Digital video pixel data is transported using multiple TMDS twisted pairs. At the electrical level, these pairs are highly resistant to electrical noise and other forms of analog distortion. VGA (Video Graphics Array) is a hardware specification for display monitors and computers that allows a computer to display applications on a VGA-based monitor via a VGA cable. VGA technology is one of the oldest forms of display hardware in computing and is outfitted in virtually every computer system in the world. VGA uses analog signals but is compatible with most digital devices. While DVI technology has superseded VGA technology, both specifications are often included in personal computers, with VGA technology being much more common in laptop computers than desktop computers. Walton, Jarred (March 2, 2007). "Dell 2407WFP and 3007WFP LCD Comparison". AnandTech . Retrieved November 7, 2013.

Generalized Timing Formula (GTF) is a VESA standard which can easily be calculated with the Linux gtf utility. Coordinated Video Timings-Reduced Blanking (CVT-RB) is a VESA standard which offers reduced horizontal and vertical blanking for non-CRT based displays. [15] Digital data encoding [ edit ] DVI (Digital Visual Interface) is a hardware specification for computers and display equipment that is similar to VGA. DVI-D (Digital Visual Interface Digital) refers to DVI technology that is used exclusively with digital devices, while other versions of DVI can be used with analog devices. While VGA technology was made for analog computers, DVI technology is more modern and is intended for digital computers and display equipment, such as monitors and projectors. While VGA and DVI produce similar quality on regular monitors, DVI produces much higher picture quality on LCD monitors and other high-definition equipment. Docter, Quentin; Dulaney, Emmett; Skandier, Toby (2012). CompTIA A+ Complete Deluxe Study Guide: Exams 220-801 and 220-802. Indianapolis, Indiana: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-1118324066. The DVI connector on a device is given one of three names, depending on which signals it implements: DVI is limited to the RGB color model while HDMI also supports YCbCr 4:4:4 and YCbCr 4:2:2 color spaces, which are generally not used for computer graphics.To ensure a basic level of interoperability, DVI compliant devices are required to support one baseline display mode, "low pixel format" (640×480 at 60Hz). DisplayPort (a license-free standard proposed by VESA to succeed DVI that has optional DRM mechanisms) / Mini DisplayPort Specifications [ edit ] A passive DVI-to-VGA adapter. This adapter will not work with a DVI-D output. It requires a DVI-I or DVI-A output to get the analog signal to a VGA input (even if the adapter looks like a DVI-D). A more expensive active adapter (or converter) is required to connect DVI-D to VGA. Digital [ edit ] High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), a forward-compatible standard that also includes digital audio transmission In December 2010, Intel, AMD, and several computer and display manufacturers announced they would stop supporting DVI-I, VGA and LVDS-technologies from 2013/2015, and instead speed up adoption of DisplayPort and HDMI. [18] [19] They also stated: "Legacy interfaces such as VGA, DVI and LVDS have not kept pace, and newer standards such as DisplayPort and HDMI clearly provide the best connectivity options moving forward. In our opinion, DisplayPort 1.2 is the future interface for PC monitors, along with HDMI 1.4a for TV connectivity".

DVI made its way into products starting in 1999. One of the first DVI monitors was Apple's original Cinema Display, which launched in 1999.DVI-I Dual Link has a maximum resolution of 2560×1440 at 60 Hz. You can push it higher but you’ll have to lower the Hz rate to 30 which is a little clunky. IEEE 1394 was proposed by High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance ( HANA Alliance) for all cabling needs, including video, over coax or 1394 cable as a combined data stream. However, this interface does not have enough throughput to handle uncompressed HD video, so it is unsuitable for applications such as video games and interactive program guides.

Like other ways of transmitting video, there are two different regions: the active region, where pixel data is sent, and the control region, where synchronization signals are sent. The active region is encoded using transition-minimized differential signaling, where the control region is encoded with a fixed 8b/10b encoding. As the two schemes yield different 10-bit symbols, a receiver can fully differentiate between active and control regions.An earlier attempt to promulgate an updated standard to the analog VGA connector was made by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) in 1994 and 1995, with the Enhanced Video Connector (EVC), which was intended to consolidate cables between the computer and monitor. [3] [4] EVC used a 35-pin Molex MicroCross connector and carried analog video (input and output), analog stereo audio (input and output), and data (via USB and FireWire). At the same time, with the increasing availability of digital flat-panel displays, the priority shifted to digital video transmission, which would remove the extra analog/digital conversion steps required for VGA and EVC; [5] :5–6 the EVC connector was reused by VESA, [6] which released the P&D standard in 1997. [3] P&D offered single-link TMDS digital video with, as an option, analog video output and data (USB and FireWire), using a 35-pin MicroCross connector similar to EVC; the analog audio and video input lines from EVC were repurposed to carry digital video for P&D. [5] :4 [7] :§1.3.3

You can also convert VGA to DVI because DVI supports analog signals too. Do remember that only DVI-I supports both analog and digital, DVI-D only works with digital, so you’ll need an active adapter to convert that to another type of connector.

Single Link and Dual Link

Most modern graphics cards have abandoned VGA ports but they still have one or more DVI ports. It’s rumored these connectors will be abandoned soon too. DVI connectors use digital signals, and the DVI-I version has a couple of pins for analog signals, so you can easily convert to VGA with a simple port converter (more on that later).