Apple's new Mini DisplayPort is new Industry Open Standard

With the new MacBooks, MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs and 24" LED Cinema Display, Apple introduced the Mini DisplayPort in place of its DVI and Mini DVI video ports and connectors. DisplayPort is a relatively new industry open standard from VESA that is detailed on this DisplayPort.org Web site. Introduced in 2006, it's logo is shown at right.

The Mini DisplayPort connector is small, has no acursed screws and its cable is thin. It is designed expressly for today's graphics and display technology whereas the old VGA connector was designed in 1987. A comparison of the Mini DisplayPort with the DVI and VGA connectors from DisplayPort.org is shown at right.

The objectives of the DisplayPort specification are:

"The DisplayPort specification defines a scalable digital display interface with optional audio and content protection capability for broad usage within business, enterprise, and consumer applications. The interface is designed to support both internal chip-to-chip and external box-to-box digital display connections. Potential internal chip-to-chip applications include usage within a notebook PC for driving a panel from a graphics controller, and usage within a monitor or TV for driving the display component from a display controller. Examples of box-to-box applications for DisplayPort include display connections between PCs, monitors, and projectors."

The DisplayPort specification has super perfomance. The initial DisplayPort 1.1a technology provides over twice the capacity of single-channel DVI. It provides a bandwidth of 10.8Gbps and works with cables as long as 15 meters.

One of the best things about the new Mini DisplayPort is that it is an open standard and not a proprietary standard. Under the slogan "A Standard That's Open to Everything" DisplayPort.org describes the Mini DisplayPort as:

"A free and open standard enables complete interoperability--meaning you can connect to any display or projector from a single connector. Future extensions of DisplayPort in 2008 will provide enhancements such as multi-monitor support and a simple adaptor that enables a single cable connection to to a multifunction monitor that includes a USB hub. DisplayPort's micropacket architecture improves display connectivity and usage options that improve the viewing experience."

What about HDMI, the cable interface associated with high definition TV? According to the DisplayPort white paper, HDMI is well suited to TV applications but is limited in terms of performance scalablity and by its design as a consumer electronics box-to-box connectivity solution. DisplayPort overcomes these limitations. Those who have an HDTV know that HDMI cables are proprietary, very expensive, thick and quite stiff. The issue of HDMI vs DisplayPort is covered in this September 18, 2008, EDN article but it does not reach an unequivocal conclusion. When asked about HDMI during the Q&A session at the Apple Event on Tuesday, CEO Steve Jobs mentioned that Apple thinks DisplayPort is much better for computer applications--hurray!

Fortunately, DisplayPort will "co-exist" with legacy interfaces. While the actual specifications can not be directly interoperable, interoperability at the product level is possible. A number of companies (e.g. BizLink) already make or are working on a variety of interface adaptors and connectors. Hopefully, some of these will work both ways, not just one way (i.e. computer to device) as Apple's new notebook adapters presently do so that legacy Macs and their graphics cards can connect to Apple's new 24" LED Cinema Display.

Finally, at least two DisplayPort certification centers have been set up. The first was back in March 2008 at Allion Test Labs in Taiwan and the second was in June 2088 at the Electronics Testing Center, also in Taiwan.

It looks like the last awful, geek-designed computer connector will be biting the dust thanks again to Apple's insanely-great sane leadership. Three cheers.... [Bill Fox]