DisplayPort: The new video interconnect standard

As the future of computing devices draws nearer, the demand for higher video resolutions by consumers is being felt. To address this need, a new video interconnect standard will soon pave the way for high-end consumer graphics. Dubbed “DisplayPort,” the new interface allows for video resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 x 70 Hz and 16 bits per color channel. This effectively doubles that seen by 1080p. Samsung has already produced a 30” panel display using the new standard, and so has Dell. Many others will soon be following suit.

DisplayPort version 1.1 was ratified April 2, 2007, by the VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) as a license-free, royalty-free video standard interconnect. It uses one to four pairs of data links operating at 1.62 or 2.7Gbps. The 1.1 standard also allows the use of optical fibers and 128-bit encryption for security. It also employs a constant 1Mbps up/downlink serving as a bi-directional auxiliary channel, which will drive device settings and modes via the VESA EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) and VESA MCCS (Monitor Control Command Set) standards.

The standard is designed to provide enough bit depth per pixel to allow truly stunning colors at very high resolutions and frame rates. The maximum throughput supports approximately 6.7Gbps of digital display data. The standard allows as low as a 6 bit per color channel pixel. It can transmit at full capacity up to 3 meters. And with a reduction to 1080p resolutions, it can transmit up to 15 meters. The technology can also be paired or grouped, allowing for even higher resolutions by dual-sync or multi-sync cards and monitors.

Security is also a top priority these days. The DisplayPort standard supports DPCP (DisplayPort Content Protection) encryption mechanism. This is a 128-bit AES encryption using modern cryptography ciphers. Enabled use of this feature allows for protected video transmissions that cannot be easily deciphered in real-time without knowing the key. I’m sure this will be of heavy consumer use in their home theater systems.

DisplayPort is not backward compatible with DVI, HDMI, UDI, or other interconnects. But the specification does allow those signals to pass-through the cable. DisplayPort is part of the open hardware community, allowing wide adoption of open hardware standards without exclusive licensing or patent fees. DisplayPort is being backed by VESA members AMD, Dell, HP, Intel, NVIDIA, Samsung, and others.

Read more about DisplayPort at the VESA website. Post your thoughts below.