TR Forums

woodp · Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:29 pm

Looking to replace my old KVM (Analog VGA) with a brand new KVM that supports DVI flat panels. The only ones I've found are at http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/dvi-kvm-switch.html and are priced way above what I remember paying for my old KVM-VGA box.

Any alternatives to spending $200 for the switch and another $100 for three sets of cables?

Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:36 pm

Nope, DVI switchboxes are extremely expensive. Actually that price is not too bad, I have seen them go for much more.

Tue Oct 05, 2004 2:17 pm

What are you using the other systems for, and what OS are they running? If you only need hardware 3D acceleration on one of the systems, a software based solution (VNC/XDMCP/PC-Anywhere/etc.) to access all of the other systems might be doable, and will allow you to use the DVI connection from your main system to display all of them.

woodp · Tue Oct 05, 2004 3:15 pm

Starfalcon wrote:
Nope, DVI switchboxes are extremely expensive.

Well, at the risk of losing some video definition, I'm going with Plan B - I bought three VGA-to-DVI adapters (of the correct gender configuration, $6.95 at svideo.com), and with my old $39.99 Belkin VGA-KVM, I'll see if I can get the whole thing to work ...

Wish me luck!

Justice · Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:15 am

Belkin "USED" to have thier DVI-KVM's for sale directly from Belkin, but the only thing I can find that you can buy is the cables.

By the way, there is a 50% off code you can redeem for Belkin Direct purchases...

Code: 12345

woodp · Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:48 am

woodp wrote:
I'm going with Plan B - I bought three VGA-to-DVI adapters (of the correct gender configuration, $6.95 at svideo.com), and with my old $39.99 Belkin VGA-KVM, I'll see if I can get the whole thing to work ...

Wish me luck!

OK, so Plan B didn't work - In fact I couldn't even get data to the monitor - All the pin translators must have omitted a pin or two ...

But I did find a reasonably priced DVI-KVM at Cyberguys (http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/sear ... 1=104+0860) - Let's see if this works!

Naito · Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:00 pm

woodp wrote:
Starfalcon wrote:
Nope, DVI switchboxes are extremely expensive.

Well, at the risk of losing some video definition, I'm going with Plan B - I bought three VGA-to-DVI adapters (of the correct gender configuration, $6.95 at svideo.com), and with my old $39.99 Belkin VGA-KVM, I'll see if I can get the whole thing to work ...

Wish me luck!

uh, no, this won't simply lose definition. If you have a DVI only monitor, it will only accept digital signals. DVI connectors from your video card have both the standard VGA signals and the digital DVI signals from the same plug, that's why those adapters work. they aren't converting the digital signal to analog, they simply convert the DVI connector pins that are already carrying VGA signals to a VGA connector.

So when you plug the connectors to your VGA KVM, it IS splitting the VGA component of the DVI signal, but the DVI signals are completely lost. You HAVE to get a DVI KVM for the DVI signals to pass through.

TR Forums

KVM Switches - DVI Pricing?

KVM Switches - DVI Pricing?

Who is online