DisplayPort
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Apple's braided Thunderbolt 3 cable costs $129
Apple has started selling a high-end certified 40 Gbps Thunderbolt cable that’s either a real bargain or ridiculously expensive, depending on your point of view. The braided $129 Thunderbolt 3 Pro Cable supports not only Thunderbolt 3 connections, but also DisplayPort video, USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfers up to 10 Gbps and 100 watt charging.
DisplayPort 2.0 supports 8K monitors
With 8K displays in the pipeline and Apple's 6K Pro Display XDR on its way, the DisplayPort standard was in need of an update. Today, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) addressed the demand for increased bandwidth and revealed DisplayPort 2.0. It's the standard's first major update since 2016, and it will provide up to a threefold increase in bandwidth over the previous version. It will support 8K monitors, higher refresh rates, HDR support at higher resolutions and improved support for multiple display set-ups. It could also give AR and VR displays a boost.
New DisplayPort standard leverages USB Type-C's blazing speed
DisplayPort standards are one of those things most of us don't think about a whole lot, but are pretty important in terms of how our monitors connect to computers. The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has published the latest version of the transfer protocol, about two years after the last. Whereas version 1.3 focused pretty heavily on 4K in 2014, 1.4 is more about providing lossless compression and further leveraging relatively new connection methods like USB Type-C.
New video spec clears the way for 8K laptop screens
Think your 4K laptop or 5K iMac is hot stuff? If specification developers have their way, both will soon be old hat. The Video Electronics Standards Association has unveiled Embedded DisplayPort 1.4a, a new format that lets all-in-ones and laptops use 8K screens (7,680 x 4,320, if you want to be exact). The technology uses compression to squeeze more data into the video feed, and it can divide displays into two or four segments to help the pipeline cope with all those extra pixels.
New reversible USB connectors will carry audio and video, too
We've told you all about the upcoming USB cable's high-powered abilities, but now audio and video have joined the mix. Working alongside the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has leveraged a DisplayPort "Alt Mode" to sort full audio/video on monitors with resolutions of 4K and above with the Type-C tech. What's more, with the help of an adapter or converter cable, the new standard can be made to play nice with regular DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI and VGA jacks on existing displays. To wrangle video and sound, the alternate mode leverages a couple of the Type-C connector's so-called SuperSpeed lanes to deliver the goods to that external monitor -- leaving the others to data transfers alongside that 100 watts of power. Of course, DisplayPort tech has been available in Thunderbolt cables/jacks for some time, but the new USB kit looks to be "a single-cable solution" that's sure to clean up that mess of wires under your desk.
ASUS unveils 28-inch, $799 4K display targeting price-sensitive pros
ASUS' 31.5-inch 4K monitor may be the ideal display for many content creators, but a typical asking price over $3,000 rules it out for all but the most affluent. Much to our relief, the company is bringing the cost of its technology closer to Earth with a new 28-inch display, the PB287Q. It touts the extra-sharp 3,840 x 2,160 resolution of its bigger sibling, just in a smaller and cheaper form factor. You aren't giving up much in the way of features, either, as the 28-inch panel boasts a quick 1ms response time, DisplayPort, MHL-capable HDMI and a rotatable design. The real highlight, of course, is the discount -- the PB287Q will ship in the second quarter for $799, which both puts it on par with Lenovo's affordable 4K display and makes it easier to justify for penny-pinching workstation buyers.
Acer's new LED monitors: 27- and 29-inch flavors, up to WQHD resolutions
As much as we lust after 4K monitors, we need all that cash for, you know, boring stuff like rent and food. For now, we'll make do with screens that are a little lighter on the wallet, and today Acer has announced three new LED offerings for Joes and pros alike. First up is the T272HUL 27-inch multitouch monitor aimed at consumers, with a WQHD panel (2,560 x 1,440 resolution), 5ms response time and various inputs including old-school VGA. Arriving in late August, the T272HUL is expected to retail at around $999. Another 27-inch model, the B276HUL, drops touch support but sports the same WQHD res, a 6ms response time and a DisplayPort input among several others. Intended more for pros, the 29-inch B296CL rocks a widescreen 2,560 x 1080 resolution, 8ms response time and the same connectivity credentials as the B276HUL. Both non-touch models are on sale now for around $599. In case you were wondering, all three displays have 178-degree viewing angles both horizontally and vertically -- because if you're not looking almost entirely at bezel, you're doing it wrong. PR after the break.%Gallery-196070%
Adafruit demos Display port to Retina display adapter
Here's something you don't see every day: a MacBook Air with a Retina display sitting on top where you'd normally see the Apple logo. The geniuses at Adafruit hacked together a Display port to Retina display adapter, using it to drive the same display that's used in the third-generation iPad. In the video below at about 49m20s, you'll see Adafruit's Limor "Lady Ada" Fried and Phillip Torrone talking about the display adapter as part of last Saturday's "Ask an Engineer" video podcast. The adapter and display will both be available for sale from Adafruit in the near future for your hardware hacking fun. Until then, you can dream about how you'll use that "display on the back of your display" on your MacBook.
TI intros single-chip DockPort technology destined for laptops and tablets
The DockPort standard is only just getting off the ground with support in AMD's Elite Performance processors. TI could soon make the technology fly, however: its new (if awkwardly named) HD3SS2521 controller handles all the tasks of DockPort on a single chip. The hardware is both simpler and cheaper than past multi-chip designs, and makes it easier for laptops and tablets to deliver DisplayPort video, USB 3.0 and power through a single cable. Whether or not we see more DockPort-equipped mobile gadgets is another matter. While the TI chip is available today, device builders still have to choose DockPort over a more established standard like Intel's Thunderbolt.
