DVI - D / A Cable (1 Viewer)

[deanKnox]

Please help!!

I have just bought a Hitachi 32LD7200 32" LCD TV and i'm overjoyed with it. I have it all connected up and working fine.

I thought I would connect the LCD to my computer as it has a HDMI and a DVI-D [::::::::-] socket. My PC has the usual connections at the back. VGA, S-Video and what I think is a DVI-A [:::::::: :-:] socket (It has the numerous single pins, the flat horizontal pin with four individual pins around it). My problem is which cable to buy?

I bought a DVI-I cable (Digital and Analogue I think?) but this would not go into the LCD as it didn't have the 4 pin slots around the flat cable.

Can anybody help me as no so called 'experts' in shops seem to know!

Thanks in advance

Dean

 

[David_Rivshin]

So there are 3 types of DVI sockets and plugs:
DVI-D: digital only
DVI-A: analog only (same as VGA signalling, different layout)
DVI-I: both digital and analog

A DVI-D plug can fit into a DVI-D or DVI-I socket.
A DVI-A plug can fit into a DVI-A or DVI-I socket.
A DVI-I plug can only fit into a DVI-I socket.
In all other combinations there would be pins on the plug that have no place to go into the socket, and so would physically not fit (unless you cut those pins off).

Now, I don't think anyone has ever actually used a DVI-A socket. I don't think anyone has ever made a DVI-I plug.
The only place you'll probably find a DVI-A plug is on a DVI-A -> VGA converter, often packaged with computer video cards (which usually have DVI-I sockets).

So, the end result is, whenever someone wants to use an actual DVI cable, they very likely want a DVI-D cable.

From your description, your monitor has a DVI-D socket, and your computer has a DVI-I socket. That's the usual situation people find themselves in. You want a DVI-D cable.

Now it gets more complicated. There are two forms of DVI-D. Single-link, and dual link. I believe that all sockets are dual-link, although the second link may not actually be hooked up to any electronics. Dual-link is needed for higher resolutions and refresh rates commonly used with computer monitors, but not in consumer displays. The connectors you've described are both dual link (they have all the pins), so I'd suggest getting a dual link DVI-D cable if the price isn't much higher than a single-link, just incase it comes in handy later.

Hope this helps,
-- Dave