Apple's Mini DisplayPort gets VESA stamp of approval
By Darren Murph 
posted November 10th 2009 8:48AM
posted November 10th 2009 8:48AM
We already knew that Apple's homegrown Mini DisplayPort connector was being baked into the DisplayPort 1.2 specifications, but now said socket has even more validity in the marketplace thanks to a ringing endorsement from the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). As of now, the diminutive connector has managed to comply with all of the signaling and protocol capabilities defined in the DisplayPort Standard Version 1, Revision 1a, and we're told that DisplayPort 1.2 -- which incorporates mDP and doubles available bandwidth to 21.6Gb/second -- is nearing finalization. Looks like we can finally look forward to seeing products take advantage of this socket aside from those Designed In California (and copied shamelessly in the outskirts of Shenzhen).
What irks me about the Mini DP is its incapability to go from Mini DP to Composite. Apple's push towards future hardware leaves so many of its users forgotten, especially when there are still so many people with composite televisions. Going from Mini DP -> VGA -> Composite doesn't work either, it weakens the signal too much.
Composite? Really?
Yes? Is that really so hard to believe now, or am I the only one without S-Video/HDMI in the world?
How's your betamax player holding up?
;-)
If you didn't have to pay the high price for Apple gear, you'd have enough money to get an updated display that uses HDMI.
HDMI is nothing but a re-packaged DVI port with audio included. The VESA standard MiniDisplayPort is far superior in combination with optical audio.