Generally
speaking, DVI cables can be divided into three types of standards. Therefore,
you are supposed to have a good command of the relevant knowledge about those
cables before you go to buy any equipment in order to upgrade to DVI.
DVI-D
- DVI Digital (True Digital)
DVI-D
can directly connect the digital signals from your video cards and your
monitor. In other words, the signal is completely digital during the whole
process without being converted into analog signals. As a result, you are able
to get images and videos as clear and vivid as the original ones without any
quality loss. On the other hand, the transfer speed is rather fast.
DVI-A
- DVI Analog (High-Resolution Analog)
DVI-A is
usually utilized to transfer DVI signals to an analog display. Generally
speaking, the signal will be carried to the CRT’s and sometimes HDTV’s. In such
process, the signal is converted, which leads to the quality to be lost.
Nonetheless, pictures transmitted by this format are of higher quality compared
with those transmitted by standard VGA formats. As a matter of fact, this
format is outmoded and discarded by people in today’s market.
DVI-I
- DVI Integrated (Digital and Analog in One Format)
DVI-I is
almost standard connection for any video card which is compatible with DVI. It
can be used to transfer both analog and digital signals in one cable. However,
the cable can only work in a digital-to-digital or an analog-to-analog way,
which means that it won’t support the crossovers transmit of either
one(digital-to-analog or analog-to-digital).
Last
but not least, remember that these three cables cannot be exchanged with other
cables. The standards can never be mixed. DVI-D cables cannot be placed on
analog systems nor can DVI-A cables on digital systems. However,a DVI-I port
can accept another DVI-I, DVI-D or DVI-A cable.
