Production Glossary
Digital Video Interface (DVI)
The Digital Video Interface, or DVI, is in cable form and was created to transfer digital video information that is uncompressed to a display, most commonly a flat panel display (i.e. laptop or desktop computer, TV screen). Possession of a graphics card is necessary in order to employ the technology of DVI. The DVI cable is able to carry the digital signal uncompromised, as opposed to the method used by the Video Graphics Array (VGA) interface, which has to first change the digital signal to an analog signal, diminishing it significantly once it reaches the intended monitor.Four different selections of DVI cables are available: DVI-I, DVI-D, DVI-DL, and DVI-A. The DVI-I cable is built to handle both analog and digital displays, thus the “I” for “integrated”. The cables must be used for connecting an analog signal to an analog display, and the same for digital components as well. They are unable to change analog to digital and vice verse. A DVI-D cable connects a DVI graphics card to a digital monitor, doing away with analog modification. The DVI-DL cable is capable of ‘dual-linking’. This connection gives big-screen displays a much higher resolution and superior signal. And finally, the DVI-A cable is for use in connecting DVI graphics cards with an analog display. This requires the technology of transferring a digital signal to an analog one, which can often cause a loss of clarity and speed of connection.
The DVI cable is a technological innovation that is on the way out, due in large part to the advent of the HDMI cable. However, some TV sets are still sold with DVI capabilities.
