What's the difference?

[ming]

Difference between a DVi monitor and a VGA monitor?
Any major differences that is noticable to the eye??

 

[SPeedY_B]

DVI is digital, much crisper and vivid image, but you need a DVI output on your graphics card to use them, which can be rather costly. I'd use VGA for CRT monitors, but I'd never use it for TFT, DVI all the way for the new stuff 🙂

Just for good measure, have some generic explanations:

VGA

Abbreviation of video graphics array, a graphics display system for PCs developed by IBM. VGA has become one of the de facto standards for PCs. In text mode, VGA systems provide a resolution of 720 by 400 pixels. In graphics mode, the resolution is either 640 by 480 (with 16 colors) or 320 by 200 (with 256 colors). The total palette of colors is 262,144.

Unlike earlier graphics standards for PCs -- MDA, CGA, and EGA -- VGA uses analog signals rather than digital signals. Consequently, a monitor designed for one of the older standards will not be able to use VGA.

Since its introduction in 1987, several other standards have been developed that offer greater resolution and more colors (see SVGA , 8514/A graphics standard, and XGA), but VGA remains the lowest common denominator. All PCs made today support VGA, and possibly some other more advanced standard.

DVI

Short for Digital Visual Interface, a digital interface standard created by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) to convert analog signals into digital signals to accommodate both analog and digital monitors. Data is transmitted using the transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS) protocol, providing a digital signal from the PC's graphics subsystem to the display. The standard specifies a single plug and connector that encompass both the new digital and legacy VGA interfaces, as well as a digital-only plug connector. DVI handles bandwidths in excess of 160 MHz and thus supports UXGA and HDTV with a single set of links. Higher resolutions can be supported with a dual set of links.

 

[ElementalDragon]

....ok... my Video card has an output for DVI. but.... my LCD has a normal old VGA plug. ..... i'm guessing that if i use the DVI to VGA converter thingy that came with it, i won't get any improvement. am i right, or no?

 

[ming]

....ok... my Video card has an output for DVI. but.... my LCD has a normal old VGA plug. ..... i'm guessing that if i use the DVI to VGA converter thingy that came with it, i won't get any improvement. am i right, or no?

Same with my GFX cards. No point in using the converter since you will not get any improvements on your existing analogue TFT monitor.
But Speedy, you still haven't said anything about whether one will notice a major difference between the two. 🙂

 

[SPeedY_B]

Plenty of people happily use TFT's via VGA connections, It's usually cheaper and for most people no extra hardware needs to be purchased, however some say that the image produced is fuzzy, unclear or leaves edges of items "jagged". I suppose it depends how picky you are about these sort of things.

I've only ever experienced using a TFT on VGA for a short period of time (I'm lucky enough to have 2 digital outs on my card) whilst using my sisters computer to play UT, and in all honesty, the image was fine, that was on a Dell 18.1" TFT, and I could of happily used it all day 🙂 so in my opinion, it doesn't make any (major) difference, however my personal experience is limited.

 

[Xie]

To see the difference put your VGA CRT/LCD next to SPeedY's DVI Apple Cinema. 🙂 They are godly .. /me wants

 

[SPeedY_B]

Wouldn't be a fair comparison 😛

 

[Mainframeguy]

One point no-one has mentioned - I have found my DVI connection is great, but when I wish to go into BIOS I have to use the VGA or the display is all over the place - do not believe this is down to my VGA cards either since it happened both with my Nvidia and now with my Radeon. My solution is to have both plugged in since my monitor has both sockets and my card also...

[EDIT] Symptoms with DVI on BIOS screens are scrolling, diagonal, flicker, partial screen.... IE you might be able to see what you need, and you might not.... makes it tricky if you're trying to select a mode, use recovery console, etc etc unless oyu know the keystrokes by heart![/EDIT]

 

[ming]

Hmm.. I've resisted getting a TFT monitor with the extra DVI cable connection. Maybe it's time to check one out. 🙂
I have doubts that it'll make a major difference to me, but worth a shot I guess.

 

[Xie]

Hmm.. I've resisted getting a TFT monitor with the extra DVI cable connection. Maybe it's time to check one out. 🙂
I have doubts that it'll make a major difference to me, but worth a shot I guess.

You may also get me one as well ... for testing purposes of course. 😀