The Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) created the Digital Visual Interface (DVI), which is a graphic display protocol as well as a standard. The electronic connection connects video codecs such as visual display processors to show equipment such as computer screens, televisions, and projectors. In 1999, the API was created with the goal of developing a technical standard for the simple transmission of electronic video material.
DVI-I vs DVI-D
The main difference between DVI-I and DVI-D is that DVI-D only supports digital transmissions, but DVI-I may accept both electronic as well as analog signals. Dell-shipped Nvidia GeForce3 visual cards feature DVI-I connections, but the ATI Radeon VE graphics chipset has a DVI-D (or dual VGA) socket as of January 2002.
Single-link DVI-I connections contain 23 pins (18+5), whereas dual-link fittings have 29 pins (24+5). DVI-I connections do not transform analog and electronic information, but they may accommodate both — but not all at the current moment. If a graphics chipset, screen, and connection all have DVI-I connectors capable of supporting both analog and electronic signals, only one mode of functioning may be used.
DVI-D ports are solely capable of transmitting digital video signals. Dual-link DVI-D connections have 25 pins (24+1), whereas single-link DVI-D ports have 19 pins (18+1). DVI-D cables are compatible with DVI-D as well as DVI-I connections. DVI-D visual signals can be supported by HDMI and DisplayPort ports using an adapter, however, DVI-D cannot handle the extra capabilities that HDMI and DisplayPort provide, such as synchronized sound and CEC management.
Comparison Table Between DVI-I and DVI-D
| Parameters of Comparison | DVI-I | DVI-D |
| Transmission | DVI-I connector may transport both digital and analog signals. | A DVI-D connector only carries digital signals. |
| Pins | A DVI-I controller has a significant number of pins. | A DVI-D controller does not have a lot of pins. |
| Displays | LED-backlit LCD monitors and CRT monitors might be used for DVI-I. | Only LED-backlit LCD monitors can be used for DVI-D. |
| Compatibility | VGA devices are DVI-I compatible. | DVI-D is incompatible with VGA devices. |
| Numbers | Single-link DVI-I connections contain 23 pins, whereas dual-link adapters have 29 pins. | Dual-link DVI-D connections have 25 pins, whereas single-link DVI-D connectors have 19 pins. |
What is DVI-I?
DVI-I, which stands for Digital Visual Interface Integrated, is the link or functionality used among displays and laptops or home entertainment systems. DVI-I is a digital video outputting network that allows for an LCD or CRT monitor display. DVI-I can accommodate both digital and analog signals. It will not, however, utilize it all at an equal period.
DVI-I recognizes and selects digital or analog output based on the attached monitor. DVI-I ports may be readily used in goods such as displays with LED Backlit Lcd screens and for older displays such as CRT displays with the assistance of a DVI to VGA converter. That is why most people choose graphics cards as well as processors with DVI-I ports for the bulk of their projects.
DVI-I connections are used because of their increased capability. DVI-I connections include extra connections due to the participation of enhanced capacity. The DVI-I connector’s big straight pin is often rather broad. Because the DVI-I has extra pins, the male socket of a DVI-I cable cannot attach to a DVI-D female adapter because it lacks slots for the extra pins.
DVI also allows the third sort of technology, the DVI-A, which refers to an interface that only transports analog signals. DVI-A is not widely used due to VGA’s prominence and success as an analog display connection technology.
What is DVI-D?
DVI-D is a DVI connection that only handles electronic information. The “D” at the end stands for “digital.” This connection type might be single-link or dual-link. A single emitter is used in single-link, which can offer display dimensions of up to 1920 x 1200 and throughput of 1.65 Gbps. It has an 18-pin connection for energy, data, and clocks, as well as a tall flattened pin for grounding.
The dual-link variant includes an additional broadcaster. The dual-link (also known as DVI-DL) has six extra data ports, raising the image quality capacity to 2560 x 1600 and offering a higher throughput of 2 Gbps. Because the connection contains all of the connections needed by the single user interface, the dual-link connection or socket may be utilized with single products.
A single-link adapter, on the opposite side, appears to lack a few of the ports or mechanical interconnections necessary by the dual-link connector. With a few anomalies, such as the lack of capability for signal amplification in DVI-D, DVI-D is essentially consistent with some other touchscreen experience, HDMI.
A converter can be utilized to convert between DVI-D and HDMI. DVI-D and VGA are incompatible. Most digital displays use a DVI-D connector. However, monitors that handle both electronic and analog signals often use a DVI-D and a VGA junction box. Female DVI-D connections will not accept male DVI-A or DVI-I cables because those adapters include the extra 4 analog pins that DVI-D does not.
Main Differences Between DVI-I and DVI-D
- DVI-D is a DVI connection that solely accepts digital signals, whereas DVI-I accepts both electronic and analog messages.
- DVI-I connections have all of the pins required for a single link DVI cable, however, DVI-D connectors omit the four pins required to transport the analog signal.
- The DVI-D connector’s tall and flattened pin is somewhat shorter than the DVI-I connector’s.
- A DVI-D connection can be plugged into a DVI-I port, and not the other way round.
- Dual-link DVI-D connections have 25 pins (24+1), but single-link DVI-D connectors have 19 pins (18+1). Single-link DVI-I connections have 23 pins (18+5), whereas dual-link adapters have 29 pins (24+5).
Conclusion
A single-link DVI-D or DVI-I cable can only transport 3.96 Gbit/s, limiting the quality to 1920 x 1200 on something like a 60Hz display. Because of its mechanical construction, a dual-link allows you to utilize a larger bandwidth, increasing it to 7.92 Gbit/s and enabling you to utilize a better resolution of 2560 x 1600 at 60Hz.
Even so, DVI cannot support 4K resolution. Both DVI-D and DVI-I are becoming increasingly outdated and must simply be utilized if HDMI or DisplayPort is unusable. DVI is just not as great as HDMI or DisplayPort, both of which provide higher visual efficiency and durability.
References
- https://computerstationnation.com/difference-between-hdmi-dvi-vga-and-usb-c/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2796.1993.tb00707.x