pinnerite <pinnerite@gmail.com> wrote:
> Just took delivery of one of these.
> Everything was in the box, except setup instructions.
> It has multiple sockets (VGA, BNC, HDMI etc)and al the leads to match.
> The power supply plug's 12 volt lead is too short but I ordered an
> extension for £1.99 including postage.
>
> No arguments so far but I am using HDMI for connection to my computer
> and cannot seem to set it up in order to get a signal.
>
> The supplier sent me links to two videos, neither of which explian the
> setting up procedure. If anyone has bought one of these and mastered the
> technique, please let me know.

You may wish to supply a link to the item (and the videos?), as your
description doesn't leave much to go on.

Theo

On 6/25/2023 4:14 PM, Theo wrote:
> pinnerite <pinnerite@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Just took delivery of one of these.
>> Everything was in the box, except setup instructions.
>> It has multiple sockets (VGA, BNC, HDMI etc)and al the leads to match.
>> The power supply plug's 12 volt lead is too short but I ordered an
>> extension for £1.99 including postage.
>>
>> No arguments so far but I am using HDMI for connection to my computer
>> and cannot seem to set it up in order to get a signal.
>>
>> The supplier sent me links to two videos, neither of which explian the
>> setting up procedure. If anyone has bought one of these and mastered the
>> technique, please let me know.
>
> You may wish to supply a link to the item (and the videos?), as your
> description doesn't leave much to go on.
>
> Theo
>

A random sampling of units meeting this description,
shows they have no technical descriptions whatsoever.
No manual to download. No list of resolutions we
might expect from the serial EDID, and so on.

One unit, had the cheek to advertise 1920x1200 resolution,
when the photo of the unit shows it is not 16:10 but is 16:9
and 1920x1080.

On such crapulent merch, I would plug in only *one* data cable
to start, as the EDID lines may be shared.

Occasionally, a display supports only 1920x1080 and 1280x720 on
the HDMI port, and that might sometimes be termed a "non-PC HDMI".
On computer video cards, if no EDID is sensed, the driver selects
1024x768, 800x600, or 640x480. And if these resolutions are
not supported by the display, you get black screen. It is likely
in this case, the product has a scaler inside, so I'm not too worried
it's devoid of conditioning on the input board.

I have a suspicion that even when we get the web page link to
this carcass, it'll be documentation-free and a mystery meat.

*******

A person who plays with mystery meat products like this for
an LCD display, should invest in an "EDID box". This is a box
that sends a fake EDID to the Linux computer, the Linux computer
thinks it is a real 1920x1080 device, and then by chance the signal
is something the monitor actually works with.

On old Macintosh boxes, you could get a display adapter connector
with DIP switches on it, and you could send "fake" Apple codes for
monitor resolution selection. Which is just like EDID in a sense,
but for an earlier generation based on "sense lines". It's possible
even early PCs used *some* sense lines, but not the same exact
setup as the Mac at the time.

But today, for manually setting up equipment, without a lot of
pissing around, you'd want an EDID box. Instead of using sense
lines, like in the old days, there is a data and a clock pin, and
the video card end "reads" the EEPROM inside the monitor.

A cheap monitor can be missing the EDID hardware. Some "projectors"
are an example of such. Even my Sony Trinitron monitor, with the
five coax cables for input (RGBHV), it was missing EDID as well.
I used a Mac switch dongle, to get the computer to generate a resolution
the multisync Sony supported.

This one for example, it sucks up the EDID from an existing healthy
monitor, then you plug the duff monitor in place of the healthy monitor,
and when the other end is plugged into the computer, it is getting
the serial information the healthy monitor produced. This box is way
to expensive for home usage. Still, an interesting box.

https://www.blackbox.com/en-ca/store/product/detail/hdmi-edid-ghost/vg-hdmi

Gefen made stuff like this too, and might be used when searching
for the older EDID solutions. The earlier Gefen ones might have been cheaper.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1029274-REG/gefen_ext_hd_edidpn_hdmi_detective_plus.html/specs

I was hoping to find something for $50, but I guess I'm delusional.
It's a pretty simple function, to be charging so much money.
You can make your own with the appropriate serial EEPROM. That
would be a minimal implementation.

Linux should have a "readEDID" program, and you can test that
on your working monitor. Plug the duff monitor in as the "Second"
monitor, and try "readEDID" on that too. If it comes back 0xFFFF style,
then there might be no EDID chip in it.

On Windows, you use Entechtaiwan "Moninfo" program, and select
"real time mode" and that can read the EDID and show you what it
contains. Both OSes have some solution for the forensics needed.

