DVI, or
Digital Video Interface Technology came about in 1999 as a
result of the formation of the
Digital Display
Working Group (DDWG) a year prior. Their original mission
was to create a standard digital video interface for
communication between a Personal Computer and a
VGA monitor. Recently, however, the consumer electronics
industry began implementing DVD players, set-top boxes,
televisions, and LCD/plasma monitors with DVI technology. DVI,
having been designed to transfer uncompressed, real-time digital
video, could support resolutions of 1600x1200 and above on a PC,
and HDTV resolutions of
720p, 1080i, and 1080p. DVI connections are made up of either
single or dual TMDS
(Transition Minimized Differential Signaling) links depending on
the application. DVI also implements
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital
Content Protection).
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DVI-D Single Link |
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Besides single link or dual link DVI cables, connectors
can be broken down into three main categories. The
three different types of DVI are
DVI-D, DVI-I, and
DVI-A. DVI-D is strictly digital, can support dual
link, and
contains 24
contacts arranged in three rows of eight. DVI-I has the
original 24 digital contacts, as well as five additional
contacts to support analog video. DVI-I also supports
dual link. DVI-A on the other hand, is only available
as a male connector or plug which only mates with the
analog contacts of a DVI-I connection. DVI-A is used to
convert between DVI and the traditional analog display
technology. |
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DVI-I Single Link |
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DVI-A |
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