HDMI or USB-C splitter to 2 x K242HL monitors to allow extended laptop display across both monitors

Hi all.

If anyone has been able to locate either a HDMI or USB-C splitter that will allow me to extend my laptop display across both of my K242HL monitors, please can you let me know what you use.

My new laptop has a single HDMI port and has 2 x USB-C ports (one used for power). It does not have a VGA port nor a DVI port, so I can currently only extend to a single monitor.

I have a HDMI to VGA adapter that allows me to extend my laptop screen to one of my two monitors.

I have been unable to locate a suitable docking station with multiple VGA/DVI ports nor a splitter that will split to multiple VGA/DVI ports nor to one of each. The splitters I have found will mirror to multiple displays, but not extend.

Do you think it's worth trying HDMI to VGA adapter for one monitor and USB-C to DVI for the other monitor?

Thanks in advance.

GBish73

Accepted answers

JackE

My new laptop has a single HDMI port and has 2 x USB-C ports (one used for power).

It might help if you could reveal the brand and model number of your new laptop.

Most laptop HDMI ports only support one monitor for extended or mirrored lid screen display. So the USB ports are usually used for multiple extended displays either with a passive USB-to-video form factor adapter if the USB ports support alternate mode video output or an active USB-to-video signal converter if the USB ports are data only and don't natively support alternate mode video output.

Since most laptop USB ports are data only, the following USB-to-video output signal converters and docks have been reported by other Acer users to work for usng data only USB ports for multiple extended external displays..

usb-2-video signal converters

hdmi form factor

https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Monitors-Universal-Graphics-Thunderbolt/dp/B09R47RD5M/ref=asc_df_B09R47RD5M/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=583376942549&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13737961001509393452&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004037&hvtargid=pla-1637844116543&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPEV1XK/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0811LTJ1H/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2Q675KK39AE01&psc=1
https://i-tec.pro/en/produkt/u3dual4kdp-2/
https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/951662#Comment_951662
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BPEV1XK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00698ZUHK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.startech.com/en-us/audio-video-products/usb32hdes
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0725K1MHH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

displayport form factor

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-Supporting-Resolution/dp/B018YHTUNI/ref=sr_1_10?crid=35VF6GFPGK43N&dchild=1&keywords=cable+matters+usbc+to+displayport+adapter&qid=1598400106&s=electronics&sprefix=cable+matters+usb+to+displayport%2Celectronics%2C171&sr=1-10

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W3ZSYF1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPEV1XK/
https://www.displaylink.com/products

dock converters

https://www.amazon.com/WAVLINK-Universal-DisplayPort-2xDisplay-Ethernet/dp/B08G1H7ZGJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WWKEJ8CPRUCP&keywords=wavlink+69dk5&qid=1654690060&sprefix=Wavlink+69DK5%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1

WAVLINK ‎UG69DK1 from amazon

JackE

Unfortunately, this laptop doesn't have a display port > K242HL monitors I have only have DVI & VGA ports.

What do you mean? The standard Dell 5420 laptop should have a ThunderBolt type-C port which supports alternate mode DisplayPort video output. The port should have a ThunderBolt lightning bolt arrow symbol similar to that shown on the left below. There are inexpensive DisplayPort-to-VGA, DisplayPort-to-DVI, DisplayPort-to-HDMI, etc signal converters to do whatever want.

Furthermore, standard Acer K242HL monitors should also have an HDMI video input port along with the DVI & VGA D ports.

All comments

JackE

My new laptop has a single HDMI port and has 2 x USB-C ports (one used for power).

It might help if you could reveal the brand and model number of your new laptop.

Most laptop HDMI ports only support one monitor for extended or mirrored lid screen display. So the USB ports are usually used for multiple extended displays either with a passive USB-to-video form factor adapter if the USB ports support alternate mode video output or an active USB-to-video signal converter if the USB ports are data only and don't natively support alternate mode video output.

Since most laptop USB ports are data only, the following USB-to-video output signal converters and docks have been reported by other Acer users to work for usng data only USB ports for multiple extended external displays..

usb-2-video signal converters

hdmi form factor

https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Monitors-Universal-Graphics-Thunderbolt/dp/B09R47RD5M/ref=asc_df_B09R47RD5M/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=583376942549&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13737961001509393452&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004037&hvtargid=pla-1637844116543&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPEV1XK/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0811LTJ1H/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2Q675KK39AE01&psc=1
https://i-tec.pro/en/produkt/u3dual4kdp-2/
https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/951662#Comment_951662
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BPEV1XK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00698ZUHK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.startech.com/en-us/audio-video-products/usb32hdes
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0725K1MHH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

displayport form factor

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-Supporting-Resolution/dp/B018YHTUNI/ref=sr_1_10?crid=35VF6GFPGK43N&dchild=1&keywords=cable+matters+usbc+to+displayport+adapter&qid=1598400106&s=electronics&sprefix=cable+matters+usb+to+displayport%2Celectronics%2C171&sr=1-10

