DVI or VGA

D

dmack

n00b
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
3
I just installed a new LCD. Samsung 214T. It has both analog and DVI connectors. I presently have it set up on a ATI 9600 All In Wonder, analog.

Can anyone tell me if there would be an improvement in the display if I purchased an All in Wonder with a DVI connection. Would I see a difference in display quality?

Thanks,
 
After changing it you most probably would NOT notice a difference. However, if you put identical rigs side by side, and ran one display on the D-SUB connector, and one on a DVI input you might be able to tell the difference when comparing still images.

It's worth noting that very few video card TMDS transmitters actually pass the DVI specification when tested in the field. There is a very strict spec' for DVI compliance - but DVI continues working even when it is very far from the spec.

In general, DVI is a better solution as a video interface: no more OSD settings on your monitor - it's all done with software on the PC, and a higher amount of video bandwidth permits higher screen resolutions and refresh rates. In practice however, most DVI outputs do not provide the full advantage that the specification dictates.

Not worth changing displays or cards specifically to get DVI, but you are best advised to ensure your future purchases (which will be closer to, or conform completely to the DVI spec) do support DVI.
 
depends on you - some people notice - others dont.

I do, DVI for me is superior in quality - crisp, clean, less ghosting if any existed

so if you CAN do DVI do it.
 
There are only three cases I can think of where I'd use analog over DVI, and one is a bit wierd:
1. Video card can't do an LCD's native res in DVI but can in analog. This one's not all that odd. It wasn't long ago that most DVI capable video cards topped out at 1280x1024, and higher res LCDs aren't exactly exotic.
2. CRT/projection screen has a DVI input but can't do a flicker-free refresh rate using DVI in a mode I want to use (could be a vid card or screen limitation)
3. One DVI plug, 2 imputs, 2 systems. One of them gets stuck on analog.
 
I run dual LCDs and one of them is on DVI and the other is on VGA. I can tell a huge difference with them sitting side by side. It is almost enough to make me want to get a dual DVI card...
 
VGA appears more blurry to me. More noticable with small images and small text I think.
 
So does a DVI adapter for an VGA monitor make the VGA monitor clearer when it's plugged into a DVI port?
 
Azkarr said:
So does a DVI adapter for an VGA monitor make the VGA monitor clearer when it's plugged into a DVI port?
Click to expand...
Nope. Not at all. Actually, it does roughly nothing for image quality. It's just a plug adapter. The typical DVI-I connector on most video cards has pins for both DVI and analog video. The adapter just connects the right pins from the DVI plug to the right pins on an HD15 plug. If it does anything it'll make the signal quality worse, but from a practical point of view it's generally not noticeable.
There are three kinds of DVI connectors: DVI-I, which does both; DVI-D, which is digital only; and DVI-A, which is analog only. DVI-I is the normal one on video cards. You can plug a digital flat panel directly into it, or you can use an (often included) DVI->HD15 adapter to hook it up to an analog screen. DVI-D is rare. Some older cards had them. For example, this Radeon 9100 I've got. DVI-A is exceedingly rare on video cards. You might find one on a bizzare CRT monitor, but that's about it really. I don't know of any vid cards with a DVI-A connector.
Those DVI to VGA adapters only work on DVI-I and DVI-A. They don't work with DVI-D (like my 9100), since the analog pins aren't connected.
 
If you're monitor supports DVI, the DVI connection will offer superior image quality. I've got multiple inputs on my LCD, when I use the analog port, it looks bad compared to the DVI.

The analog looks like ASS.
 
one thing i've noticed with an LCD on an analog plug.. you gotta change the resolution. at 60hz, it's fuzzy as anything, and just generally looks gross. messing with the refresh rate, at 72hz, i can barely tell the difference from the D-Sub plug. 75hz gets a bit fuzzy again though, so it's a matter of finding the refresh your monitor happens to like ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top