dvi types. Connecting a computer and monitor: all about connectors and interfaces

The choice of video card can also be influenced by the monitor you have or are planning to purchase. Or even monitors (plural). So, for modern LCD monitors with digital inputs It is highly desirable that the video card has DVI connector, HDMI or DisplayPort. Fortunately, for everyone modern solutions Now there are such ports, and often all together. Another subtlety is that if you require a resolution higher than 1920x1200 via the digital DVI output, then you must connect the video card to the monitor using a connector and cable that supports Dual-Link DVI. However, now there are no problems with this anymore. Let's look at the main connectors used to connect information display devices.

Analog D-Sub connector (also known as VGA-exit or DB-15F)

This is a long-known and familiar 15-pin connector for connecting analog monitors. The abbreviation VGA stands for video graphics array (pixel array) or video graphics adapter (video adapter). The connector is designed to output an analog signal, the quality of which can be influenced by many different factors, such as the quality of RAMDAC and analog circuits, so the quality of the resulting image may vary on different video cards. In addition, in modern video cards less attention is paid to the quality of the analog output, and to obtain clear picture It is better to use at high resolutions digital connection.

D-Sub connectors were actually the only standard until the widespread use of LCD monitors. Such outputs are still often used to connect LCD monitors, but only budget models that are not well suited for gaming. To connect modern monitors and projectors, it is recommended to use digital interfaces, one of the most common of which is DVI.

Connector DVI(variations: DVI-I And DVI-D)

DVI is the standard interface most often used to output digital video to all but the cheapest LCD monitors. The photo shows a rather old video card with three connectors: D-Sub, S-Video and DVI. There are three types of DVI connectors: DVI-D (digital), DVI-A (analog) and DVI-I (integrated - combined or universal):

DVI-D- an exclusively digital connection, which avoids losses in quality due to double conversion of the digital signal to analog and from analog to digital. This type of connection provides the highest quality picture; it outputs the signal only in digital form, digital LCD monitors with DVI inputs or professional CRT monitors with built-in RAMDAC and DVI input (very rare, especially now) can be connected to it. This connector differs from DVI-I in the physical absence of some contacts, and the DVI-to-D-Sub adapter, which will be discussed later, cannot be plugged into it. Most often this DVI type used in motherboards with an integrated video core; it is less common on video cards.

DVI-A is a rather rare type of analogue DVI connection intended for output analog image to CRT receivers. In this case, the signal is degraded due to dual digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion, its quality is equal to that of a standard VGA connection. Almost never found in nature.

DVI-I is a combination of the two options described above, capable of transmitting both analog and digital signals. This type is used most often in video cards; it is universal and, using special adapters that come with most video cards, you can also connect a regular analog CRT monitor with a DB-15F input to it. This is what these adapters look like:

All modern video cards have at least one DVI output, or even two universal DVI-I connectors. D-Subs are most often absent (but they can be connected using adapters, see above), except, again, for budget models. To transmit digital data, either a single-channel DVI Single-Link solution or a two-channel Dual-Link solution is used. Single-Link transmission format uses one TMDS transmitter (165 MHz), while Dual-Link uses two, it doubles the throughput and allows you to get screen resolutions higher than 1920x1080 and 1920x1200 at 60 Hz, supporting very high resolution, like 2560x1600. Therefore, for the largest LCD monitors with high resolution, such as 30-inch models, as well as monitors designed to display stereo images, you will definitely need a video card with dual-channel DVI output Dual-Link or HDMI version 1.3.

Connector HDMI

IN lately A new consumer interface, the High Definition Multimedia Interface, has become widespread. This standard provides simultaneous transmission of visual and audio information over a single cable, it is designed for television and cinema, but PC users can also use it to output video data using the HDMI connector.

