Sewell's DisplayLink-enabled USB-to-DVI / VGA / HDMI adapter does 2,048 x 1,152
By Darren Murph 
posted November 22nd 2009 2:20AM
posted November 22nd 2009 2:20AM
It's been a hot minute since we've seen a totally useful display adapter from Sewell, but the outfit's latest is certainly worth a gander if you've been yearning to push high-def signals through USB. The Minideck USB-to-DVI / VGA / HDMI (video only) adapter utilizes the DisplayLink DL-195 chip, which provides support for resolutions as high 2,048 x 1,152, so 1080p and 1,920 x 1,200 LCD monitors are well taken care of. Best of all, this thing doesn't require a Core i7 rig to operate, so your 5 year old corporate laptop should be plenty to handle the rigors of powering a 24-inch LCD via a dusty old USB socket. It's all yours right now for $99.95.
But, I don't even have enough monitors to use up the 4 DVI slots on my computer already.
The mark of a badly-run company is creating a product that is not exclusively for your immediate application.
hey skyblaze,
ya i cant sleep at all...and when i do convince myself to get off the computer and sleep, my brain keeps me up..its annoying as hell
and ya, its an adapter, not really much to comment about lol
high def signals...really?
can anyone confirm this?
Yes, it really works. I've actually seen one in action! I didn't notice any lag at all. It's pretty impressive.
But how can we trust you?
No one says you have to :)
Just out of curiosity, how much bandwidth is necessary for audio on a 1080p movie file? I'd assume higher sampling rate means more bandwidth, but it seems insignificant compared to pumping out the video. If it IS insignificant, then why can't we get integrated out output on these?
"If you'd like to leave a comment, please log out and try again."
Unverified is annoying
depends on whether it's DTS or AC3. It can range from a couple hundred kbps to a couple mbps. I would guess however that the HDMI version is video only because they just need to install a different adapter on the DVI version rather than changing the internals at all.
i'll join the group by adding i have an all-important end of year chem test in under 20 hours and am procrastinating study by replying to a discussion that, to be completely honest, means nothing at all. :)
And the amount of times i have used spellcheck while writing this comment tells me that i should reeaallly get some sleep soon.
.. and by the way, it late at night where i live, nite y'all.
This actually sounds a lot cooler than it is. If you read the manual, first of all there's no 1920x1080 resolution (which is what most 1080p equipment that I own wants). Also if I want to watch video, it seems it is rather limited:
"To play DVD on the adapter-attached monitor, in addition to the requirements above, the following requirements should also be met:
- With dual core CPU at 2.0 GHz processor clock
- The adapter screen resolution be set to 800x600 with 16bit color"
My 1.86GHz Pentium-M laptop handles 720p videos just fine through its analog output... looks like this won't really give me usable HDMI.
Yes, it does support 1080p. I don't know about the manual, but this uses standard DisplayLink drivers which do support that resolution.
You are reading SW-8769's manual instead of SW-22857's.
"Max Resolution: 1920 x 1200 (native 24" resolution), 2048 x 1080 (1080p: Full HD for HDTVs), 2048 x 1152, and all standard smaller sizes"
But 2048x1080 != 1920x1080. Some equipment is picky, or some of us don't want scaling but pixel-addressable resolution!
it says "all standard smaller sizes"... which presumably includes true 1080p, 720p, etc.
From what the site says, it's temporarily on sale because they are sold out of their cheaper model.
Here's a video of their cheaper model to show what it can do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_y5iO5sQ0Q
STOP SAYING "HOT MINUTE" FFFFFUUUUU
I'll keep with my VGA connector on my VAIO SZ, thanks.
Best to wait for an USB3 version, unless your thing is powerpoints.
Exactly. With USB3 starting to roll out, it is surprising that Sewell doesn't jump on that bandwagon.
Unless, of course, they are trying to get you to buy one now, and one in six months wen they upgrade it to USB3... something that I am betting could significantly improve performance of this device.
I have the DL-195-based DiamondMM device (same thing, different OEM). The point of it isn't to replace the primary display output of a machine or to use instead of a real multihead/multicard desktop video configuration. The point is to provide an inexpensive way to add monitors for productivity to systems which otherwise cannot easily add display outputs (like a laptop). I use mine to drive a Dell 24" in 1920x1200 in portrait mode as the 2nd monitor for Lightroom. It works perfectly for that. If I want to watch video, I use the Displayport output. While the DL-195 can play video, it's not as smooth as the real display output.
