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We all know that for a signal to get from a DVD player, computer, game console, or other video source to a display,

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such as a TV or monitor, that we need to connect them in some way.

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But the pros and cons of the various cable standards can be extremely confusing, even for techies.

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Let's start with good old-fashioned VGA or D-sub.

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It's usually got a blue plug on the cable and stays in place with screws on either side of the housing around the contact pins.

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The advantage of VGA today is that older equipment you encounter, like a presentation projector,

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is pretty much guaranteed to work with it, but that's about it.

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Because it's an analog standard, the signal degrades from cable length, wire gauge,

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the conversion to digital for compatibility with your flat panel display,

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and from your friend sneaking into your house to steal all the red M&Ms.

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Its maximum claimed resolution might not seem that bad at a little over 3 megapixels at 85 hertz,

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but on any modern display, it just won't look very clear and sharp.

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You see?

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You can use anything else if you can.

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Our next standard, DVI, is vastly superior to VGA, but actually on the verge of obsolescence, just like it.

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The connector locks with screws, just like VGA, but is physically larger.

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And the biggest advantage of DVI is its versatility.

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On the video source side, DVI exists in a number of varieties.

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DVI-D has only pins for an HDMI-compatible digital video signal,

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and DVI-I adds signal pins for a VGA-compatible analog signal,

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meaning, with inexpensive passive adapters, it can drive DVI, HDMI, or VGA displays.

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On top of that, while a single-link DVI connection is limited to 1920x1260 hertz,

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with a dual-link connection, it is capable of officially carrying 2560x1660 hertz.

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Pretty darn good, especially for the time.

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DVI's drawbacks are several, though.

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The connector is bulky, and unlike newer standards, it doesn't support the same variety of color spaces,

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and nor does it carry audio or data along with video.

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Speaking of newer standards, HDMI 1.4.

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HDMI's biggest strength today is its ubiquity.

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You can find it, or an inter-compatible standard, on pretty much any computer, modern piece of AV equipment, or display.

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It supports multi-channel audio and Ethernet data,

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superior color depth with compatible content and equipment,

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and it has a wide, wide video format support, including 4K at up to 30 hertz,

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and a variety of stereoscopic sensors.

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It does have some drawbacks, though.

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The connector's standard doesn't include a locking mechanism, for one thing,

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and its resolution is limited to 4K at only 30 hertz,

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and it also doesn't include official support for wide 21x9 aspect ratios,

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or multiple concurrent video streams.

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HDMI 2.0 addresses everything that I just said, except the locking connector,

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making it almost as good as my personal favorite, DisplayPort,

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but we just haven't seen much of it yet.

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DisplayPort, though, is almost the complete package.

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Unlike HDMI, it has a locking connector,

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and it can be converted to every other standard I've mentioned,

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including VGA, with an inexpensive adapter,

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and it doesn't require a royalty to actually physically implement on a product.

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Like HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 supports 4K at 60 hertz,

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multiple video streams over a single cable,

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audio network and other data signals, stereoscopic 3D, 21x9 aspect ratios,

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and pretty much anything else you could want,

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with the only things missing being some home theater remote control features and stuff like that.

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And things are only gonna get better with DisplayPort 1.3

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adding support for 8K displays, 4K 3D, and adaptive sync

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to eliminate lag and screen tearing in games.

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Rock on, DisplayPort.

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Now, you've probably noticed by now that other than differentiating analog and digital video signals,

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I've been focused on features, rather than image quality.

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That's because, unless you're a professional user,

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with specific needs in terms of color spaces you need to work inside,

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digital is digital, and they will all look the same at a given resolution,

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as long as the image isn't completely garbled and corrupted by a defective cable or something.

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The other thing I haven't mentioned yet is that there are mini and micro versions that exist for some of these connectors.

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This is simple, too.

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Basically, other than needing a physical adapter or cable,

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these don't make any difference whatsoever,

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except when a mini DisplayPort-looking connection

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has a little...

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bolt next to it.

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Thunderbolt connectors carry a DisplayPort-compatible video signal,

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but can also connect in series with Thunderbolt devices like external hard drives and whatnot.

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Speaking of Thunderbolts, the sky is pretty much the limit, guys.

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Fractal Design has decided to buy a couple of more Techquickie ad spots

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for the express purpose of allowing you guys to pick what they do to humiliate me.

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Last time, I got pied in the face.

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But, if you felt like that wasn't creative enough,

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all you need to do is head over to their Facebook page,

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linked in the video description,

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and give Fractal Design your ideas for what they should have me do next.

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And, I mean, while you're at it, I guess you could check out their high-quality computer cases,

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power supplies, and cooling products.

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Just a thought.

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Thanks for watching this Fast as Possible, guys.

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Like it if you like it, dislike it if you disliked it,

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and leave a comment if you have suggestions for future Fast as Possibles,

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or if you just wanna, you know, tell me about how tired I look right now,

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because I just got back from climbing a mountain,

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and I'm just...man, it's a miracle I'm even alive right now.

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As always, don't forget to subscribe.

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For more Fast as Possible episodes, just like this one.