In the photo on the left is HDMI, on the right is DVI-I. HDMI outputs on video cards are now quite common, and there are more and more such models, especially in the case of video cards intended for creating media centers. Viewing high-definition video on a computer requires a video card and monitor that support HDCP content protection, connected by an HDMI or DVI cable. Video cards do not necessarily have to have an HDMI connector on board; in other cases, the HDMI cable can also be connected via an adapter to DVI:

HDMI is the latest attempt to standardize a universal connection for digital audio- and video applications. It immediately received strong support from the giants of the electronics industry (the group of companies developing the standard includes companies such as Sony, Toshiba, Hitachi, Panasonic, Thomson, Philips and Silicon Image), and most modern devices high-resolution output has at least one such connector. HDMI allows you to transmit copy-protected audio and video in digital format over a single cable; the first version of the standard was based on a bandwidth of 5 Gbps, and HDMI 1.3 expanded this limit to 10.2 Gbps.

HDMI 1.3 is an updated standard specification with increased interface bandwidth, increased clock frequency up to 340 MHz, which allows you to connect high-resolution displays that support more colors (formats with color depth up to 48 bits). The new version of the specification also defines support for new Dolby standards for transmitting compressed audio without loss in quality. In addition, other innovations appeared; specification 1.3 described a new mini-HDMI connector, smaller in size compared to the original. Such connectors are also used on video cards.

HDMI 1.4b is the latest new version this standard, which came out not so long ago. HDMI 1.4 introduced the following major innovations: support for stereo display format (also called "3D") with frame-by-frame transmission and active viewing glasses, support for Fast Ethernet connection HDMI Ethernet Channel for data transmission, audio return channel allowing transmission digital audio in the opposite direction, support for resolution formats 3840x2160 up to 30 Hz and 4096x2160 up to 24 Hz, support for new color spaces and the smallest micro-HDMI connector.

In HDMI 1.4a, stereo display support has been significantly improved, with new Side-by-Side and Top-and-Bottom modes in addition to the 1.4 specification modes. And finally, a very recent update to the HDMI 1.4b standard occurred just a few weeks ago, and the innovations of this version are still unknown to the general public, and there are no devices supporting it yet on the market.

Actually, the presence HDMI connector on a video card is not necessary; in many cases it can be replaced by an adapter from DVI to HDMI. It is simple and therefore included with most modern video cards. Moreover, modern GPUs have a built-in audio chip necessary to support audio transmission over HDMI. On all modern AMD video cards and NVIDIA there is no need for an external audio solution and associated connecting cables, and transmit audio from an external sound card no need.

Transmission of video and audio signals via one HDMI connector is in demand primarily on mid-range and lower levels, which are installed in small and quiet barebones used as media centers, although HDMI is often used in gaming solutions, largely due to the spread household appliances with these connectors.

Connector

Gradually, in addition to the common video interfaces DVI and HDMI, solutions with the DisplayPort interface are appearing on the market. Single-Link DVI transmits a video signal with a resolution of up to 1920x1080 pixels, a frequency of 60 Hz and 8 bits per color component, Dual-Link allows transmission of 2560x1600 at a frequency of 60 Hz, but already 3840x2400 pixels under the same conditions for Dual-Link Link DVI not available. HDMI has almost the same limitations; version 1.3 supports signal transmission with a resolution of up to 2560x1600 pixels at a frequency of 60 Hz and 8 bits per color component (at lower resolutions - 16 bits). Although the maximum capabilities of DisplayPort are slightly higher than those of Dual-Link DVI, only 2560x2048 pixels at 60 Hz and 8 bits per color channel, but it has support for 10-bit color per channel at 2560x1600 resolution, as well as 12-bit for 1080p.

The first version of the DisplayPort digital video interface was adopted by VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) in the spring of 2006. It defines a new universal digital interface, license-free and royalty-free, designed to connect computers and monitors, as well as other multimedia equipment. The VESA DisplayPort group promoting the standard includes large electronics manufacturers: AMD, NVIDIA, Dell, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Molex, Philips, Samsung.

