DVI vs HDMI – Which Is The Better Choice?

Category: DVI, HDMI

The popular use of both digital video and audio formats today makes one wonder which one is better between DVI vs HDMI. There is no clear cut answer to this query since both video standards are almost similar to each other in terms of image quality. The only difference between the two is that HDMI transmits audio as well, a feature not found in DVI.

Since both video interface standards use the same type of encoding scheme, a DVI input device can be connected to an HDMI output device and the other way around. To understand the main difference between HDMI vs DVI, it is best to look at both of them in detail.

DVI

The acronym stands for digital visual interface, a video standard developed by DDWG. The interface is used to transmit digital video signals in either analog or digital format depending on the version. This video standard is usually used in display output devices like the modern LCD monitors and DVI projectors.

DVI comes in three versions, DVI-A/D/I. DVI-A is used to transmit video signals in analog format, DVI-D in digital format, and DVI-I in both formats. Unlike HDMI, this video standard is more susceptible to noise interference.

HDMI

HDMI is an acronym for high definition multimedia interface; a video standard developed by video display manufacturer’s including Sony, Toshiba, Philips, Hitachi, et al. Unlike DVI, HDMI transmits audio signals in addition to video signals. The interface is commonly used in PCs, Blu-ray disk players, video game consoles, and HDMI digital TV sets.

The interface comes in 4 various versions, HDMI 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3. HDMI 1.0 is not designed to transmit DVD audio, but this feature is made available in version 1.1. Version 1.2 is used for computers while version 1.3 is used for PS3. The HDMI cable can be easily slid into a slot on the input or output device, much like the USB interface. Unlike DVI, HDMI is a lot less susceptible to noise interference.

Conclusion

In many ways, HDMI still emerges victorious since it offers more and better features than that of DVI. First of all, it is able to carry both digital video and digital audio signals in one cable. This gets rid of the need for two separate cables for audio and video. Second, the HDMI interface is less susceptible to noise; hence, its output video is a lot better than that of the DVI output. At any rate, both do provide better image quality than any other video interface.

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