I have DVI output on my vid card and DVI input on my LCD screen.

Just wondering if it's worth the $25 for a DVI cable? Can you notice any difference?

of course you can, if your monitor is of a decent quality

Some times you have to throw around a bit of cash to get results

Treat yourself, you cheap c***!

last edited by Astroboy at 09:28:10 23/Jun/05

Yes, why convert a digital signal from the video card to analog output just to have it converted back to digital in the LCD? My original problem with my screens was slight ghosting (possibly due to poor VGA cable shielding), I had a nvidia ti4600 that had both a VGA and DVI connectors, and I noticed a diference between my dual view LCD setup, and I am glad I waited to get a Dual DVI 6800 card. Also, your drivers/software will give you more control over the display, settings in the LCD's on screen display may be locked out/unavalible (oh and no need to press that f*****ed 'auto resize picture' when things look a bit off)

My original problem with my screens was slight ghosting (possibly due to poor VGA cable shielding)

I have this problem unless I use a DVI cable. Everything is so crisp.

DVI for the win

I run dual monitor and recently I had the DVI on my secondary monitor (17" Sony LCD). blahnana pointed out (ages ago) that the LCD quality on my primary (21" HP LCD) wasn't as good - it was noticably less crisp.

I swapped over the monitors and BAM! The difference was amazing. My main monitor on DVI was sooo much clearer and crisper.

I don't know if you'd get the benefits with a CRT (surely there'd be some) but with an LCD the quality difference is easily noticable and well worth the investment.

Okay, picking one up tonight :)

Thanks guys

I don't know if you'd get the benefits with a CRT (surely there'd be some)

CRT's are still limited by their physically analog nature, it MAY be of benefit interms of carrying the signal the distance between computer and the screen, but its still going to need to convert that sigal to analog either way. The advantage that the LCD has is everything is digital.

DVI will allways win over vga signals they are all pure digital, vga's RGB-H sync-V sync is analouge.

EDIT:spelling :S


last edited by 0z at 14:08:42 23/Jun/05

Can someone give me like a quick explanation as to what the dvi cable does and how it works?

I dont really know much about it, im assuming that the dvi cable goes from monitor - video card and its of alot better quality?




last edited by sc00bs at 14:18:59 23/Jun/05

Here is dvi pinouts DVI Pinouts


And vga Vga Pinouts

As you can see from the discriptions DVI is pure digital.

i dont think it really makes a diffrence, i just swaped over to a dvi cable then and looks the same if not worse, cause now the screen shakes ever now and then, would anyone know how to fix it?

^^ thats very odd normally you get that using vga not dvi, what video card you got?

You should note that simply using a 'DVI connector' will NOT provide you with the benefits of digital video. A lot of monitors and video cards come with DVI adaptors to convert from DVI on the videocard to standard VGA cable. These are gay and not to be used unless absolutely necessary as they reduce the quality even further than it would be when using VGA.

^^ what a load of crap, both outputs ive seen on most video cards (fx5200 and better) are identical in quailty.

my cable came with the screen and its just a straight dvi cable not an adapter thingi

i must have a s*** screen then.

last edited by puTpuT at 18:54:56 23/Jun/05

As you can see from the discriptions DVI is pure digital.

Apart from that whole DVI-I / DVI-A thing

PuTPuT that shaking your getting i reckon is due to improper dvi freqency,try and update you video cards bios, or if you have ati card there is a option to untick "Reduce DVI freqency on high resolution displays" and "Altrnate DVI operation mode", with nvidia i got nfi or not sure they have options for something like that.

Edit:Scuzzy VGA= Red Analouge, Green Analouge, Blue Analouge, Horzontal Sync, Vertical Sync.

There are three types of DVI connections:

1. DVI-D (Digital)
2. DVI-A (Analog)
3. DVI-I (Integrated Digital/Analog)

DVI-D - True Digital Video

DVI-D format is used for direct digital connections between source video (namely, video cards) and digital LCD (or rare CRT) monitors. This provides a faster, higher-quality image than with analog, due to the nature of the digital format. All video cards initially produce a digital video signal, which is converted into analog at the VGA output. The analog signal travels to the monitor and is re-converted back into a digital signal. DVI-D eliminates the analog conversion process and improves the connection between source and display.

DVI-A - High-Res Analog

DVI-A format is used to carry a DVI signal to an analog display, such as a CRT monitor or an HDTV. Although some signal quality is lost from the digital to nalog conversion, it still transmits a higher quality picture than standard VGA.

DVI-I - The Best of Both Worlds

DVI-I format is an integrated cable which is capable of transmitting either a digital-to-digital signal or an analog-to-analog signal, but it will not work transmitting a digital-to-analog or analog-to-digital signal.

Like any other format, DVI digital and analog formats are non-interchangeable. This means that a DVI-D cable will not work on an analog system, nor a DVI-A on a digital system. Make sure that you know what format each part of your equipment is before you purchase any DVI cables. Only equipment with a DVI port labeled 'DVI-I' will accept both a DVI-D and DVI-A source signal.

Most video cards with dvi are DVI-D.

last edited by 0z at 20:29:50 23/Jun/05

we tested DVI/VGA on my mates 19" LCD. Couldn't tell the difference.
Another mate says its way better, though this is on a 153cm LCD TV so yeah...

I have a DVI Convertor (From the normal blue plug thingy), is this just as good as using a DVI Cable?

I got one with my BenQ LCD, however when I went to plug it in, the f***ing pins bent so I had to use the normal one :(

I have a DVI Convertor (From the normal blue plug thingy), is this just as good as using a DVI Cable?

There's no point... you'd still be using a VGA cable to transmit the signal. Basically all your doing is adding one more connector into the mix and thus lowerng the signal quality somewhat without the gain of DVI.

CRT monitors for the win, even if they are bulky.

8-)

Rev you cheap skate buy a lcd, sif ctr thats so 90's.


last edited by 0z at 01:30:45 24/Jun/05