DisplayPort's main competitor is HDMI, which supports HDCP write protection, although it is intended more for connecting household devices. digital devices, like players and HDTV panels. Another competitor could previously be called Unified Display Interface - less expensive alternative HDMI and DVI connectors, but its main developer, Intel, refused to promote the standard in favor of DisplayPort.

The absence of licensing fees is important for manufacturers, because in order to use the HDMI interface in their products, they are required to pay license fees to HDMI Licensing, which then divides the funds between the holders of rights to the standard: Panasonic, Philips, Hitachi, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson and Toshiba. Abandoning HDMI in favor of a similar “free” universal interface will save manufacturers of video cards and monitors a lot of money - it’s clear why they liked DisplayPort.

Technically, the DisplayPort connector supports up to four data lines, each of which can transmit 1.3, 2.2 or 4.3 gigabits/s, for a total of up to 17.28 gigabits/s. Modes with color depth from 6 to 16 bits per color channel are supported. An additional bidirectional channel, designed to transmit commands and control information, operates at a speed of 1 megabit/s or 720 megabit/s and is used to service the operation of the main channel, as well as the transmission of VESA EDID and VESA MCCS signals. Also, unlike DVI, the clock signal is transmitted along signal lines, rather than separately, and is decoded by the receiver.

DisplayPort has optional DPCP (DisplayPort Content Protection) copy protection capability developed by AMD and using 128-bit AES encoding. The transmitted video signal is not compatible with DVI and HDMI, but according to the specification their transmission is allowed. On at the moment DisplayPort supports a maximum data transfer rate of 17.28 gigabits/s and a resolution of 3840x2160 at 60 Hz.

Basic distinctive features DisplayPort: an open and extensible standard; support RGB formats and YCbCr; color depth support: 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 bits per color component; full signal transmission at 3 meters, and 1080p at 15 meters; support for 128-bit AES encoding DisplayPort Content Protection, as well as 40-bit High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP 1.3); greater bandwidth compared to Dual-Link DVI and HDMI; transmission of multiple streams over one connection; compatibility with DVI, HDMI and VGA using adapters; simple expansion of the standard to meet changing market needs; external and internal connections (connecting an LCD panel in a laptop, replacing internal LVDS connections).

The updated version of the standard, 1.1, appeared a year after 1.0. Its innovations include support for HDCP copy protection, important when viewing protected content from Blu-ray discs and HD DVDs, and support for fiber optic cables in addition to conventional copper cables. The latter allows you to transmit a signal over even greater distances without loss of quality.

DisplayPort 1.2, approved in 2009, doubled the interface's bandwidth to 17.28 gigabits/s, allowing it to support higher resolutions, screen refresh rates, and color depths. Also, it was in 1.2 that support for transmitting multiple streams over one connection for connecting multiple monitors, support for stereo display formats and xvYCC, scRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces appeared. A smaller Mini-DisplayPort connector for portable devices has also appeared.

The full-size external DisplayPort connector has 20 pins, its physical size can be compared with all known USB connectors. A new type of connector can already be seen on many modern video cards and monitors; it looks similar to both HDMI and USB, but can also be equipped with latches on the connectors, similar to those provided in Serial ATA.

Before AMD bought ATI, the latter announced the supply of video cards with DisplayPort connectors at the beginning of 2007, but the merger of companies delayed this appearance for some time. Subsequently, AMD announced DisplayPort as a standard connector within the Fusion platform, implying a unified architecture of the central and GPUs in one chip, as well as future mobile platforms. NVIDIA is keeping up with its rivals by releasing a wide range of DisplayPort-enabled graphics cards.

Among the monitor manufacturers that announced support and announced DisplayPort products, Samsung and Dell were the first. Naturally, such support was first received by new monitors with a large screen diagonal size and high resolution. There are DisplayPort-to-HDMI and DisplayPort-to-DVI adapters, as well as DisplayPort-to-VGA, which converts a digital signal to analog. That is, even if the video card contains only DisplayPort connectors, they can be connected to any type of monitor.

