STARTECH.COM DS152 2 Way HDDB15 VGA Switch
StarTech.com's Manual 2-to-1, Switchbox is designed for use with VGA video monitors. Requiring no power supply, this switchbox is ideal to sit on a user's desktop and allow them to manually switch between active computers.
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STARTECH.COM DS152 2 Way HDDB15 VGA Switch Reviews
VGA ports are BLUE colored, but some newer components might have a slightly larger DVI port that is WHITE. Cable: Cables To Go CTG 12ft 3.5MM STEREO AUDIO EXTENSION CABLE M/F ( 13788 ). cable and one of the gender changers.
C) Plugging the switch box up to my LCD monitor using the 2nd VGA ext. Now, with my PC on, I switch to "A" on the box to use my PC, flip it to "B" to play XBOX, and I can go back and forth to my heart's content. Example of a DVI to VGA Converter: DVI-I Single Link 18+5 Male to VGA Female Adapter Converter for LCD HDTV (This means I have to have my PC on in order to hear any sound, but it was really my only solution due to my speaker setup, you may have better options that this). If this is the case, you will need to get VGA to DVI converters, an example of which is linked below.
D) And finally, connecting the audio cables from the XBOX VGA HD AV cables to the Audio In port on my computer using the mentioned 3.5mm audio extension cable. I bought this so I could hook both my PC and XBOX up to my LCD monitor, and so far it works great. Depending on your speaker system set up, you may need a 3.5mm audio extension cable. 2x VGA extension cables (they might also be called KVM cables). If you end up with 2s VGA cables that are MALE/FEMALE, you will need 2x HD15M/M gender changers to connect them, fortunately Amazon sells these as well.
Be sure to plan it all out making special note of the MALE or FEMALE connections so that you don't end up ordering the wrong items. Here's a link to some of the other items I mentioned for purchase here on Amazon.com:. Depending on the cables, you may need up to 2 HD15 gender changers (more on this later). All 3 of the ports on the back of this box are MALE ports. The XBOX VGA cable will plug into this just fine (it has a FEMALE connector at the end of it's cable), but you'll want to look at the ports on your monitor and computer to see what kind of cables and/or gender changers you will need.
Setting everything up (for me) meant:. XBOX VGA HD AV Cable: Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable. An Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable. HD15M/M Gender Changer: Tripp Lite P158-000 Compact Gold Gender Changer HD15M/M.
Example of 3.5mm Audio Ext. So that you know what to expect, if you plan to use this for PC / XBOX hookup, you'll need the following additional items (or at least, this is what I am using). cable from my PCs video out to the switch box's port "A" using the mentioned gender changer. Cable: Belkin 10' HDDB15M/HDDB15F Premium Gold VGA Monitor Extension Cable. B) Plugging the XBOX to the switch box's port "B" using the mentioned VGA HD AV cable. This particular model has both the VGA and Keyboard / Mouse ports on the back, but it works just fine if you only use it for the VGA switching. Unfortunately, most cables will not accomidate this, since most of them are MALE/FEMALE cables.
Example of VGA Ext. A) Plugging the 1st VGA ext. Most PCs will have a MALE port for the video, as do most monitors. First, you need to determine if the ports on your PC and monitor are VGA or DVI.
I read all the other reviews before I bought this device. But I bought this device just so I could take one output from my computer, and connect it to two different displays. All the VGA ports on the back are female, so you'll need to make sure you have the proper VGA cables to connect it. What came in the box is indeed slightly different from what's shown on this page. The switch seems solid to me, and the displays are as clear as they were before I installed the switch.
I haven't bothered to open it up and see how it's constructed, but it could be more compact, I'm sure. I decided to take a chance, since it's the very cheapest option. Maybe they're still hit-or-miss, but I found a hit, I suppose. And the back of the box also has inputs for two PS/2 devices to be switched, making this more of a KVM switch than just a vga switch. FYI - no cables are included. And the next level up in sophistication for this kind of thing was over $70. It does feel like there's mostly empty space inside. I'm very pleased with this product.
I haven't had any complaints about ghosting or trouble switching. And it works perfectly for that purpose. The A/B labels printed on the front of the box are in black, not blue. . (Hence my rating of 4 stars instead of 5). They seem to be about 50/50 positive/negative.
Very poor image quality supported by this. Expected. What do you want for $20. I put two screens off one PC which is what I wanted to do but.Lots of shadows, reflections, double images.
Case is a bit flimsy but not a problem. (two PCs sharing one monitor) Some times have to wiggle the switch a bit to get a good picture when flipping from one PC to the other but then don't have to touch it again. Had a little bit of ghosting at first but either I got used to it or it went away. Well worth the price. Suits my purpose just fine.
Exchanged the item for another, which had a similar problem, tinting the entire display screen blue. Not wanting to waste my time sending it back, I played with it for a while to make sure it was a defective switch. Tried to use this item, and one screen was fuzzy. It was. Yes, I tested it with different cables and monitors and it was definitely because of the switch. Buyer beware.
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