- Jun 30, 2004
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I know I posted some queries about my KVM needs some months ago, and I asked for input about the Avocent product.
I made a mistake in my selection, but there may not have been a better choice anyway.
I wanted a DVI/USB KVM to be compatible with a wider number of graphics cards and allow me to run my monitor at a refresh rate of 120Hz. I planned for a several months to purchase the SV240-001 -- a 4-port switch of that type. I deferred hooking it up and testing it until several days ago. My RMA deadline is about 4 days from now.
It all seemed to work fine, until I tried to watch a CNN HD broadcast with WMC on my monitor from my Silly-Dust HomerunPrime tuners. Suddenly, "monitor (or card?) needs to be HDCP compliant." The Avocent instructions say I can use a DVI-to-HDMI connector if the monitor only has HDMI ports. And I might also be able to run the same cable in opposite directions from a computer HDMI port to the KVM DVI plug. Those are two possible solutions which only mean that I can't get the 120Hz refresh rate anymore.
I can also continue to use my BenQ monitor as a "separate" "kvM" and switch monitor ports using its interface between computers. (But this was a situation I wanted to eliminate. It's four or five mouseclicks, and sometimes the fingers slip -- pressing the wrong button and leaving the display in "never never land" when the computer has been shut down. Getting it to switch to another port is tricky without restarting the computer that was shut down for that particular monitor connection.)
Anyone have any insight into my options before I start experimenting?
Option 1: KVM to monitor DVI-to-HDMI cable
Option 2: PC to KVM Hdmi-to-DVI connection
Option 3: Switch the BenQ's port with its little "mouse" control when I need HDCP compliance. I can run a displayport or HDMI connection for up to three computers, still get 120Hz and HDCP compliance where it helps.
Avocent requires me to make a phone call -- no e-mail. They also posted a download for some sort of firmware update.
Any thoughts would make my next few days easier. SOMEBODY has to have some experience with this . . . HDCP DVI/HDMI issue or whatever you want to call it for the problem or the possible solution.
The odd thing about this: the DVI-to-DVI cable hooked between my PC and monitor had worked fine for the HDCP compliance, just as DVI-to-HDMI from other computers did as well to that same monitor.
I made a mistake in my selection, but there may not have been a better choice anyway.
I wanted a DVI/USB KVM to be compatible with a wider number of graphics cards and allow me to run my monitor at a refresh rate of 120Hz. I planned for a several months to purchase the SV240-001 -- a 4-port switch of that type. I deferred hooking it up and testing it until several days ago. My RMA deadline is about 4 days from now.
It all seemed to work fine, until I tried to watch a CNN HD broadcast with WMC on my monitor from my Silly-Dust HomerunPrime tuners. Suddenly, "monitor (or card?) needs to be HDCP compliant." The Avocent instructions say I can use a DVI-to-HDMI connector if the monitor only has HDMI ports. And I might also be able to run the same cable in opposite directions from a computer HDMI port to the KVM DVI plug. Those are two possible solutions which only mean that I can't get the 120Hz refresh rate anymore.
I can also continue to use my BenQ monitor as a "separate" "kvM" and switch monitor ports using its interface between computers. (But this was a situation I wanted to eliminate. It's four or five mouseclicks, and sometimes the fingers slip -- pressing the wrong button and leaving the display in "never never land" when the computer has been shut down. Getting it to switch to another port is tricky without restarting the computer that was shut down for that particular monitor connection.)
Anyone have any insight into my options before I start experimenting?
Option 1: KVM to monitor DVI-to-HDMI cable
Option 2: PC to KVM Hdmi-to-DVI connection
Option 3: Switch the BenQ's port with its little "mouse" control when I need HDCP compliance. I can run a displayport or HDMI connection for up to three computers, still get 120Hz and HDCP compliance where it helps.
Avocent requires me to make a phone call -- no e-mail. They also posted a download for some sort of firmware update.
Any thoughts would make my next few days easier. SOMEBODY has to have some experience with this . . . HDCP DVI/HDMI issue or whatever you want to call it for the problem or the possible solution.
The odd thing about this: the DVI-to-DVI cable hooked between my PC and monitor had worked fine for the HDCP compliance, just as DVI-to-HDMI from other computers did as well to that same monitor.
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