VESA approves DisplayPort 1.1: kiss those DVI and VGA ports goodbye
Get ready for hot, hot convergence kids 'cause the DisplayPort 1.1 specification was just approved. The new VESA-approved digital interface standard is meant to replace DVI and VGA ports while co-existing with HDMI for HDTV connectivity. As you can see in the picture above, it's about the size of a USB connector yet offers 2x the performance of DVI in a much smaller package. They also bake in a nasty dollop of HDCP 1.3 content protection to keep the Blu-ray and HD DVD kiddies happy. The wee size allows the interface to be included in smaller handheld electronics while enabling direct-drive LCD panels thereby eliminating the need for non-panel LVDS electronics in the monitor designs. Of course it also supports pass-through of DVI and HDMI signals via simple adapters similar to DVI-to-HDMI variety on the market today. So which of our esteemed manufactures will bite first? We're not sure, but VESA isn't shy about using Dell's high-end XPS systems in their marketing collateral. Of course, the question they don't answer is, why not just move everything to HDMI? For that, you just have to look at who backs royalty-free DisplayPort (the PC industry) and who backs HDMI (the consumer electronics industry). Yeah, we know.























Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eric M @ Apr 4th 2007 5:04AM
While I hate multiple standards, hopefully it will address some of HDMI's shortcomings: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/whats-the-matter-with-hdmi.htm
Big Sam @ Apr 4th 2007 8:59AM
Its all about the money. DisplayPort is free, you have to play royalties for HDMI.
Manos @ Apr 4th 2007 9:46AM
"Format" wars are the new fad I suppose and everybody seems to be getting into it. But other than that, are you sure there is even something as HDCP 1.3 that is mentioned in the post?
Aaron @ Apr 4th 2007 9:09PM
Where is Nader on this issue? The consumer is totally getting screwed with this irrelevant standard. DisplayPort has no more bandwidth potential than HDMI. HDMI, the standard, simply has to drop its $10,000 a year license fee for anything other than display devices. Unless a company is producing an LCD, plasma or old-school HD CRT, they should be exempt from this $10,000 a year usury fee. HDMI, the standard, could still continue to extort the 4 cents per unit sold (if the adopter implements HDCP content protection as set forth in the HDMI Specification). Dropping the 10K/year fee for non-display producing companies would prompt further adoption of the HDMI standard. DisplayPort and other multiple competing standards ultimately make consumers hesitant and products more expensive. I hope everyone is looking forward to higher prices for products that have DVI, VGA, HDMI and now, DisplayPort.
mattclarkie @ Apr 12th 2007 11:05AM
I would have thought as HDMI is so common it would be cheaper to use that. But as HDMI graphics cards have died the death already in favour of large numbers of DVI, I expect DisplayPort will suffer the same fate. Sometime this year Nvidia will make 1 or 2 of these cards, and then never again will you hear of DisplayPort.