Display port to HD monitor: HDMI vs DVI

It seems like all the mainstream monitors > 21" are 1080p. I assume the standard VGA output wouldn't look that great on a 1080p monitor, even though most seem to have VGA inputs.

My Lenovo docking station has a DisplayPort on it, and I need a dongle to connect to higher resolution monitors. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to using an HDMI interface rather than DVI for normal PC tasks and/or games?

 

VGA output/input should be capable of full 1080p resolution, although that may depend more on your output source than anything else. The advantage of HDMI over DVI/VGA is that it also passes sound as well as video to the monitor/TV, while DVI/VGA only passes video. The advantage of DVI over VGA is that it's digital versus analog, although DVI usually can also carry analog signals (which lets it plug into a VGA port given a simple adapter/cable).

As for your docking station, audio may or may not be enabled through your Displayport, as that's an optional implementation. HDMI is currently limited to 1920x1080 (or maybe 1920x1200) maximum resolution in most implementations; your Displayport may also limit DVI to that as well, though, so it is probably a wash on that aspect.

The short answer is, if audio is enabled through your Displayport, HDMI has the advantage of also passing through audio, if your monitor/TV has speakers to take advantage of it. Otherwise, no, there's no real advantage/disadvantage apart from whatever connectors are on the monitor/TV.

 

There is no difference. HDMI and DVI carry the same digital signal. Truth is though that you should use VGA instead of buying a displayport to DVI or HDMI adapter. The only problem with VGA is that sometimes it can be susceptible to interference, but you are unlikely to have any issues. Also not all displayports can output the DVI/HDMI digital signal.

 

That's not entirely true: HDMI does have the advantage in market penetration. In addition, I'm not entirely sure if DP carries all the copyright protocols necessary to play protected video content? Nevertheless, as long as it's an addition to HDMI (and not a substitute for it), I have no problem with it.

 

VGA can handle way past 1080p without issue.

If you had a DP connection it can convert to HDMI/DVI a lot easier (and cheaper) than to VGA since its digital to digital rather than digital to analog.

HDMI and DVI are for the most part equal except HDMI carries audio in addition to video. They are so similar that they can be interchanged with a simple adapter rather than any kind of active converter.

 

HDCP and Protected Path can be implemented through DP.

 

Go with HDMI, its easier to plug in.

 

That would come under "whatever connections are on the TV/monitor". HDMI has more market penetration, so it's more likely to be on the TV/monitor. The point was, though, that from a technical point of view, HDMI and DVI are largely equivalent for his purposes, apart from the audio. We're not comparing HDMI and DP, here, the OP stated that he has DP and VGA, with no mention of HDMI, so the question becomes what DP can be converted to.

 

I'd suggest that too.. 1 cable and it will do audio+video.

Panther214