Information about the DisplayPort Digital Display Interface
Summary: This article provides information about the DisplayPort digital display interface.
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Instructions
DisplayPort: Introduction
DisplayPort is a new, open, industry standard digital display interface, developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) Display Systems Committee.
DisplayPort is this next-generation display interface, and it is designed to serve as a broadly deployable connectivity solution for computers, monitors, flat panels, projectors, and high-definition content applications. DisplayPort consolidates internal and external connection methods to reduce device complexity, support necessary features for key cross-industry applications, and provide performance scalability to enable the next generation of displays featuring higher color depths, refresh rates, and display resolutions.
The Need for DisplayPort
Display interface technologies in use today have specific limitations that often inhibit scalability for future needs. Listed below are some of them.
- VGA: VGA is limited in its ability to scale to support higher resolutions and color depths and does not have a means available to protect high-definition content for consumer use.
- Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS): LVDS technology cannot extend beyond short distances and is clock limited, requiring a growing number of pins resulting in a wider cable to support transmission of higher resolutions and color depths.
- DVI: DVI technology is limited to the DVI 1.0 specification, and cannot be updated to support higher clock speeds, color depths, connector types, or new features.
- HDMI: HDMI is well suited for its application to TVs, but HDMI falls short for broad application to high-performance computer displays due to limitations in terms of performance scalability, and due to its primary focus being on consumer electronics box-to-box connectivity.
- Complexity: DVI and VGA add complexity in flat panel monitors since the signals must be internally translated to Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS), resulting in additional monitor circuitry and cost.
Comparison of DisplayPort with other video standards:
Audio Included
| Features | DVI | HDMI | DisplayPort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data | No | Limited | 1 MB/s dedicated + lane space |
| Signal Type | Digital | ||
| Max Bandwidth | 3.96 Gbps (10.2 Gbps in dual-link mode) | 3.96 Gbps (10.2 Gbps in dual-link mode) | 10.8 Gbps |
| No | Yes | Yes | |
| Max Refresh (Hz) | 120 | 120 | Variable, 120 |
| Min Resolution | 640 x 480 | 640 x 480 | Zero (video data is optional) |
| Max Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 |
Article Properties
Article Number: 000151795
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 05 Sep 2025
Version: 6
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