In addition to the connectors listed above, older video cards also sometimes have a composite connector and S-Video (S-VHS) with four or seven pins. Most often they are used to output a signal to outdated analog television receivers, and even on S-Video the composite signal is often mixed, which negatively affects the picture quality. S-Video is better quality than composite tulip, but both are inferior to YPbPr component output. This connector is found on some monitors and high-definition TVs; the signal is transmitted through it in analog form and is comparable in quality to the D-Sub interface. However, in the case of modern video cards and monitors, paying attention to all analog connectors simply does not make any sense.

The term DVI-D VGA most often refers to small devices (adapters) with which old monitors with analog connectors are connected to computers transmitting a digital signal.

The peculiarity of such a connection is that it is not entirely 100% compatible, due to which it is far from Not every such adapter actually works. And although these devices cost not too expensive- on average, about $2-5 - in most cases it is better to give preference to another device called a signal converter.

Features of DVI-D and VGA connectors

DVI port those computers and laptops that support special technology– digital visual interface or “digital interface”. It is used to transmit video images to peripherals data output - from TVs to .

The use of technology allows you to receive a signal with better quality, which cannot be transmitted using a currently outdated interface. For comparison, the maximum resolution supported by Video Graphics Array technology is only 1280x1024 pixels. For DVI-D similar the indicator is 2560x1600 pixels.

The new DVI technology is already in practical use on all modern monitors and output devices. However, the transition to a newer and more advanced method of data transmission has created a certain problem for users of those monitors that only have a VGA connector.

After all, back in the 2000s, most of them were even quite large screens with a diagonal of 22–24 inches were equipped only with old ports. And you can connect them to modern PCs only if you use a special adapter for this.

There are 3 types of DVI connectors:

providing only analog data transmission DVI interface-A;

for data transmission in both digital and analogue formats – DVI-I;

only for digital image – DVI-D.

Due to the fact that computers transmit images in digital format, most modern video cards have only one type of connector - DVI-D. Outdated ones equipped with DVI-I interfaces can be connected using special cable.

It is not always possible to provide the same connection to a VGA screen that has a lower resolution (analog and no longer even supports the FullHD format) using simple cables or adapters.

Compatibility issues

If you compare the signals that come from the DVI-D port, you can conclude that they are different. And in order to correctly transfer information in digital form to an analog monitor, you can use adapters from one interface to another - or signal converters with the same ports. When considering purchasing a regular DVI-D/VGA adapter, you should be aware of compatibility issues, which most users will have to deal with.

Main advantage this small devicelies in its price. However, due to the absence of pins C1–C4 (4 rectangular holes on the DVI -D connector, there is no possibility of analog data transmission. And, if, for example, from DVI-I port or DVI-A, such data can still be sent, the likelihood of an image appearing on a monitor from a digital interface will be minimal.

The low cost of adapters leads to the fact that many users buy them for their old monitors that need to be connected to modern maps. Sometimes this method works. But, due to the fact that the “pinout” (or location of connectors) of the old and new interfaces is different, there may not be a signal.

Images do not appear on the screen due to the inability to convert the signal using regular wiring. If the picture does appear, most likely the video card still has a DVI-I or DVI-A interface. That is, it also supports analog data transmission.

Solving the issue

The incompatibility problem is quite serious - but completely solvable. Due to the fact that data can not only be transmitted, but also converted, specialists have long invented another device called a DVI-D to VGA converter or converter.

In appearance, it may indeed resemble a regular adapter, but it is equipped with an additional module that increases the size of the device.

Rice. 6. DVI-D VGA converter.

The task of the device is to convert a digital signal to analog. And, due to its more complex design, such a converter costs several times more. on the other hand, the question arises: why are DVI-D VGA adapters sold in online stores?

