DisplayPort is an interface for digital displays, particularly computer monitors. It was developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) as a high-performance replacement for other display modes such as VGA (Video Graphics Array) and DVI (Digital Visual Interface).

DisplayPort takes advantage of packetized data transmission similar to the technology employed in USB and Ethernet connections. The interface is extensible, and supports high resolution with a reasonable number of connector pins. DisplayPort, like HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), can transmit video and audio data, either individually or simultaneously. However, DisplayPort is meant to complement, not replace, HDMI.

DisplayPort offers several advantages over the older standards. Notable examples include the following.

• It is an open, royalty-free standard.
• Its extensibility should encourage widespread adoption.
• It offers a video data transfer rate of up to 17.28 Gbps (17.28 billion bits per second).
• Multiple video streams can be transmitted over a single connection.
• Flexible bandwidth allocation allows for any desired division of resources between audio and video.
• It is adaptable to long-distance transmission over fiber optic cables.
• It can support communication between chips and circuits within a single device.
• It can drive displays directly, eliminating the need for auxiliary control hardware.

Numerous enterprises have announced their intention to support DisplayPort. Among the most well-known are Acer, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Pioneer, Philips, and DataPro.

03 Jul 2012