How is it that a 1920x1200 display is "well taken care of"?? It doesn't support that resolution...
It does.
2,048 x 1,152 = 2,359,296 pixels
1,920 x 1200 = 2,304,000 pixels
Math.
Never, ever, ever take the word of people leaving comments. Read for yourself: http://sewelldirect.com/drivers/SW-8769.pdf
The manual is for a DL-165 based device, not a DL-195. The 165 chip only went up to 1600x1200. An example of a 165-based device is the EVGA UV16. I have one of those, too.
Do you actually have any first hand experience with these devices or are you drawing faulty conclusions based on your own biased assumptions and an out of date manual.
DisplayLink manufactures the chips that drives these devices. They provide the drivers and the chip is what determines the functionality. Here is the DisplayLink product page with a matrix which shows the capabilities of the various chips.
What you said about the veracity of information posted by commenters is 100% applicable to this situation.
Have a nice day.
Under the specifications tab on the Sewell website:
"Max Resolution: 1920 x 1200 (native 24" resolution), 2048 x 1080 (1080p: Full HD for HDTVs), 2048 x 1152, and all standard smaller sizes".
Apparently someone needs to tell them that 1080p HD is 1920 x 1080, not 2048 x 1080, however.
What I think is cool is that this should (hopefully) allow you to setup a single-USB port docking "station" for your laptop/netbook (with the help of a good USB hub of course). I guess that just leaves the AC adapter (anyone know a laptop that can charge through it's USB port?).
I'm not sure I would run my monitor, external DVD burner, and external HDD through the same USB cable. The external monitor seems like it would hog most of the bandwidth
Lol, you should patent that idea, a reverse setup where the laptop optionally charges through the standard USB if juice is available, but normally devices don't put power on the USB, even powered hubs only put power on the outgoing connectors not the incoming one, since that would be risky.
These already exist:
http://www.displaylink.com/shop/index.php?product=1
"1,920 x 1,200 LCD monitors are well taken care of."
Excuse me? How does 2,048 x 1,152 work on a 1920 x 1200 monitor?
Are you pulling 48 lines out of your A**?
Yes.
"The Minideck can support up to 1920 x 1200 (native 24" resolution), 2048 x 1080 (1080p: Full HD for HDTVs), and 2048 x 1152."
RTFA.
hey cameron here with sewell...
just to clarify, johnj is right, the main idea behind this thing is to add more monitors to your system and can add up to 6 more (with 6 devices). Also, it's true that this supports 1080p and 1920x1200, 2048x1152 is just one of the max resolutions it supports for displays with different dimmensions.
There are other USB to HDMI solutions that support 1080p, but this one is just much less expensive since it uses a different type of chip, plus it doesn't support audio, so you'll have to run a seperate audio cable to your HDTV. There isn't a video quality difference between this and running a straight video line to your HDTV as long as your processor can support it, but the main idea behind this device is to increase workplace productivity with extra desktop real estate.
Is audio outputted too?
Mac compatible!? Sold. (Really, I bought one just now.)
This sounds like just the thing my dad's been looking for. His laptop doesn't output digital video so simple VGA-to-HDMI dongles won't let him put his laptop on our TV and he just got burned on a cheap plastic converter box from China.
I want one for my N900! Sounds like the N900 doesn't have the horsepower though (and I have no idea if it can act as a USB host).
WTF is up with the continued effort to position USB as a VIDEO OUTPUT?
USB is not for video. It's for mice, keyboards, and modems. It's not even for hard drives. And definitely not for video.
If that's the case, then why did they feel the need to name it UNIVERSAL Serial Bus?
With the increase of the up and down speeds of the tech, more applications of this universal port become possible.
It was named "universal" because it's a cross-platform standard.
Regardless of speed, it still imposes excessive CPU overhead that more appropriate technologies like Firewire and DisplayPort don't.
I'm not sure if anyone's already mentioned it, but EVGA also sells a USB video adapter, the "UV" series. I personally use the UV-12 model, which has renedered 1440X900 with decent video quality on a 32" monitor. Not high Def, but I'm sure the UV-16 gets a lot better, capable of 1600X1200. The units are $49.99 and $69.99, respectively.