DisplayPort 1.2 Opens New Data Opportunities

As we recently highlighted, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) formally unveiled the eagerly awaited DisplayPort v1.2 specification. This new extension offers a number of new features: in addition to doubling the data rate and providing multi-streaming capabilities, DisplayPort v1.2 has the ability to transfer audio, video, USB, Ethernet, power, and data from multi-touch panels, cameras, microphones and more. By supporting a wide range of data through a single cable, DisplayPort continues to trend toward a unified interconnect and creates opportunities for manufacturers and consumers.

DisplayPort v1.2 data-supporting capabilities create a more simplified interface while increasing performance and reducing costs. The ability to transfer USB and Ethernet data will allow users to connect their monitor via DisplayPort and utilize the same cable to carry USB signals to the display, significantly reducing cable clutter and creating a simplified user experience. DisplayPort will allow manufacturers to add features to their products while creating simpler designs.

Additionally, the increased throughput of DisplayPort 1.2, which has an aggregate data rate of 17.28 Gbps, greatly improves performance by allowing for faster refresh rates of 120 Hz and, in turn, increased color depth, higher resolutions, and support for 3D gaming. DisplayPort’s energy efficiency as well as its ability to eliminate redundant cables reduces the interface’s energy consumption and costs. In-Stat projected that DisplayPort will see 194 percent annual growth in 2010, due primarily to the growing adoption of mobile PCs and to DisplayPort’s low power consumption.

The DisplayPort standard continues to gain traction in the industry and create opportunities for application development. VESA’s executive director Bill Lempesis has called DisplayPort the “standard of choice across the industry.”