One of the doubts that users face when purchasing a new computer or a new monitor is the type of video connection that suits them best. DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort are the three most widely used interfaces today, although DVI is being used less and less. In this article we explain the differences between them and how to choose the one that interests you the most.
DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort: choose the right video interface
If you are buying a new monitor, you should make sure that it includes a suitable video connection or interface for your PC. The monitor connects to the graphics card, or to the video output built into the computer's motherboard , so both must share at least one common interface.
If your graphics card only has HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, you should look for a monitor that includes at least one of these video interfaces. It would be useless to buy a monitor that only has DVI video input, since you could not connect it to your PC. The same is the case if you want to buy a new graphics card to use with your current monitor. In the event that you want to buy both elements, you also have to make sure that you can connect them.
With this cleared up, it's time to discuss each of the video interfaces in depth.
DVI
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is the first digital video interface to hit the market . Until the advent of DVI, the VGA analog port was used to connect the monitor to the computer. A differentiating feature of DVI compared to other video interfaces is that it can transmit both analog and digital signals.
The move to a digital video interface allowed improving the image quality of LCD monitors compared to the previous VGA connection, which was analog . The use of digital signals has the advantage that each one of the output buffer pixels corresponds directly to one of the screen pixels. This prevents the pixels from being affected by adjacent pixels or electrical noise, avoiding the loss of image quality that occurs in analog signals.
The DVI connector is based on a cable of four twisted twisted pairs of cables, of these one is used to synchronize the transmission, and the other three are used for the three basic colors (red, green, and blue). In a DVI interface the image is transmitted line by line, and with erasure intervals between each line and each one of the frames , in a similar way to what happens in the analog signal. DVI does not support image compression technologies, and the entire screen is streamed every time.
With a single DVI connector you can achieve a refresh rate of 60 Hz and a maximum resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels . Higher resolutions are possible, but only with the use of dual link cables. This makes the DVI connection very limited compared to the next two, so it is being used less and less.
HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) was the second digital video interface to hit the market, its purpose was to add all the shortcomings that the DVI port had. One important difference is that HDMI was designed from the ground up to transmit both video and audio digitally, simplifying the wiring of devices.
This interface has undergone many revisions, being HDMI 2.1 the most current and the one that offers the best features . The current version offers 48 Gb / s bandwidth, a key feature to meet today's demanding standards.
The HDMI 2.0 version is the most common today , with a bandwidth of 18 Gbit / s, and the ability to offer video at 4K resolution and a maximum of 60 FPS . Another very important feature is that it supports 2 video signals at the same time, something that allows two users to work on the same screen.
In terms of sound, it allows the use of up to 32 audio channels with a maximum sampling of 1,536kHz . This makes 7.1 channel configurations possible with 192kHz sampling to achieve great sound quality. It allows a maximum of 4 different audio signals.
The new HDMI 2.1 version was announced in 2017, being capable of providing a video signal with a maximum resolution of 10K, which is still far from being used today, but it is a sample of its potential. HDMI 2.1 allows video at 8K and 60 FPS, in addition to 4K and 120 FPS.
HDMI is always backwards compatible , which means that you can connect an HDMI 1.4 device with one that is HDMI 2.2 without problems, you just won't take advantage of the additional features of the latest. HDMI supports Display Stream Compression (DSC) and HDR to improve image quality.
DisplayPort
DisplayPort is the latest video interface to hit the market, and it's the most versatile. Its main advantage is that it is compatible with the USB Type-C ports that are used in many smartphones , ultrabooks and PC graphics cards. This means that you can have two ports in one, working as USB and as DisplayPort at the same time.
DisplayPort 1.4 is the most current version of this interface. It offers a maximum bandwidth of 32.4 Gbit / s, which allows a maximum resolution of 8K (7,680 x 4,320 pixels) at a 60 Hz refresh rate . DisplayPort also allows you to send audio, in this case a maximum of 8 uncompressed channels at 192 KHz and 24 bits. Like HDMI, it supports DPCP with 128-bit AES encryption and HDCP content protection. There is also support for Display Stream Compression (DSC) and HDR.
The most widely used versions are still DisplayPort 1.2 with support for a maximum resolution of 2K at 144 Hz, and DisplayPort 1.3 that supports up to 4K at 120 Hz or 8K at 30 Hz. All versions of the DisplayPort port allow the use of 1080p resolution at 144 Hz .
There are adapters to convert one type of port into another , although they are not recommended because they tend to cause problems in their use.
conclusion
Both HDMI and DisplayPort are two great digital video and audio interfaces, with very similar characteristics and hardly different. The most significant difference is that only DisplayPort supports USB Type-C . DVI has long lagged behind technically, and cannot compete with its rivals.
So far our special article on the differences between DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort video connections, we hope you find it very useful. Remember that you can leave a comment if you have any questions.
Images from Wikipedia.