| If you need to
connect a traditional analog display, such as a SVGA monitor, to a DVI output
you will need a DVI-A cable. DVI-A connectors are male only and will not
connect to anything but a DVI-I female connector. Take note that a DVI-A
connector will not work when connected to a female DVI-D connector. Also,
DVI-A adapters are all single TMDS link connections, however, they will
work in either single or dual link DVI-I female connections. |
To connect a source
with a digital DVI output to a display with a digital DVI input, such as
an HDTV, then you will want to purchase either a single link or a dual link
DVI-D cable. Whether you buy single or dual link DVI-D depends primarily
on the amount of bandwidth needed for your particular application. |
DVI-I, having the
capacity to carry both digital and analog signals, can be used to connect
an analog output to an analog input, or a digital output to a digital input
only. Take note that a DVI-I cable cannot connect a digital output to an
analog input or vice versa. A DVI-I plug will accept any type of DVI cable,
DVI-I, DVI-D, or DVI-A, but you must make sure that your source and display
are both using the same format for it to work. Also, DVI-I, as with DVI-D,
comes with either a single or a dual TMDS link. |
HDMI, or High Definition
Multimedia Interface technology developed by the HDMI Working Group in 2002,
is the newest digital media interface based on the DVI-HDCP model. While
DVI handles only uncompressed, real-time digital video, HDMI can handle
both digital video as well as multi-channel audio. The most attractive feature
of HDMI is that it has the ability to turn upwards of 10 separate cables,
audio and video, into one easy to install, small connector cable. |
| The three TMDS
signals needed for RGB make up one TMDS link. A DVI connector can carry
up to two TMDS links providing for better resolutions and timing requirements.
Single TMDS link DVI cables can support resolutions and timings that use
a video clock rate of about 25-165 MHz. |
There are, however,
two HDMI connector types which are “Type A” which is used for consumer electronics
such as televisions and DVD players, and “Type B” which was designed as
a dual link for PC applications requiring frequencies above 165 MHz. |
|
The following resolutions and timings are supported by a single link
DVI cable:
SXGA resolution (1280 x 1024) with 85-Hz refresh rate
UXGA resolution (1600 x 1200) with 60-Hz refresh rate
SDTV resolutions of 480i, 480p, 576i and 576p
HDTV resolutions of 720p and 1080i
|
| Video clock rates
of 165-330 MHz on the other hand, are supported only by dual TMDS link DVI
cables. With dual link DVI cables, however, each TMDS link operates at only
one-half the frequency of single link DVI. So the clock and bandwidth is
shared by these two links. |
HDMI was built
to handle 1-8 uncompressed audio streams and has sample rates of 48, 96,
or even 192 kHz. Compressed multi-channel audio streams can also be handled
at sample rates of 192 kHz. |
