How to tell which DVI cable you need

Sep 25
08:22

2007

Neil MacLeod

Neil MacLeod

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

DVI (Digital Video Interface) first came to light when manufactures of computer graphics cards required a faster connection speed than the old VGA standard was capable of providing. When the LCD monitors came out it paved the way for a new video standard – DVI (although most of todays graphics cards now include both a VGA output port and a DVI output port). There are three types of DVI cable: DVI-D which is Digital, DVI-A which is Analog and DVI-I which is both Digital and Analog.

mediaimage

DVI-D cables also know as true digital video cables and are used for a true digital connection between two electronic components (normally a video card and an LCD monitor). All video cards ever created have always been able to create a digital output,How to tell which DVI cable you need Articles the only downside before DVI came about was that this output had to be downgraded to analog before being sent to the monitor - where it was then converted back to digital by the monitor! Using a DVI-D cable means this process isn't required and therefore the end result is a very quick and extremely high quality visual output. 

DVI-A cables also known as high resolution analog cables and are used to transmit a DVI signal to an analog display unit (normally a CRT monitor and becoming more used on HD televisions). Although this type of output isn't as good as DVI-D (due to the loss of data in the digital to analog conversion processes), it still gives a much improved output than the display from a standard VGA output.

DVI-I cables are capable of transmitting between two devices in either a digital to digital format or an analog to analog format, but (and that's a big BUT) it will not connect two dissimilar devices (i.e. digital to analog or analog to digital).

Note: DVI digital and DVI analog formats are not interchangeable, basically this means that a DVI-A cable will not work on a digital system and a DVI-D cable will not work on an analog system. You must know before purchasing a DVI cable what format your two devices are, remember that only equipment with a DVI port labeled DVI-I will accept both a DVI-A and DVI-D signal.

So how can you tell what type of DVI cable you currently have?  The easiest way is to read the manual for the devices you are connecting, or by looking at the DVI cable. There are two ways to determine what DVI format a device is by looking at the end of the DVI cable face on: 1. There is always a flat pin on one side of the DVI cable, a flat pin alone denotes a DVI-D connector and a flat pin with four surrounding pins can be either a DVI-I or DVI-A connector. 2. The pins on the DVI cable denote whether the cable is single or dual link, 24 pins in 3 rows of 8 means it's a DVI dual cable, while two lots of 9 pins with a gap in the middle means you have a DVI single link cable. Note: To work out if a cable is DVI-I or DVI-A you need to look at the number of pins on the DVI cable end, 24 pins means you have a DVI-I cable and a set of 8 pins with a gap to a set of 4 pins denotes a DVI-A cable.

Also From This Author

The HITECH Act and HIPAA - What does it mean for IT Professionals?

The HITECH Act and HIPAA - What does it mean for IT Professionals?

The Health Information Technology for Economic & Clinical Health (HITECH) act really does 'up the ante' for HIPAA enforcement. In theory Health organizations have had to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) since its introduction in 1996. Originally HIPAA was introduced by congress to protect the health insurance rights of employees made redundant. Additional 'Titles' to the act were introduced including 'Title 2' which was designed to protect electronically stored data relating to patient health information - often referred to as 'Protected Health Information' (PHI).
Choosing A House Removal Company

Choosing A House Removal Company

Moving can be one of the most exciting things that anyone can ever do. When moving into a new place, a number of different emotions are stirred up. One may feel excitement and fear all at the same time. The overall feeling most people experience is something of similar to the rejuvenation feeling one gets on New Year´s day. New Year´s Resolutions and New Home Resolutions can easily be seen going hand in hand. However, aside from all the wonderful emotions comes the annoyance one must endure when having to move all their property and belongings into their new place.
The Best Site To Search and Compare For Car Repair Centers and Prices In the UK

The Best Site To Search and Compare For Car Repair Centers and Prices In the UK

There is one true commandment that applies to everyone that owns an automobile. Regardless of what type of vehicle you have, a Ford Pinto to an Audi S8, they all require standard maintenance in order for them to run properly. Often times when it comes to trying to book car repairs, it can be a bit of a hassle. Several problems such as scheduling conflicts, out of the right part(s), outrageous repair prices can lead a car owner haywire.