Have You Heard of DisplayPort?
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Apple's miniaturized version of DisplayPort, dubbed "Mini DisplayPort". Mini DisplayPort will be featured in all new Apple computers.
When Steve Jobs introduced the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros in Apple’s most recent media event, a surprising new feature was added to the lineup. All new Apple computers from this point forward will include a Mini DisplayPort port for audio and video transmission.
I have never been a huge fan of DisplayPort. HDMI is THE industry standard, and I’ve always believed that another proprietary connector doesn’t need to be thrown into the mix. However, Apple’s daring move to include this initiative in their product line might force reconsideration on my behalf. I did some research on the DisplayPort project, and was, to say the least, surprised at the inaccuracy of my knowledge.
Unlike HDMI, DisplayPort is royalty free - which could be a major plus in keeping costs at a minimum. The connector that Apple is using, Mini DisplayPort, is much smaller than DVI or HDMI, which allows for more space and flexibility in a product. This standard also requires substantially less power than HDMI, yet it can still support resolutions up to 2560×1600.
Apple is not the first company to embrace DisplayPort. Dell, HP, and Samsung are all lined up with supposed support. However, the fact still remains that HDMI dominates the majority of consumer electronics. A push to convert all TVs, computers, set-tops, and monitors to DisplayPort would be a long shot.
What are your thoughts? Is DisplayPort the wave of the future?
5 Comments
Geeks!
October 20th, 2008
at 3:01am
[...] Have You Heard of DisplayPort? [...]
Wurzels, Ratchets and Star Trek… oh my! ~ Windows Fanatics
October 20th, 2008
at 3:04am
[...] Have you heard of DisplayPort? [...]
the oracle
October 20th, 2008
at 6:34am
Display Port is a solution in search of a problem, and this could be Jobs’ second misstep this year (the first is removing Firewire from some of the new Macs)
bstrong1218
October 24th, 2008
at 7:36pm
DisplayPort is a great decision by Apple. There has got to be a few manufacturers that take that first step in making a new technology more widespread, and who better to do that than Apple? Considering that the Mini variant of Display Port has no real disadvantages and it provides an even more compact connection, Apple has made a good move. If DisplayPort was already in use by the masses, then the Mini variant might not be a good choice, but with machines becoming smaller and smaller, there is no reason not to go ahead and introduce that change early in life of DisplayPort.
I do have to mention that the exclusion of Firewire seems odd. I have been trying to take advantage of Firewire more and more, but now, it’s gone. A shame, but if you take a look at the motherboard, there isn’t a spare centimeter for another port, or for that matter, something like DVI.
bitguru
November 27th, 2008
at 2:40pm
bstrong has a good point about Apple introducing mini-DisplayPort early in the game, with just a handful of extand DisplayPort (standard DisplayPort) devices extant.
The point is moot, though, if the mini-DisplayPort connector doesn’t gain industry traction. Supposedly Apple has contributed the mini-DisplayPort connector specification to VESA for possible inclusion in version 1.2 of the DisplayPort standard (see http://bitguru.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/mini-displayport-a-month-later/ ) which I think is good news.