Paul

On Sun, 25 Jun 2023 19:20:43 -0400
Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

> On 6/25/2023 4:14 PM, Theo wrote:
> > pinnerite <pinnerite@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Just took delivery of one of these.
> >> Everything was in the box, except setup instructions.
> >> It has multiple sockets (VGA, BNC, HDMI etc)and al the leads to match.
> >> The power supply plug's 12 volt lead is too short but I ordered an
> >> extension for £1.99 including postage.
> >>
> >> No arguments so far but I am using HDMI for connection to my computer
> >> and cannot seem to set it up in order to get a signal.
> >>
> >> The supplier sent me links to two videos, neither of which explian the
> >> setting up procedure. If anyone has bought one of these and mastered the
> >> technique, please let me know.
> >
> > You may wish to supply a link to the item (and the videos?), as your
> > description doesn't leave much to go on.
> >
> > Theo
> >
>
> A random sampling of units meeting this description,
> shows they have no technical descriptions whatsoever.
> No manual to download. No list of resolutions we
> might expect from the serial EDID, and so on.
>
> One unit, had the cheek to advertise 1920x1200 resolution,
> when the photo of the unit shows it is not 16:10 but is 16:9
> and 1920x1080.
>
> On such crapulent merch, I would plug in only *one* data cable
> to start, as the EDID lines may be shared.
>
> Occasionally, a display supports only 1920x1080 and 1280x720 on
> the HDMI port, and that might sometimes be termed a "non-PC HDMI".
> On computer video cards, if no EDID is sensed, the driver selects
> 1024x768, 800x600, or 640x480. And if these resolutions are
> not supported by the display, you get black screen. It is likely
> in this case, the product has a scaler inside, so I'm not too worried
> it's devoid of conditioning on the input board.
>
> I have a suspicion that even when we get the web page link to
> this carcass, it'll be documentation-free and a mystery meat.
>
> *******
>
> A person who plays with mystery meat products like this for
> an LCD display, should invest in an "EDID box". This is a box
> that sends a fake EDID to the Linux computer, the Linux computer
> thinks it is a real 1920x1080 device, and then by chance the signal
> is something the monitor actually works with.
>
> On old Macintosh boxes, you could get a display adapter connector
> with DIP switches on it, and you could send "fake" Apple codes for
> monitor resolution selection. Which is just like EDID in a sense,
> but for an earlier generation based on "sense lines". It's possible
> even early PCs used *some* sense lines, but not the same exact
> setup as the Mac at the time.
>
> But today, for manually setting up equipment, without a lot of
> pissing around, you'd want an EDID box. Instead of using sense
> lines, like in the old days, there is a data and a clock pin, and
> the video card end "reads" the EEPROM inside the monitor.
>
> A cheap monitor can be missing the EDID hardware. Some "projectors"
> are an example of such. Even my Sony Trinitron monitor, with the
> five coax cables for input (RGBHV), it was missing EDID as well.
> I used a Mac switch dongle, to get the computer to generate a resolution
> the multisync Sony supported.
>
> This one for example, it sucks up the EDID from an existing healthy
> monitor, then you plug the duff monitor in place of the healthy monitor,
> and when the other end is plugged into the computer, it is getting
> the serial information the healthy monitor produced. This box is way
> to expensive for home usage. Still, an interesting box.
>
> https://www.blackbox.com/en-ca/store/product/detail/hdmi-edid-ghost/vg-hdmi
>
> Gefen made stuff like this too, and might be used when searching
> for the older EDID solutions. The earlier Gefen ones might have been cheaper.
>
> https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1029274-REG/gefen_ext_hd_edidpn_hdmi_detective_plus.html/specs
>
> I was hoping to find something for $50, but I guess I'm delusional.
> It's a pretty simple function, to be charging so much money.
> You can make your own with the appropriate serial EEPROM. That
> would be a minimal implementation.
>
> Linux should have a "readEDID" program, and you can test that
> on your working monitor. Plug the duff monitor in as the "Second"
> monitor, and try "readEDID" on that too. If it comes back 0xFFFF style,
> then there might be no EDID chip in it.
>
> On Windows, you use Entechtaiwan "Moninfo" program, and select
> "real time mode" and that can read the EDID and show you what it
> contains. Both OSes have some solution for the forensics needed.
>
> Paul

Gosh! You went to a lot of trouble to reply. Thank you.
My policy is to fight one battle at a time.
Right now I am concentrating on some DIY but I will return to this in a wseek or two.