It’s easy to answer - the reason is the incompetence of some sellers. Or, perhaps, in the desire to sell more of a product that does not have the functions for which it is bought. In fact, on sites where reliable information about adapters and cables is provided, you can see other parameters in the description - the transition is carried out not from DVI-D, but from DVI -I to VGA.

Converters

There are a number of models of data converters from DVI-D to VGA. In most cases, they require separate power, since the device is not a simple adapter, but a full-fledged device with a board located inside. This feature makes the converter more expensive - but save in in this case doesn't make sense.

The capabilities of a digital to analog signal converter include transferring information from a modern video card to outdated monitors. Or the same far from new (or simply inexpensive) TVs, which can also be used to display information from a PC or laptop.

You may also need a converter when connecting - although most of them have already had one for a long time, which is also digital and compatible with any modern video card. Such adapters are not needed for such a device.

Signal conversion features

Among the converters available on the market you can find devices with the following characteristics:

support for connecting a DVI-D source to VGA displays with a maximum picture size of up to 1920x1200 pixels and a minimum of 800x600 pixels;

the converter input has 21 pins, the output has 15 pins;

maximum frequency – 60 Hz;

converter cable length – from a few centimeters to 1.5–1.8 m;

cost – from $6.

You should know: The converter is unidirectional. That is capable of converting digital signal to analog– but not vice versa. If you need to connect a VGA video card to a DVI-D monitor, you will need another reverse converter. Although it will not be of very high quality.

In addition, when buying a converter, you should take into account its incompatibility with the DVI-I and DVI-A interfaces. Moreover, most converters require separate power supply and audio output using additional cable. Although in cases where the cable connecting the computer and the output device does not exceed 1–1.5 m in length, it is not necessary to connect it to the network.

For correct operation it is desirable to support the same update rate provided by the converter. It is also recommended to use displays or TVs with a diagonal of no more than 40 inches - otherwise stripes may appear on the image.

Important: If you have to convert the signal not only from DVI-D to VGA, but also to other formats, It's worth purchasing a multifunctional converter, supporting several types of interfaces.

Rice. 10. Multifunctional converter.

To visualize information processed by a computer, you definitely need a screen. On the technical side, connecting the monitor to system unit provided via cable. Cable connectors can be of four types: HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI or VGA. Each of them has both its advantages and disadvantages. So what's the best way to connect a monitor? DVI or HDMI or VGA - which option is preferable?

High-Definition Multimedia Interface

Even connecting a screen to a computer has its own standards. So, DVI or HDMI - which is better for a monitor? The choice definitely falls on the last connector. This undeniable leadership is due to the fact that many modern development companies use it by default.

HDMI is the most popular type of interface at the moment. It is used to connect most monitors and TVs. But the use of HDMI is not limited to only these devices. It allows you to connect laptops, tablets, smartphones, game consoles, multimedia players. HDMI is already a standard for connecting equipment to output images of particularly high quality.

Advantages of HDMI over other connection types

In order to decide whether DVI or HDMI is better for a monitor, you need to remember the advantages of each connection type. The advantages of the second are:

1. Simplicity. The image is transmitted through one cable, which is very convenient because it avoids accumulation large quantity various wires. Thanks to this type of interface, the entire entertainment multimedia system can be converted into digital form quickly and easily. HDMI, due to its wide format, allows the connection of many devices (for example, for home theater) using the same single cable.
2. Compatibility. Each new version is perfectly supported and interchangeable with previous ones.
3. Efficiency. connection (10.2 Gbps) ensures the transmission of video fragments with a resolution of 1080. Thus, using HDMI, you can watch films of truly high quality. For gamers, this point is important because, thanks to high resolution, gaming speed increases.

HDMI intelligence and innovation

HDMI is a completely digital format that requires no image conversion or compression. In addition, in the future, the developers plan to improve this technology: firstly, they are working on higher resolutions and increased frequency, secondly, another know-how is the technology of an expanded color palette, which will include up to a trillion colors, but at the moment it is at the development stage. The latter will allow you to get a more realistic and high-quality picture.

