What is a DVI Cable?
DVI - Digital Video Interface - is a new video connectivity
technology found commonly on Video cards, LCD Monitors, and TV sets.
The standard is very popular and offers enhanced image quality and
simple Plug & Play installation. DVI comes in three formats -
DVI-D, DVI-I, and DVI-A.
What is
DVI-D?
DVI-D, or DVI-Digital,
offers a digital link between the two interconnected devices. With
no need for an analog conversion for transmission, DVI-D offers much
crisper video clarity and minimized signal loss. DVI-D cables and
devices are not compatible with DVI-A cables / devices.
What is
DVI-A?
DVI-A, or DVI-Analog,
offers a high resolution analog link between the two interconnected
devices using the DVI pin-format. While this type of cable
requires conversion to Analog for transmission (meaning a greater part
of the signal will be lost), image quality and resolution support with
DVI-A is still better than the older VGA / SVGA standard. DVI-A is
not compatible with DVI-D.
What is
DVI-I?
DVI-I, or
DVI-Integrated, offers support for either Analog or Digital
communications. DVI-I cables are equipped to support either
digital or analog communications, making it a more versatile and robust
option when selecting a DVI solution. It is important to still
remember that DVI-A and DVI-D are not compatible standards - thus if you
have a source that is purely DVI-A and a receiver that is DVI-D, a DVI-I
cable will not work. A DVI-I cable would work when both ends are
DVI-A compatible or both ends are DVI-D compatible. It is also
important to mention that many devices now are DVI-I capable - meaning
they can support both standards. Thus a DVI-I device and DVI-I
cable would match any other DVI device.
What is
the difference between Single-Link DVI and Dual-Link DVI?
A Single-Link (also
known as a Single Data-Link) cable uses a single transmitter to send
information across. A Dual-Link (or Dual Data-Link) DVI cable uses
two transmitters and can relay a great deal more information and data
across the wire (almost twice as much). This increase in data
manifests as improved image quality, signal strength, and greater
resolution support. Physically a Dual-Link cable will contain many
more pins than a Single-Link cable so it is important to check for
device compatibility before determining which cable is the correct one.
How
does a DVI to VGA / SVGA conversion work?
The simple conversion
from DVI to VGA with an analog source (either DVI-A or DVI-I) involves
mapping the analog portion of the signal to the analog VGA interface.
This process is done relatively inexpensively and adapters and/or cables
are readily available for that purpose. Mapping DVI-D to VGA
(DVI-Digital to Analog VGA) is much more difficult, more costly, and
requires a DAC converter. |
