DVI Cables
DVI Cables09th April 2009
Author: Robert Palmer
DVI is an acronym for Digital Video Interface. It is a technology developed in order to provide very high quality transmission of digital video data.
DVI is no longer a new technology and in fact has been around for nearly a decade. Its original application was for home cinema systems where it was implemented to provide much higher performance than existed before.
The DVI specifications and standards were developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) which is a conglomeration of electronics companies headed by some of the big names such as Intel, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, IBM and several others.
The principal advantages of DVI are that it does not involve any loss of data during transmission to reception, unlike other data transmission formats that use data compression which always results in some data loss which is why DVI Cables are so popular. Also, the standard is applicable to any display technology. DVI includes features such as plug-and-play and allows both digital and analogue data to be transferred using a single connector.
The way in which it works can be visualised quite simply. The graphics controller, for instance your DVD player, sends information about each pixel, along with control data, to what is called a TDMS transmitter (this stands for “Transmission Minimised Differential Signalling”). This upgrades to data from 8 bit to10 bit. The receiver, for instance your monitor, has a TDMS receiver which performs the inverse function of the transmitter.
Because very fast data transfer is taking place between the signal source and the receiver special cables are required. These can be copper based electrical cables or may be fibre optic cables. With copper cables special precautions must be taken to ensure that EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) does not exceed legally specified levels. While short length cables can be relatively low cost, long cables are more difficult to implement due to possible losses of what is called the clock signal. The clock signal is what is used to keep everything in perfect synchronisation. Special algorithms are used to preserve the integrity of the clock signal over these longer cables.
Altogether the implementation of DVI meant a much improved experience for the viewer.
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The principal advantages of DVI are that it does not involve any loss of data during transmission to reception, unlike other data transmission formats that use data compression which always results in some data loss which is why DVI Cables are so popular. Also, the standard is applicable to any display technology. DVI includes features such as plug-and-play and allows both digital and analogue data to be transferred using a single connector.
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