DisplayPort

The world of audio and video cables can be confusing—especially with multiple connector types still in use. While industry standards have evolved, devices across homes, offices and industries continue to rely on a mix of old and new AV cables. 

Each cable type has its own strengths in signal quality, compatibility and supported resolutions. Understanding these differences helps ensure the best performance from your displays and connected devices. 

In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences between HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI and VGA—including what each cable supports, where it’s commonly used and which one is best for your setup. 

What is DisplayPort?

DisplayPort (left in the image above) is a 20-pin digital video cable developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It is one of the most advanced cables on the market today and was specifically designed for use with computer monitors.

What is Mini DisplayPort?

Mini DisplayPort (right in the image above) is a downsized version of DisplayPort that is used on devices too small to fit a standard DisplayPort.

What is Thunderbolt?

Thunderbolt is an off-shoot of Mini DisplayPort developed by Intel & Apple most commonly seen on Apple products. While Thunderbolt and Mini DisplayPort look the same, Thunderbolt is much more advanced. Mini DisplayPort is not forward compatible with Thunderbolt, but Thunderbolt is backward compatible with Mini Displayport.

What is DisplayPort 1.2?

DisplayPort 1.2 is the current standard version manufactured by most cable makers. DisplayPort was originally released in 2006 (version 1.0) but has had several improvements since

DisplayPort is the latest and greatest audio/video cable available today. While it does have many similarities with HDMI, DisplayPort is even more powerful. Whereas HDMI was designed as a multi-purpose cable capable of working with any and all electronics, DisplayPort was specifically created with computer monitors in mind. Capable of supporting HD video at even higher resolutions than HDMI, there is no better choice than DisplayPort when cable quality is your primary concern.

DisplayPort Specifications

The original DisplayPort cable, version 1.0, was developed by VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) and introduced in May 2006. Since then, several newer versions with various improvements have been developed and replaced their older counterparts. Many DisplayPort cables on the market are not marked with a version number, so knowing the age of the cable is the best way to tell how well it performs. These days, users would be unlikely to come across a cable older than version 1.2.

Audio and video cables go hand-in-hand, often being paired together. Some cables can even transmit audio and video on just one line. Over time a lot of new audio and video cables have been introduced, so the cable you need will often depend on the age of the equipment you are using. Most TVs, computers, and other devices can use multiple types of audio and video connections, so it is good to be able to identify them and know your options.

Audio-only cables include:

• 3.5mm
• 2.5mm
• ¼”
• Optical Toslink
• XLR
• SpeakOn
• MIDI

Video-only cables include:

• S-Video
• DB9
• VGA cables
• DVI

Audio/video cables include:

• F-type
• BNC
• RCA cables
• Component
• HDMI
• DisplayPort

Audio-only

3.5mm

3.5mm, also called ⅛” cables, is one of the most common audio cables. They are sometimes called “headphone jacks”, being the type of connection used for headphones. These ports are frequently found on cell phones, computers, and televisions.

There are a few different versions of 3.5mm: TS, TRS, and TRRS. TS cables will