Manufacturers and developers of this type of connector are focused on the consumer as much as possible, therefore two-way connection ensures full interaction of devices with each other. This interface allows you to automatically determine the capabilities of each type of equipment in order to adjust the necessary options. HDMI has learned to control the resolution and aspect ratio of the image. The company's latest development is Consumer Electronics Control - technology that allows you to control playback, recording, and even launching a series of commands with one button.

DisplayPort

If you are deciding how best to connect a monitor - DVI or HDMI or DisplayPort - you need to know that the latter option is definitely not suitable for HD lovers. This interface was developed by specialists from VESA, a fairly reputable company in its field. But despite this, many users consider the connector to be the most suitable for connecting the screen and the power supply.

However, programmers and designers, thinking about how best to connect a monitor (DVI or HDMI or D-Sub DisplayPort), will probably give preference to the latter. And all because the main feature of this type of connection is the ability to work simultaneously with several monitors.

Another advantage of the interface is the absence of licensing fees. Another feature of the DisplayPort connector is that each color is transmitted on its own personal channel. Unlike HDMI, it has a locking mechanism and is free of screw fastenings, which maintains reliable operation. DisplayPort, in addition, has quite small dimensions.

Summarizing the above, we can say that the main purpose of this type of connection is to provide communication between the monitor and the computer. This is not the best option for TVs.

Digital Visual Interface

DVI in the nineties had the status standard interface for connecting monitors, but soon lost its relevance due to the advent of HDMI. But still, what is the best way to connect a monitor? DVI or HDMI - which option is better? DVI can be used where 4K resolution is not required. This interface supports several modes:

• digital only (the difference between the digital format is that it does not transmit an audio signal, suitable for computers that do not have speakers);
• analog only;
• digital and analog.

Video Graphics Array

In order to fully discuss (DVI or HDMI) which is better for a monitor, it is necessary to remember the long-forgotten VGA. It was once widely used in electronics, but has now become almost extinct. Several years ago, leading IT companies finally abandoned of this interface, arguing this action by saying that they are planning a transition to new high speeds.

But VGA is still found in old computers and projectors. And if it is convenient to use, then why should it be abandoned? After all, he served some faithfully for more than a decade.

Summing up

How to decide on the choice - DisplayPort, VGA, DVI or HDMI? What is better for a monitor? First of all, you need to indicate the purpose of the interface for each specific connection. The best option There will, of course, be HDMI, which is universal. This connection is suitable for both TV and computer.

If multifunctionality is not in the first place, then for PC good choice will become DisplayPort. The connector is now supported and used by many manufacturers. VGA and DVI, as outdated but proven versions, will also find their, although not widespread, distribution. And yet, the most technologically advanced, innovative and promising solutions will be DisplayPort and HDMI.

This article will be useful to those who are thinking about purchasing a new monitor or replacing an old video adapter. The monitor connector may not fit your existing graphics adapter interfaces. In addition, the image quality depends on the type of connector, and each cable type has its own critical length.

Previously, a VGA connector was enough to connect a monitor to a computer. Today, interfaces such as DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort come into everyday life. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages that should be taken into account when upgrading your PC. You should know everything about the monitor connector: types, adapters, connection.

1. VGA (Video Graphics Array) connector– an analog standard designed for monitors with an extension of 640*480. As the resolution increases, the quality of the digital image deteriorates. To obtain high quality images, digital standard connectors are required.

2. Digital Visual Interface (DVI) transmits video signal in digital format and provides high quality digital image. The interface is compatible with the analog VGA connector (it simultaneously transmits signals in both digital and analog formats). Inexpensive video cards are equipped with a DVI output with a single-channel modification (Single Link). In this case, the monitor resolution is 1920*1080. More expensive models are equipped with a dual-channel interface (Dual Link) and can support resolutions up to 2560*1600. A mini-DVI interface has been developed for the laptop.

