DVI and Displayport Cables

DVI may be the most confusing video connection standard ever devised. The problem of DVI-confusion, however, has simplified in recent years due to the falloff in the number and variety of devices that still employ DVI connectors. We'll get in deep here to ALL of the possible DVI configurations, but first one quick note: the vast majority of devices today (this being written in 2023) that use a DVI connection have a single-link DVI digital connection. For those, our dual-link DVI-D cables, below, will do the trick, and there's not a lot else to know or worry about except that such a connection CANNOT be hooked with adapters to any analog connection type (e.g., a VGA port). But if you're looking at an older device or have other reason to think your situation is more complex, read on.

DVI's Many Faces:

DVI-D Plug:

DVI-I Plug:

First, when you're looking for a DVI cable, you need to know what type of signal you need to carry. The DVI connection can be used either to carry a digital video signal (DVI-D) or to carry an analog signal (DVI-A) or both (DVI-I). The only way to be sure what your device accepts or puts out through the DVI connector is to examine the connection point and consult your manual. At right are pictures of a DVI-D plug (digital only) and a DVI-I plug (used for analog video, with or without digital video alongside). As you can see, the difference between the two lies at the right side; the DVI-D plug has a single, wide flat pin, while the DVI-I plug has that same pin, but also four additional pins, two above and two below it. Those pins are used to carry the red, green, blue and horizontal sync (R,G,B and H) lines of an RGBHV analog video signal (the vertical sync lies on another pin). If the receptacles on your devices don't have holes which will accept these four pins, then you have a DVI-D connection, which is all digital, no analog (your plug may also be lacking some other pins; if that's so, you're probably looking at a DVI-D Single-Link plug). If the receptacles do have holes for these pins, however, that doesn't guarantee that there really is an analog connection available--check your user's manual. For further info, too, see this article: What Kind of DVI Cable do I Need?

Digital Connection:

If you are looking to make a digital connection, there are only two variants: single-link, and the not-as-often-seen dual link. A dual link cable will carry a single-link signal, but not vice versa, so all of our DVI-D cables are dual link to avoid problems. Unlike HDMI, there are no additional "speed" ratings to worry about; our cable should handle any digital signal you put through it.

Analog Connection:

Analog DVI connections on modern devices are relatively rare, but they are still supported by the spec so it's always possible that a new device will use one; and many older devices did support DVI-A analog signals. If you're looking to make a DVI-A connection, you don't need a DVI-A or DVI-I cable. DVI-A is simply VGA, but with a different connector, and the best way to make the connection is with an adapter to allow use of a standard VGA cable or, if you have a long quality-sensitive run or you have five discrete BNC jacks to run into on the other end of the line, a five-way breakout adapter from the DVI connector to five female BNCs. Remember, though: if the connection in the DVI port is digital only, these solutions will not work! An adapter maps one set of connector pins to another, but it cannot convert analog to digital or vice versa.

DVI to HDMI Cables:

Due to lack of demand, we have stopped stocking DVI to HDMI cables. We do have a few lengths left in stock, which are listed below. The best method for connecting DVI to HDMI is simply to use an HDMI cable and an HDMI Female/DVI Male adapter. The DVI signal protocol is almost exactly the same as the earliest versions of HDMI, so as a general rule, DVI single-link digital signals are compatible with HDMI (though problems are not unheard of!).

Displayport Cable and Adapter:

We also offer some Displayport cable and adapters, as shown below.

As with all of our products, we offer a simple and easy return policy. If for any reason you're not completely satisfied, just return the cables, undamaged, within 30 days and we'll refund your purchase price in full.

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