Review on Rankie 1080P HDMI to VGA Adapter Converter (Male to Female) with Audio for PC, Monitor, Projector, HDTV, Xbox and More - Active HDTV Solution by Anthony Grover

This is an active or active HDMI to VGA adapter. Normally, the power to convert an HDMI signal to a VGA signal is provided through the HDMI connection. In some cases, this power is either unavailable or insufficient to operate the converters' built-in digital converters without a power supply. This converter requires a 5V DC power supply (your main mobile phone charger) and a USB to Micro USB cable; None of this is included with the adapter. ** The converter can work with or without an external power supply. ** External power supply is not required if sufficient power is supplied via the HDMI connection. However, you can always connect an external power supply, regardless of whether the power is supplied via the HDMI input. A nice feature of this adapter/converter is the 3.5mm stereo audio output. While HDMI is digital and carries audio along with video, VGA is analog and cables do not carry audio. You have to make an extra connection if you want sound, and the jack on the adapter is very convenient. I don't know if the audio jack carries surround sound encoding information. Headphones can be connected directly to the audio jack, but according to other reviews, their performance depends on various factors; might work great, might not. I suspect the audio signal would work better if amplified via a sound card or external amplifier. I haven't used the audio out so I can't comment on its functionality*** This is NOT a bi-directional adapter/converter. It only works one way; Convert digital HDMI to analog VGA with audio tearing. Although VGA is an old cable from the early days of PCs, it can carry Hi-Def analog video signals. This is a high quality device; Fit, workmanship and video function are first class. The flexibility of the active converter means it will work in any situation, especially when you need extra power.