Since 2003 (the year of creation), the interface has been modified several times, adding support for video and audio formats. A miniaturized interface has been created for small models of equipment. Many devices are equipped with it.

4. DisplayPort (DP)– a new digital interface designed to connect graphics adapters to display devices. Current version allows the connection of multiple monitors, provided they are connected in series in a chain.

At the moment, there are few devices with such a port, but DP has a great future. Its improved DP++ model (this designation can be seen on the connectors of laptops or computers) allows you to connect monitors with HDMI or DVI interfaces.

5. USB (3.0): Connection using the USB connector became possible when the high-speed version of the 3.0 interface became available. Using a DisplayLink adapter, you can connect a monitor with a DVI/HDMI connector to USB port laptop or computer.

How to “match” the monitor connector and video card?

The most common affordable adapter today is DVI-I/VGA. There are converters that convert the output digital signal to analog (for example, DisplayPort/VGA), but this option will be much more expensive.

However, there are still some things to consider when choosing an adapter. Some of them deprive the existing interface of some advantages. For example, if you connect the HDMI connector of a monitor or TV to the DVI connector, there will be no sound.

Features of connector versionshdmi

When connecting devices to different versions HDMI interfaces, the devices will only perform the functions of the earlier version. For example, when connecting a 3D TV that supports HDMI 1.4 to a video card with HDMI 1.2, all 3D games will be displayed only in 2D format.

If this situation arises, you can replace the driver on the video card with a newer one. Using the 3DTV Play program, you can display 3D graphics on your own TV.

Which monitor connector should I choose?

According to testing, VGA interfaces show the lowest display quality. For a monitor with a diagonal of more than 17 inches and a resolution of more than 1024*786, it is recommended to use DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort connectors.

How to connect a monitor and laptop?

To connect your laptop to an external monitor, you must use the available connectors. After which you can use the “Fn + F8” button combination to switch between the following modes.

Can use external monitor as main. In this case, the image will only be displayed on external monitor, and the picture on the laptop display will be completely absent (convenient for watching movies).

Can use external monitor in clone mode, i.e. the same image will be displayed both on the laptop screen and on an external monitor/TV (convenient for seminars and presentations).

Multi-screen mode allows you to increase the size of your desktop (stretch) using multiple monitors (convenient for typing text and viewing messages).

Maximum length cable

The cable length depends on the connection type. For a DVI-DVI connection, the maximum permissible cable length is 10 m. For DVI-HDMI connections, no more than 5 m. For connections using the DisplayPort connector, no more than 3 m. Compliance with these requirements will help you obtain the maximum data transfer speed. If you need to transfer information to longer distance, you will have to resort to using a signal amplifier.

When purchasing a video cable, you should choose well-shielded models. This will help avoid the negative influence of nearby electronic devices on the quality of the transmitted video signal. If you use a low quality cable, the video transmission speed may slow down. Which, in turn, can lead to the appearance of intermittent images on the screen (spectral aliasing).

You should pay attention to the presence of gold-plated contacts in the monitor connector. They counteract the appearance of corrosion in places with high air humidity. In addition, such contacts reduce the resistance between the plug and the connector, thereby improving the quality of data transfer.

Hello, dear readers! Today I would like to talk about ways to connect a monitor to a video card - about video card connectors. Modern video cards have not one, but several ports for connection, so that it is possible to connect more than one monitor at the same time. Among these ports there are both outdated and now rarely used, and modern ones.

The abbreviation VGA stands for video graphics array (an array of pixels) or video graphics adapter (video adapter). Appeared back in 1987, 15-pin and, as a rule, blue, is designed to output a strictly analog signal, the quality of which, as is known, can be affected by many different factors (wire length, for example), including on the video card itself, so the picture quality through this port on different video cards may vary slightly.

Before the widespread use of LCD monitors, this connector was almost the only one possible options connecting the monitor to the computer. It is still used today, but only in budget models of low-resolution monitors, as well as in projectors and some game consoles, such as xbox consoles latest generation from Microsoft. It is not recommended to connect a Full HD monitor through it, as the picture will be blurry and unclear. The maximum VGA cable length at 1600 x 1200 resolution is 5 meters.

