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OT - I Hate Displayport

ebergerlyebergerly Posts: 3,255
edited September 2017 in The Commons

Okay, apparently when I wasn't looking in the last 5-10 years, somebody decided to introduce yet another connector for video displays. It's called Displayport. And it looks almost identical to HDMI, but just different enough that they are incompatible.

Equally unfortunately, in the last decades most monitors have HDMI connectors, as well as maybe DVI and VGA. But two of my monitors, which I purchased in the last few years, have no Displayport connectors. And you have to get up real close to see what type it is, because they look almost identical. 

So how many times have I had to run down to Best Buy to buy a ridiculous $20 cable only to find out it's the wrong kind, and the only way out of the predicament is to buy a $20+ adapter to connect an HDMI cable to a Displayport connector on the graphics card. 

Which begs the question...if you can connect them via adapter, why not just make them the same connector, and just use whatever pins are needed for the two types? 

Now I'm sure there's great benefits of Displayport, which some people somewhere might even need (or at least want). But dang, can't they make life a little simpler?  

Post edited by ebergerly on

Comments

  • GatorGator Posts: 1,320

    Displayport came about because it was really needed for higher end computer displays - HDMI could only drive a 4K monitor at 30 Hz - blech.  Displayport can drive at 4K 60 Hz, and newer versions can drive 4K at 120 Hz or 8K at 60 Hz!

  • ebergerlyebergerly Posts: 3,255

    Oh is that what it is? Maybe that's why the cheapo 27" monitors I bought don't have Displayport, because they don't need it since they can't do anywhere near 4k. 

    But still, I wish they had made Displayport the same connector but using additional pins or something. 

  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 12,167
    edited September 2017

    You can save a few dollars and get <DisplayPort to HDMI> 6 foot cables for $33 from cablestogo.com   https://search.cablestogo.com/?keyword=displayport+to+hdmi&length_feet=3

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 12,167
    edited September 2017
    ebergerly said:

    Oh is that what it is? Maybe that's why the cheapo 27" monitors I bought don't have Displayport, because they don't need it since they can't do anywhere near 4k. 

    But still, I wish they had made Displayport the same connector but using additional pins or something. 

    Personally I like the fact that they've gone back to putting latches on cables.  No more surprise disconnects! surprise (but yeah, the cost of a latch doesn't justify the jump in price, so it's got to be the higher quality signal transference and isolation that you're paying for.  Along with the "newness" of it for now.)

    And I'm actually surprised that BestBuy hasn't marked up the price 300% beyond the internet stores. surprise

     

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • ebergerlyebergerly Posts: 3,255
    edited September 2017

    Speaking of Best Buy, I just got back from stopping by my local Best Buy to get an HDMI to Displayport adapter, and the cost is $25. But the helpful clerk said "hold on, lets see if there's an open box". I said "huh?".

    Turns out they have an aisle of returns for a lot less, which I didn't know about. Can't go wrong with a cable return right? So I pick up an adapter for $15.95. Sweet. And I can use it with the 6' HDMI cable I thought I needed but didn't. 

    And I'm using it now with my 3rd monitor and it works fine. Cool. 

    Post edited by ebergerly on
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