The DVI interface uses a digital protocol in which the desired illumination of pixels is transmitted as binary data. When the display is driven at its native resolution, it will read each number and apply that brightness to the appropriate pixel. In this way, each pixel in the output buffer of the source device corresponds directly to one pixel in the display device, whereas with an analog signal the appearance of each pixel may be affected by its adjacent pixels as well as by electrical noise and other forms of analog distortion.

Previous standards such as the analog VGA were designed for CRT-based devices and thus did not use discrete time display addressing. As the analog source transmits each horizontal line of the image, it varies its output voltage to represent the desired brightness. In a CRT device, this is used to vary the intensity of the scanning beam as it moves across the screen.

The two types of DVI interfaces are Single Link and Dual Link. Following are the features and benefits of each:  Single Link - The Single Link interface is limited to a maximum pixel clock of 165 Hz. It uses four (4) twisted pairs of wires (one each of Red, Green, Blue and Clock). Maximum resolution is 1920 x 1200 at 60Hz.  Dual Link - The Dual Link interface is most common for today’s modern LCD monitors. It provides three times as many pixels as the Single Link interface. And its maximum clock may exceed 165 Hz. Dual Link uses six (6) twisted pairs wires with two (2) each for Red, Green, and Blue, as well as on pair for Clock. Dual Link’s maximum resolution is 2560 x 1600 at 60Hz. When you use the Dual Link Interface you can use a longer cable because of its higher bandwidth. Dual Link also provides HDCP support, which is required for Blu-Ray playback.

Remember, if you are looking to mount your monitor or TV on a VESA compatible mount or stand, check the individual product specificiations to make sure it is a VESA Mount compatible device!

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Who Is VESA?
VESA is an organization that supports and sets industry-wide interface standards for the PC, workstation, and consumer electronics industries. VESA promotes and develops timely, relevant, open standards for the display and display interface industry, ensuring interoperability and encouraging innovation and market growth. 
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Today’s computing and consumer electronic environments demands that systems offer user-friendly set-up. With the growing popularity of intuitive and simpler software user interfaces, hardware manufacturers are responding with plug-and-play systems and peripherals. However, for the user to receive full benefit from these advances, standardization is necessary. VESA, as the prominent standards organization for graphics subsystems, has developed a communications channel between the host and the display. This communication channel offers basic configuration information plus a standard way of communicating advanced functionality.

The current version of DDC, called DDC2B, is based on the I²C bus. This is a serial bus that allows multiple bus masters, although DDC2B allows only one master – the graphics adapter. The monitor (e.g. a CRT or LCD) contains a read-only memory (ROM) chip programmed by the manufacturer with information about the graphics modes that the monitor can display.

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