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Welcome to the Shopping Guide that will reveal all the necessary information for those who want to choose a DVI cable. Your shopping experience will be more advantageous after reading this article.
A DVI cable is known for being flexible, working on different devices and being an interesting solution to do away with excess wires. But if you buy the wrong version according to your needs, the model is no longer useful.
To not be caught by surprise is important to know the variables of DVI cable, prices, where to buy and other issues that favor consumers in the end.
Summary
- There are 3 main DVI cable standards: DVI-A, DVI-D and DVI-I. You will understand the difference between them.
- The models also differ in length which can range from 1.5 meters to up to 25 meters, or more.
- Not all DVI cables can convert signals.
The best DVI Cable: Our Picks
Buying Guide: everything you need to know about the best DVI Cable
The experience of watching a movie on devices connected via DVI cable makes you think you’re actually in the cinema. Probably you are looking for this product to also have this feeling of watching quality images, right?
It’s time to meet the Buying Guide that will guide you when buying DVI cable online or in high street shops.
What is DVI cable?
DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface, which in English translation means something like Digital Visual Interface. This shows that the product has a direct relationship with digital technologies.
How did the DVI cable come about?
If you lived in the 90’s of the XX century probably know that VGA cables almost always generated terrible distortions on the screen, making the quality of images unfeasible.
These distortions happened because the VGA cable needed a lot of effort to convert the analog signals into digital ones.
Technology historians indicate that the DVI cable means the evolution of the VGA cable and the inspiration for the creation of the HDMI cable, born 4 years after the DVI.
In historical terms, the DVI cable is the first model created to replace the analogue versions. This product is characterised by having male and female or male and male connectors.
Most DVI cables on offer are moulded in PVC and transmit signals at a rate of 10.2 gbps (gigabytes per second), generating excellent colour quality in reproductions.
Where to use DVI cable?
- Video games;
- Joysticks;
- DVD player with Blu-ray;
- Digital TV receivers;
- Notebooks;
- Video screens;
- Home theater;
- Among other examples.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of DVI cable?
One of the most praised points by experts is that there is the possibility to find versions of different sizes. This way you can find models that connect the DVD a few meters from the TV, while it is also possible to perform the connection of a laptop 20 meters away from the big screen.
When you use a DVI cable, the transmission of digital images has a much higher quality compared to the visual work results of a VGA cable.
On the other hand, DVI cables only have the ability to transmit video signals, making it necessary to look for other solutions to audio. An HDMI cable, on the other hand, transmits both sound and video.
The main advantages and disadvantages of DVI cable you understand better by analyzing the table below:
What are the different types of DVI cable?
- DVI-A
- DVI-D
- DVI-C
Now is the time for you to get to know better what is the definition of each of the most popular DVI cables in retail. Do not forget to choose the models according to your needs:
DVI-A
If you analyse this acronym in detail you will notice that there is the presence of the first letter of the alphabet, i.e. A, which stands for Analogue.
Experts indicate the use of DVI-A cable between the digital content card and a monitor with analog type technology. There may be loss of quality in the images when considering the need of this product to convert digital signals to analog signals.
DVI-D
If it is easy to understand that the letter A in DVI-A stands for “Analogue”, there is no difficulty to understand that the D in DVI-D stands for “Digital”.
This all means that this DVI cable should not be used to support analogue signals. You can find the model in two different versions: 19-pin and 25-pin.
- 19-pin DVI-D cable: Works with 60 frames per second in a resolution up to 1920 x 1200 pixels.
- 25-pin DVI-D cable: handles 60 frames per second at a resolution of up to 2560 x 1600 pixels.
DVI-I cable
The letter I stands for “Integrated”, which means that this product is used to connect to cards and displays with analogue or digital technology.
The model does not convert signals. In practice this means that if the monitor is digital, the video card needs to be digital as well. There are versions of DVI cable with 29 pins and other models that have 23 pins.
The double connection allows this cable to transmit images with high speed and low interference, even in high resolution reproductions of over 2 million pixels.
The summarised differences between the 3 DVI cables can be found further on in the comparison table:
| DVI-D | DVI-I | DVI-A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital signal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Analog signal | No | Yes | Yes |
| Transmission quality | From medium to high | High | Medium |
| Signal conversion | No | No | Yes |
How much does it cost?
There are some structures that offer a better surface finish, which helps to raise not only the shielding against interference but also the prices in the market.
Buying criteria: Factors to compare DVI cable models
When you least expect it, you buy something on impulse and end up realising that you have fallen for the shopkeeper’s deception. To avoid this problem, compare the DVI cable offers yourself using the following criteria:
- Size
- Pins
- Shielding
- Warranty
- Type
To know the meaning of each of the purchase criteria continue reading the article.
Size
You need to know the distance between the devices connected with a DVI cable. For example, if you are in a workshop or a meeting room it may be worth buying the models that are several metres long.
For the connection of a video game that is very close to the TV you don’t need to buy the product too big, 2 or 3 metres being a sufficient measure.
The important thing is to avoid the use with very stretched cables to consider that this can shorten the life of the product.
Pins
The best way to know if the cable is compatible is to count the pins on the device inputs. Buy cables that have exactly the same number of pins as the devices’ inputs.
Many people forget about this detail, buy the product and lose money, since shopkeepers are not used to give the money back just because of this kind of mistake.
Armour
One rule is certain, the thicker the cable surface, the higher the shielding levels.
A shielded product besides being resistant also suffers less interference risks because of other signals from other electronics that are nearby. However, we can’t forget that the product gets more expensive as it gets more shielded.
Warranty
It is best to buy DVI cable from trusted brands from retailers with a positive reputation. This way, by having the invoice in your hands, you can exchange the product if it stops working.
Generally the warranty is 3 months. However, there are some retailers who offer longer warranties – it’s worth keeping an eye out for.
Type
It’s worth remembering that DVI cables are split into several different types. If you have two devices with digital video signals it’s recommended to use one version of DVI cable, whereas to connect a digital device to an analogue one there’s a need to buy another model of DVI cable.
Recall more on this subject by reading the section on the different types of DVI cable further above.
(Featured image source: webandi / Pixabay)
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