DVI (variations: DVI-I, DVI-A and DVI-D)

Used to transmit a digital signal, replacing VGA. Used to connect high-resolution monitors, TVs, as well as modern digital projectors and plasma panels. The maximum cable length is 10 meters.

The higher the resolution of the image, the shorter the distance it can be transmitted without loss of quality (without the use of special equipment).

There are three types of DVI ports: DVI-D (digital), DVI-A (analog) and DVI-I (combo):

To transmit digital data, either Single-Link or Dual-Link format is used. Single-Link DVI uses a single TMDS transmitter, while Dual-Link doubles the bandwidth and allows screen resolutions higher than 1920 x 1200, such as 2560 x 1600. Therefore, for large monitors with high resolution, or those designed to output stereo images, you definitely need at least DVI Dual-Link, or HDMI version 1.3 (more on this below).

HDMI

Also digital output. Its main difference from DVI is that HDMI, in addition to transmitting a video signal, is capable of transmitting a multi-channel digital audio signal. Audio and visual information are transmitted over one cable at the same time. Initially developed for television and cinema, and later gained wide popularity among PC users. It is backward compatible with DVI using a special adapter. The maximum length of a regular HDMI cable is up to 5 meters.

HDMI is yet another attempt to standardize a universal connection for digital audio and video applications, so it immediately received strong support from electronics giants (companies such as Sony, Hitachi, Panasonic, Toshiba, Thomson, Philips contributed to the development), and as a result, most modern devices for outputting high-resolution images have at least one HDMI output.

Among other things, HDMI, like DVI, allows you to transmit copy-pasted sound and image in digital form over one cable using HDCP. True, to implement this technology you will need a video card and a monitor, attention! - supportive this technology oh how. Again, there are currently several versions of HDMI, here's a short summary of them:

DisplayPort

Appeared in addition to DVI and HDMI, since Single-Link DVI can transmit a signal with a resolution of up to 1920x1080, and Dual-Link a maximum of 2560x1600, then a resolution of 3840x2400 is not available for DVI. Maximum capabilities In terms of resolution, DisplayPort is no different from the same HDMI - 3840 x 2160, however, it still has unobvious advantages. One of these is, for example, that companies will not have to pay tax for using DisplayPort in their devices - which, by the way, is mandatory when it comes to HDMI.

In the photo, red arrows indicate latches that prevent the connector from accidentally falling out of the connector. HDMI, even version 2.0, does not provide any clamps.

As you already understood, DisplayPort's main competitor is HDMI. DisplayPort has an alternative technology to protect transmitted data from theft, only it is called a little differently - DPCP (DisplayPort Content Protection). DisplayPort, like HDMI, supports 3D images and audio content transmission. However, DisplayPort audio transmission is only available in unilaterally. And transmitting Ethernet data over DisplayPort is generally impossible.

DisplayPort also benefits from the fact that it has adapters for all popular outputs, such as DVI, HDMI, VGA (which is important). For example, with HDMI there is only one adapter - to DVI. That is, having only one DisplayPort connector on the video card, you can connect an old monitor with only one VGA input.

By the way, this is what is happening - now more and more video cards are being released without a VGA output at all. The maximum length of a regular DisplayPort cable can be up to 15 meters. But DisplayPort can transmit its maximum resolution at a distance of no more than 3 meters - often this is enough to connect the monitor and video card.

S-Video (TV/OUT)

On older video cards, you sometimes find an S-Video connector, or, as it is also called, S-VHS. It is usually used to output an analog signal to outdated TVs, however, in terms of the quality of the transmitted image it is inferior to the more common VGA. When using a high-quality cable via S-Video, the image is transmitted without interference at a distance of up to 20 meters. Currently extremely rare (on video cards).