{"id":7133,"date":"2022-11-21T11:50:11","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T11:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/?p=7133"},"modified":"2022-11-25T09:18:11","modified_gmt":"2022-11-25T09:18:11","slug":"types-of-monitor-ports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/types-of-monitor-ports\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide To The Different Types of Monitor Ports"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The many port choices on a modern computer display serve a wide range of purposes. If you’re on the market for a new display, you’ll want to know which connections your prospective purchase supports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are 6 main types of monitor ports. VGA, HDMI, DVI, USB-C, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"monitor-ports\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before we go into more depth with each of the different monitor ports, here’s a quick summary of them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Common Display Interfaces Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

VGA<\/a>: Original video connector. Still in use. Only to be used when there is no other option available to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HDMI<\/a>: King of multimedia. Best for TV to PC connections. Audio and video signal, b <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HDMI-Mini<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HDMI-Micro<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DVI<\/a>: This video-only option is great for lower frame rates or for use with older hardware, and it supports 1080p screen resolution<\/a> at 144 frames per second. DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface and is an older digital interface that has been largely supplanted by HDMI in modern displays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DVI-D<\/a>: The most popular connector for linking DVI cards to LCD displays is DVI-D, a variant of DVI designed exclusively for digital signals. The single-link and dual-link variations are both available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DVI-I<\/a>: In contrast to standard DVI connections, which can only transmit digital signals, DVI-I cables can transmit both analogue and digital signals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mini-DVI<\/a>: A digital replacement to the Mini-VGA connector, the Mini-DVI is used on some Apple computers. Its size falls somewhere in between that of a standard DVI and a Micro-DVI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Micro-DVI<\/a>: For video output, the first generation MacBook Air had a proprietary port called Micro-DVI. In comparison to the Mini-DVI port Apple employs on its MacBook models, this one is noticeably more compact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DisplayPort (DP):<\/a> The gold standard for video and audio connections. Can transmit 144Hz up to 4K. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mini DisplayPort<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

USB-C<\/a>: USB-C used to be called USB Type C. It replaces a number of common electrical connectors, such as USB-B and USB-A ports, HDMI and DisplayPort cables, and 3.5mm audio jacks, on hosts and devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thunderbolt<\/a>: A cable that helps connect electronic devices such as computers and monitors. Thunderbolt is different than other types of connectors because it supports both data and video signals. This means that you can use a Thunderbolt cable to connect a computer to a monitor and also use it to transfer data between the two devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AV<\/a> (RCA): A type of video connector typically used in consumer electronics. It is a round connector with prongs that fit into matching holes in the devices. It takes in audio and video signals in the form of CVBS composite video from devices that produce AV signals (AV output)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NDI<\/a>: Stands for Network Device Interface<\/strong>. This connection is used for transmitting audio and video over an Ethernet connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SDI<\/a>:  Serial Digital Interface is used in production environments, due to its longer range of signal transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Are The Most Common Monitor Ports?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most current monitors will have at least one of three common types of monitor connectors and cables: HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll also find legacy alternatives like VGA and DVI, which may need connection adapters in order to connect to older monitors and devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because most monitors don’t include all five kinds of display ports, it’s crucial to choose the proper port type for your purposes. That’s why it’s essential to understand the pros and cons of each type of video port on a new monitor, as well as which monitor cable is needed for which device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VGA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n
\"vga-5146945\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

VGA stands for Video Graphics Array. It is a common connector for computer video output. Produced in 1987, the VGA 15-pin connector was used in all monitors, projectors, high-definition television sets, and PCs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As technology advanced over the decades, VGA has been superseded by connectors such as HDMI, DisplayPort and DVI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DVI-D<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n
\"dvi-d-8260783\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Digital Display Working Group created DVI in 1999 and has since superseded the VGA connector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DVI-D is the digital only version of DVI and is the most common connector for connecting DVI cards to LCD monitors. It comes in two formats, the single-link and the dual-link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dual-link format provides more power and a higher rate of data transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HDMI – The King of Multimedia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n
\"hdmi-5539328\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HDMI was created in 2002 and is a digital display controller. The very first devices with HDMI support, started to be released on the market in 2003. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why HDMI became so popular was its ability to send uncompressed video data to a computer screen, video projector, digital television, or digital audio device, and either compressed or uncompressed digital audio data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other benefits include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n