HDMI vs DisplayPort

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is one of the latest interfaces that aim to provide a unified connection for majority, if not all, of the needed cabling for audio and video equipment like TVs and set top players. DisplayPort is another interface that seems to serve almost an identical purpose but is aimed towards computers as a replacement for DVI and possibly even more. What sets DisplayPort apart from HDMI is the fact that it is royalty free, a major reason why it’s rapidly gaining support over HDMI.

DisplayPort has a lot more bandwidth compared to HDMI. While HDMI can only transmit up to 10.2Gbit/s, DisplayPort is able to transmit up to 17.28Gbit/s of information, add to that the addition 720Mbit/s allocated for the auxiliary channel. Another advantage of DisplayPort is the customizability of the bandwidth. Unlike HDMI which has a fixed channel for video, audio, and CEC, DisplayPort can configure its bandwidth for multiple video/audio streams, thereby allowing greater freedom.

DisplayPort has been deemed as a good replacement for LVDS which is predominantly used in connecting the display on a laptop to its main board, something that is not possible for HDMI. Although DisplayPort was initially not compatible with HDMI or DVI, updated guidelines allowed DisplayPort to interoperate with DVI and HDMI. This makes DisplayPort a very safe choice since it can work with virtually any device.

The AUX channel of DisplayPort can carry a lot of different signals, including Ethernet and even USB 2.0 data. This opens up the possibility of incorporating ports in displays and even integrated devices. A perceived advantage of HDMI is the presence of the CEC channel that is used to relay remote control signals from one device to another. Although DisplayPort does not natively have a CEC channel, it can be implemented as part of the AUX channel if needed.

Despite the many advantages of DisplayPort, it is still not as popular as HDMI, which has already become the de facto standard for all digital TVs and other digital hardware. This would probably change as more of the industry giants who support DisplayPort begin selling hardware with the said ports as standard.

Summary:

1. HDMI is aimed towards A/V equipment while DisplayPort is aimed towards computers
2. HDMI is proprietary while DisplayPort is free
3. DisplayPort has a much higher bandwidth capacity compared to HDMI
4. DisplayPort has customizable data lanes while HDMI does not
5. DisplayPort can replace LVDS while HDMI cannot
6. DisplayPort has the AUX channel while HDMI has the CEC
7. DisplayPort is less popular compared to HDMI

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