Regards, Alan

--
Linux Mint 21.1 kernel version 5.15.0-76-generic Cinnamon 5.6.8
AMD Phenom II x4 955 CPU 16Gb Dram 2TB Barracuda

Well, I gave up on hdmi at the pc end on a tv as a monitor as it kept on
routing audio via the tv and usually managed to not detect a signal. What I
did as mentioned in an earlier post was get a vga to hdmI active converter,
usb powered. Took the signal from the 9 pin D to the adaptor, and plugged
the hdmI into it, leaving the audio lead unconnected so my usb sound card
was not turned off. Then it seems to work every time. No idea quite why or
how good the picture is but most sighted people recon its as good as they
have seen. The adaptor is obviously made in China and bought from Amazon in
one of their sales for under 20 quid.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"pinnerite" <pinnerite@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:20230729120814.6dcec3adf8b928080259d242@gmail.com...
On Sun, 25 Jun 2023 19:20:43 -0400
Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

> On 6/25/2023 4:14 PM, Theo wrote:
> > pinnerite <pinnerite@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Just took delivery of one of these.
> >> Everything was in the box, except setup instructions.
> >> It has multiple sockets (VGA, BNC, HDMI etc)and al the leads to match.
> >> The power supply plug's 12 volt lead is too short but I ordered an
> >> extension for �1.99 including postage.
> >>
> >> No arguments so far but I am using HDMI for connection to my computer
> >> and cannot seem to set it up in order to get a signal.
> >>
> >> The supplier sent me links to two videos, neither of which explian the
> >> setting up procedure. If anyone has bought one of these and mastered
> >> the
> >> technique, please let me know.
> >
> > You may wish to supply a link to the item (and the videos?), as your
> > description doesn't leave much to go on.
> >
> > Theo
> >
>
> A random sampling of units meeting this description,
> shows they have no technical descriptions whatsoever.
> No manual to download. No list of resolutions we
> might expect from the serial EDID, and so on.
>
> One unit, had the cheek to advertise 1920x1200 resolution,
> when the photo of the unit shows it is not 16:10 but is 16:9
> and 1920x1080.
>
> On such crapulent merch, I would plug in only *one* data cable
> to start, as the EDID lines may be shared.
>
> Occasionally, a display supports only 1920x1080 and 1280x720 on
> the HDMI port, and that might sometimes be termed a "non-PC HDMI".
> On computer video cards, if no EDID is sensed, the driver selects
> 1024x768, 800x600, or 640x480. And if these resolutions are
> not supported by the display, you get black screen. It is likely
> in this case, the product has a scaler inside, so I'm not too worried
> it's devoid of conditioning on the input board.
>
> I have a suspicion that even when we get the web page link to
> this carcass, it'll be documentation-free and a mystery meat.
>
> *******
>
> A person who plays with mystery meat products like this for
> an LCD display, should invest in an "EDID box". This is a box
> that sends a fake EDID to the Linux computer, the Linux computer
> thinks it is a real 1920x1080 device, and then by chance the signal
> is something the monitor actually works with.
>
> On old Macintosh boxes, you could get a display adapter connector
> with DIP switches on it, and you could send "fake" Apple codes for
> monitor resolution selection. Which is just like EDID in a sense,
> but for an earlier generation based on "sense lines". It's possible
> even early PCs used *some* sense lines, but not the same exact
> setup as the Mac at the time.
>
> But today, for manually setting up equipment, without a lot of
> pissing around, you'd want an EDID box. Instead of using sense
> lines, like in the old days, there is a data and a clock pin, and
> the video card end "reads" the EEPROM inside the monitor.
>
> A cheap monitor can be missing the EDID hardware. Some "projectors"
> are an example of such. Even my Sony Trinitron monitor, with the
> five coax cables for input (RGBHV), it was missing EDID as well.
> I used a Mac switch dongle, to get the computer to generate a resolution
> the multisync Sony supported.
>
> This one for example, it sucks up the EDID from an existing healthy
> monitor, then you plug the duff monitor in place of the healthy monitor,
> and when the other end is plugged into the computer, it is getting
> the serial information the healthy monitor produced. This box is way
> to expensive for home usage. Still, an interesting box.
>
> https://www.blackbox.com/en-ca/store/product/detail/hdmi-edid-ghost/vg-hdmi
>
> Gefen made stuff like this too, and might be used when searching
> for the older EDID solutions. The earlier Gefen ones might have been
> cheaper.
>
> https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1029274-REG/gefen_ext_hd_edidpn_hdmi_detective_plus.html/specs
>
> I was hoping to find something for $50, but I guess I'm delusional.
> It's a pretty simple function, to be charging so much money.
> You can make your own with the appropriate serial EEPROM. That
> would be a minimal implementation.
>
> Linux should have a "readEDID" program, and you can test that
> on your working monitor. Plug the duff monitor in as the "Second"
> monitor, and try "readEDID" on that too. If it comes back 0xFFFF style,
> then there might be no EDID chip in it.
>
> On Windows, you use Entechtaiwan "Moninfo" program, and select
> "real time mode" and that can read the EDID and show you what it
> contains. Both OSes have some solution for the forensics needed.
>
> Paul

Gosh! You went to a lot of trouble to reply. Thank you.
My policy is to fight one battle at a time.
Right now I am concentrating on some DIY but I will return to this in a
wseek or two.

Regards, Alan

--
Linux Mint 21.1 kernel version 5.15.0-76-generic Cinnamon 5.6.8
AMD Phenom II x4 955 CPU 16Gb Dram 2TB Barracuda