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W3ZSYF1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPEV1XK/
https://www.displaylink.com/products

dock converters

https://www.amazon.com/WAVLINK-Universal-DisplayPort-2xDisplay-Ethernet/dp/B08G1H7ZGJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WWKEJ8CPRUCP&keywords=wavlink+69dk5&qid=1654690060&sprefix=Wavlink+69DK5%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1

WAVLINK ‎UG69DK1 from amazon

billsey

Yeah, we really have to know which laptop you have in order to determine if you can get by with just an inexpensive USB-C to video cable, or if you have to have a dock that has some smarts in it.

GBish73

Hi @JackE & @billsey

Thank you for your comments.

My employer has given me a Dell Latitude 5420.

Thanks

GBish73

JackE

The Dell seems to only support DisplayPort video output via a ThunderBolt USB-C port. Accordingly, you need to have a monitor which supports DisplayPort video input using a USB-to-DisplayPort adapter which might've been included with the original Dell packaging. Alternatively, you could also use this DisplayPort adapter together with an active DisplayPort-to-HDMI video signal converter if your monitor only accepts HDMI video signal input.

GBish73

Hi @JackE

Thank you for your additional response. Unfortunately, this laptop doesn't have a display port and the Acer K242HL monitors I have only have DVI & VGA ports.

I've been going through the links you provided and think I may need to purchase either a couple of different adapters or something similar to the WAVLINK Universal Travel USB 3.0 Dock Dual Display HDMI+VGA which has a VGA port I can simply use and a HDMI port that I can use by existing HDMI/VGA adapter with.

Thanks for your help.

GBish73

JackE

Unfortunately, this laptop doesn't have a display port > K242HL monitors I have only have DVI & VGA ports.

What do you mean? The standard Dell 5420 laptop should have a ThunderBolt type-C port which supports alternate mode DisplayPort video output. The port should have a ThunderBolt lightning bolt arrow symbol similar to that shown on the left below. There are inexpensive DisplayPort-to-VGA, DisplayPort-to-DVI, DisplayPort-to-HDMI, etc signal converters to do whatever want.

Furthermore, standard Acer K242HL monitors should also have an HDMI video input port along with the DVI & VGA D ports.

GBish73

apologies, @JackE , my bad. I misread your previous message. Yes, the laptop does have two ThunderBolt type-C ports, one of which also has a power symbol, so has the power adapter attached to it. I have checked, re-checked and re-re-checked the monitor, but it literally only has VGA and DVI. I'll get a USB-C to Displayport adapter and a displayport to VGA adapter (both cheap on Amazon) and see how it goes.

Thanks for your help.

GBish73

JackE

I have checked, re-checked and re-re-checked the monitor, but it literally only has VGA and DVI.

How old are these monitors? HDMI ports were standard 10 years ago. An HDMI-to-DVI adapter is probably better than VGA since DVI signals are similar to HDMI signals except no monitor sound. You probably don't have monitor speakers or audio output anyway

GBish73

Old enough that my previous employer was happy to give them away. Definitely no sound through them. I was given VGA and power cables for them along with a desk stand, so didn't complain at the time as I already had an HDMI to VGA adapter and the laptop they'd given to me had a VGA port as well as an HDMI port. They didn't want them back when I left them, but my new employer has given me a laptop with only a single HDMI port, but with a second ThunderBolt port, so your suggestion to use that is brilliant (and one I'm kicking myself for not thinking of). I'll have a look through my box of 'Never Throw - might be needed sometime' cables for a DVI one. If I can't find one, I'll see how the VGA goes first and change to DVI if it's not working properly.

billsey

All you should need is a Thunderbolt to VGA cable for each monitor. They are relatively inexpensive. Both TBT ports on the Dell support DP Alt Mode, so can send video out the port.

JackE

I 'll have a look through my box of 'Never Throw - might be needed sometime' cables for a DVI one. If I can't find one, I'll see how the VGA goes first and change to DVI if it's not working properly.

Heh-heh. Good luck! Let us know what you wind up with. 🙂

GBish73

Hi all.

After a holiday and then purchasing the adapter & a cable (started cheap), I am happy to confirm that I now have two working monitors in addition to my laptop screen, with the screen extended across all three. It's been a week now and all seems good.