Digital Signage & Multimedia > Video Infrastructure

Many new PCs no longer have traditional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) computer monitors with a VGA interface. The latest high-end computers have Digital Flat Panels (DFPs) with a Digital Visual Interface (DVI). Although most computers still have traditional monitors, the newer DFPs are coming on strong because flat-panel displays are not only slimmer and more attractive on the desktop, but they’re also capable of providing a much sharper, clearer image than a traditional CRT monitor.

The VGA interface was developed to support traditional CRT monitors. The DVI interface, on the other hand, is designed specifically for digital displays and supports the high resolution, the sharper image detail, and the brighter and truer colors achieved with DFPs.

Most flat-panel displays can be connected to a VGA interface, even though using this interface results in inferior video quality. VGA simply can’t support the image quality offered by a high-end digital monitor. Sadly, because a VGA connection is possible, many computer users connect their DFPs to VGA and never experience the stunning clarity their flat-panel monitors can provide.

It’s important to remember that for your new DFP display to work at its best, it must be connected to a DVI video interface. You should upgrade the video card in your PC when you buy your new video monitor. Your KVM switches should also support DVI if you plan to use them with DFPs.

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the first digital interface to combine uncompressed high-definition video, multichannel audio, and intelligent format and command data in a single cable.

The HDMI standard was introduced in December 2002, and HDMI 1.2 was released in August 2005. HDMI is supported by many leading consumer electronics manufacturers as well as motion picture studios, and cable and satellite operators.

The HDMI connector is compact and is somewhat similar to a USB connector.

Use this serial interface to connect audio/video equipment, such as DVD players, a set-top box, and A/V receivers with an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital TV over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced, and high-definition video. It has a bandwidth of up to 5 Gigabytes so it supports all HDTV standards and has bandwidth to spare for future applications.

HDMI is backward compatible with DVI equipment such as PCs, TVs, and other electronic devices using the DVI standard. The DVI device simply ignores the extra data.

HDMI offers significant benefits over older analog A/V connections. It provides superior video and audio clarity because there is no signal loss from digital-to-analog conversions. HDMI supports resolutions of 1920 x 1080p and multiple audio formats from standard stereo to multichannel surround sound. Plus it provides two-way communication between the video source and the digital TV, enabling simple, remote, point-and-click configurations.

HDMI is emerging as the connection standard for HDTV and the consumer electronics market. Because HDMI transmits all signals over one cable, it’s quite desirable for home theater electronics and systems. It greatly simplifies the installation of home entertainment systems by eliminating the tangle of cables running behind the system. It’s also very cost-effective because only one cable is needed.

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) hardware (plug-and-play) standard makes connecting peripherals to your computer easy.

USB 1.1, introduced in 1995, is the original USB standard. It has two data rates: 12 Mbps for devices such as disk drives that need high-speed throughput and 1.5 Mbps for devices such as joysticks that need much lower bandwidth.

In 2002, a newer specification, USB 2.0, or Hi-Speed USB 2.0, gained wide acceptance in the industry. This version is both forward- and backward-compatible with USB 1.1. It increases the speed of the peripheral to PC connection from 12 Mbps to 480 Mbps, or 40 times faster than USB 1.1!

This increase in bandwidth enhances the use of external peripherals that require high throughput, such as CD/DVD burners, scanners, digital cameras, video equipment, and more. USB 2.0 supports demanding applications, such as Web publishing, in which multiple high-speed devices run simultaneously. USB 2.0 also supports Windows® XP through a Windows update.

An even newer USB standard, USB On-The-Go (OTG), is also in development. USB OTG enables devices other than a PC to act as a host. It enables portable equipment—such as PDAs, cell phones, digital cameras, and digital music players—to connect to each other without the need for a PC host.

USB 2.0 specifies three types of connectors: the A connector, the B connector, and the Mini B connector. A fourth type of connector, the Mini A (used for smaller peripherals such as mobile phones), was developed as part of the USB OTG specification.