figure.5). The video ports on a fitted graphics card run horizontally (See figure.6).

    • It is possible to add extra graphics to Laptops (See figure.7) and Docks (See figure.8), generally, you would pick the best video port available on either to work with on the dock.

NOTE: An open Laptop with a display attached and the Notebook screen on is classed as multiple screens. A closed Laptop with a display attached is considered a single screen.

Dell Precision T7810 RearViewDell Laptop PortsDell Dock Rear View

(Figure.5, Figure.6, Figure.7, and Figure.8 Ports on the rear of the devices)

  1. If there is a video card fitted, select the best port available from the card that matches the port and cable from the display and plug up the correct video cable between the two ports. (Ensure that there is power to both the computer and the display) If there is no card fitted, select the best port available from the onboard ports and match that to the port and cable from the display.

  2. If there is a video card fitted (See figure.9), most computers disable the onboard video ports in the systems BIOS. You can enter the BIOS on a Dell computer by rapidly tapping the F2 key before the computer POSTS. You can disable this option manually. However, the only reason to do this is if the onboard port is the only one you can match to a port on the display or you are setting up multiple displays and need several video ports to connect to.

NV 18 LPDell NVidia Card

(Figure.4 and Figure.9 Nvidia Video Cards)

NOTE: Some displays, such as those with Integral Speakers, USB Hubs or Touch screen properties have extra cabling that plugs between the display and the computer. However, remember that there can only be one (1) video cable plugged up between any single display and computer.
 
  1. Once you have connected everything and turned on your computer, you must configure your video output. The video section of the Windows operating system handles it for onboard video. With add-on graphics cards, there is usually a proprietary configuration program for you to use instead. With only one screen installed, this would mostly be a case of setting the correct resolution and refresh rate for your screen type.


Connecting up multiple cables for several displays

 

Connecting and setting up multiple displays on your computer starts the same as in section 4. There are some additional steps depending on how many displays you are looking to attach.

NOTE: There are a maximum number of displays you can attach to any single computer, however it depends on several factors you must find out:
  • How many video ports are available 
  • How many video channels are available from the onboard video chip
  • How many video channels are available from the add-on video chip
  • What equipment do you have available to you?
You can find this out from your documentation that you received with your computer, card, and displays.
 
  1. Check the back of the display and identify which port types and video cable types are available for you to use? (There is usually more than one port on each display (See figure.1) and appropriate cables (See figure.2) are supplied with the displays.)

    • You can use the guides linked in section 2 to identify which are the best ports and cable types available to you.

    • Match these ports to those on the computer that you want to connect the displays to.

    • (It is possible to purchase conversion cables (See figure.3) that allow you to plug a cable with different connectors that have compatible video standards. We do not go into this further, other than to say it is possible. However, these cables are not supplied with the equipment as standard.)

  2. Does your computer have an add-on graphics card fitted or does it only has onboard video available? (Graphics cards can come in multiples and fill more than one option slot (See figure.4) on your computer.) Check the back of your Desktop, the back of your Dock or the back and sides of your Laptop and identify which video ports are available. (Check if there are any video ports which are blocked off with a plastic cap?)

    • Generally for Desktop computers, when the computer is standing up like a tower, the onboard video ports run in a vertical strip (See figure.5), where the video ports of a fitted graphics card run horizontally. (See figure.6)

    • It is possible to add extra graphics to Laptops (See figure.7) and Docks (See figure.8), generally, you would pick the best video port available on either to work with. However, Laptops usually need a compatible dock to have more than one external screen directly plugged to it, but remember with the Laptop open and the integral screen on - the LCD plus one external screen count as two displays.

  3. If there is a video card (See figure.9) fitted, select the best ports available from the card that matches the ports and cables from the displays and plug up the correct video cable between the various ports. This is where you would disable the BIOS option turn off the onboard video ports to allow you to use them in addition to those on the video card. (Ensure that there is power to both the computer and the displays.) If there is no card fitted, you may not be able to fit more than one external display unless the computer has multiple onboard video ports and the channels to use them separately.

NOTE: Some displays, such as those with Integral Speakers, USB Hubs or Touch screen properties have extra cabling that plugs between the display and the computer. However, remember that there can only be one (1) video cable plugged up between any particular display and computer. (For multiple displays with these added features, you may require additional hubs, and splitters to plug up all the additional cables to the single computer.)
 
  1. Once you have connected everything together and turned on your computer, you must configure your video outputs. The video section of the Windows operating system handles it for onboard video. With add-on graphics cards, there is usually a proprietary configuration program for you to use instead. Where multiple screens are plugged up, this is a case of:

    • Setting the correct resolution and refresh rate for each screen type.

    • Setting whether screens are in Extend or Clone mode:

      Extend:

      This is a mode where the desktop is extended across multiple screens.

      Clone:

      This is a mode where the desktop is identical across multiple screens all showing the same thing.

    • Setting the displays in the correct order and location. (So your cursor can navigate across each screen when in Extend Mode.)

    • Choosing between Portrait and Landscape view depending on each screen position:

      Portrait:

      This is the mode where the long sides of the rectangle are vertical.

      Landscape:

      This is the mode where the long sides of the rectangle are horizontal.

Article Properties


Affected Product

Desktops & All-in-Ones, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Fixed Workstations

Last Published Date

04 Oct 2023

Version

6

Article Type

Solution