Your Ultimate Guide to DisplayPort Cables

Posted by Jennifer Truong
4
Jan 23, 2018
4060 Views
DisplayPorts (DP) make display cable selection easier. A standard DisplayPort cable has a design, which works with any DP Source device. Devices such as a PC or laptop, and any DP monitor connect swiftly with a DP. In brief, a standard DisplayPort cable, works with the very first DP systems and displays, introduced around five years ago.

However, if you intend to connect your computer to TV, then HDMI is going to be your wisest choice. High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the most popular in the general marketplace. This is because every new TV is HDMI capable.

Moreover, they also work with the new upgraded and future systems. They work with displays that support multi stream and display resolutions up to 4K (Ultra HD) at 60Hz. You can also use a standard DP cable between a PC and a multi-stream hub. You can also use it between daisy chainable multi stream monitors. You do not need to worry about getting a special cable for supporting certain DP capabilities.

DP also offer screen-refresh rates up to 144 Hz at 4K. DP also offer reduced screen tearing alternatives. You can add DP in the factor of higher graphics. The ability to support audio makes DP a favorite option among the people in the gaming community.

Some Exceptions

We should note that there is one rare exception to the use of DP. There are some Reduced Bit Rate (RBR) cables on the market, which support only up to 1080p. However, its use has a restriction. Its use has a limit up to projector installation applications. Unless identification of the cable is RBR, it is a standard DisplayPort cable. It will support all DP configurations.

Cable Types

Despite what you may have come across, there is no such thing as a DP 1.1 cable and DP 1.2 cable. A typical DisplayPort cable, including the DP 1.1 cable, supports the entire DP configuration including the new capabilities enabled by DP 1.2.

On the other hand, it also consists of 4K and multi-stream capabilities. All standard DisplayPort cables support RBR, HBR (High Bit Rate), and HBR2 (High Bit Rate 2), which can support 4K at 60Hz, or up to four 1080p displays using multi-stream.

When you purchase your new computer, be sure to choose the right monitor for the job. DP 1.2 has been the standard for viewing high-resolution content on consumer monitors. It also can handle video resolutions as high as 3,840 x 2,160 at 60fps, and up to 17.28 Gbits/sec of bandwidth.

The new Display Port 1.3 and 1.4 versions both carry increased bandwidth capabilities. The resolution is also as high as 7,680 x 4,320 (8K). DP also tends to be the choice for video editing. If anyone is looking for the ability to output to multiple displays by daisy chaining through a splitter, DP 1.3 or 1.4 is their choice.

Just be aware that if you have an Ultra HD or 4K television you will have to opt for the HDMI 2 version versus the HDMI 1.4 specification. The HDMI 2 version can handle the 10-bit and 12-bit color sampling associated with the higher image quality of these types of televisions, and can also handle a maximum of 18 Gbps per second in bandwidth. This allows for viewing resolutions as high 60fps at 4K. HDMI 1.4 can only handle up to 8-bit color sampling, and is limited to 24fps at 4k resolution.

Type of DP Connectors

One of the most important things you will have to consider in your cable purchase is the connector type. It attaches on each end of the cable. There are two types of DP connectors. The standard DP connector and the smaller mini DP connector are the two types of DP connectors. Standard DP connector is about the size of a USB connector. This type is commonly in use on DP enabled PC monitors.

The smaller mini DP connector is commonly in use for the DP output on notebook PCs including Apple products. The mini DP connector is now also in use for Thunderbolt. This has a wider use on Apple products. In addition, you can connect any DP monitor to a Thunderbolt Source, using a standard DP cable, while achieving DP quality.
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