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Belkin's Thunderbolt dock delivers plug-and-play flexibility
It's dock o'clock, thank goodness, as Belkin's long incubation period of the Thunderbolt Express Dock closed out last month. The US$299 expansion peripheral is now shipping to customers; is it worth your attention? We've had a week to put it through its paces. The most direct product comparison for the Express Dock is Matrox's $249 DS1, which we reviewed a few weeks ago. Like the Matrox unit, the Belkin dock requires but does not include a Thunderbolt cable -- so you should mentally add at least $30 to the price of each unit if you don't already have one. (Kanex sells Thunderbolt cables in lengths ranging from three meters down to one-half meter.) Design The Express Dock's industrial design went through several iterations after its original "stapler-style" preview first appeared in January of 2012. Since then the unit has gained a passthrough Thunderbolt port, lost its HDMI port, and seen an eSATA port added, then dropped, from the configuration. The unit comes with an external power brick that uses a standard three-prong plug, rather than an outlet-hogging adapter. With the Express Dock you get all the ports you need, and more. Dual Thunderbolt ports (one in, one out) line up with three super-speed USB 3 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, analog audio in and out, and a Firewire 800 port. Compared to the Matrox DS1, Belkin has delivered quite a bit more flexibility and speed, particularly for Firewire users; being able to chain several FW800 drives off the dock means one less adapter to manage, and one less Thunderbolt port on the computer tied up. I'd tag maxing out the USB 3 ports versus the Matrox unit "nice but not a blockbuster," as there's always the option of attaching a USB 3 hub to the DS1's single superspeed port if you need that expandability; I would expect that users with a lot of USB 3 devices have probably already invested in a hub to cover that need. The passthrough Thunderbolt port, on the other hand, is a big deal, and good on Belkin for sticking with this design choice through the process. Yes, you're most likely going to terminate the chain with a Mini DisplayPort adapter or connecting to a Thunderbolt monitor; still, if you have other Thunderbolt devices that can sit mid-chain (like LaCie's eSATA hub) you are going to get more mileage out of Belkin's dock than you will from the DS1. The final shipping instance of the Express Dock is low and lean, with a convenient cable passthrough that lets you run your Thunderbolt cable through the front of the device to the ports in the back. This may reduce wire clutter compared to the DS1, where the only TB connection is in the front. The rounded, unobtrusive case design on the Express Dock would be at home on most desks. It's noticeably lower-profile than the Matrox, and quite a bit less boxy and industrial-looking. I do miss Matrox's front-facing USB port a bit, as it's convenient for plugging in flash drives and other quick-use devices. Performance The best thing that can be said about a Thunderbolt dock is that you don't really have to think about it once you plug it in; that's certainly true of the Express Dock. It's completely plug-and-play, with no device issues that I could see. File transfer performance on Firewire, USB 3 and Thunderbolt was pretty much indistinguishable from directly-connected devices; I tested with a Buffalo TB/USB3 drive, an Elgato SSD and a LaCie Firewire 800 drive and didn't see any substantive differences between docked and directly-connected performance. Macworld's lab testing showed similar performance parity on file transfers. Display performance was also remarkably unremarkable, with the dock immediately syncing up to my external display via my mDP to DVI adapter. Although the Matrox DS1 dock has shown some rare loss-of-sync issues where external displays needed to be reset or reconnected to show up, I haven't seen that at all in a week of testing the "pure Thunderbolt" path on the Belkin. The Ethernet port on the dock requires no additional software or driver install to be recognized; it just shows up, as you'd expect. Since it's recognized as a new network adapter, if you want your Mac to use it as the primary connection rather than WiFi or USB Ethernet you should make sure to move it to the top of the network connection priority list. The dock does require OS X 10.8.3, so if you don't get every port behaving properly at first you might check your system version. Wrap-up Thunderbolt docks may not be the sexiest peripheral sector, but Belkin's done a solid job delivering the Express Dock to the market with enough standout features to make it worth a look. With Firewire, plenty of USB 3 ports and the flexibility of passthrough Thunderbolt, it's packing plenty of value to cover that $50 premium versus the competition. Pros Plug and play performance Thunderbolt passthrough port for flexibility Firewire 800, 3x USB 3 Cons Not inexpensive No front-facing convenience USB port Who is it for? Thunderbolt Mac owners starved for expansion ports, especially those with investments in Firewire or USB 3 devices. Here's a quick promo video from the Belkin team:
Matrox DualHead2go adapter broadens your monitor horizons
If your widescreen ambitions can't be contained by a mere 1920x1080 HD screenscape, the fine folks at Matrox have a solution for you. The DualHead2Go Digital Mac Edition display adapter, priced around US$160, is built and marketed specifically for the Thunderbolt and DisplayPort-enabled Mac models. It pairs up with Matrox's PowerDesk software to enable spanned displays, rather than defining each external monitor as its own real estate. If you have the required two matching-resolution monitors, you can achieve some truly breathtaking resolutions. Design Like the rest of Matrox's line, the DualHead's pro-style design would be perfectly at home in a video editing workstation or studio. The unit, about the size of a pack of cards, sports two DVI-D ports on the back to connect your two displays for pairing. The aluminum case features cheesegrater-style ventilation holes that match nicely with the look of the aging Mac Pro desktop. I hooked up the DualHead to a Retina MacBook Pro via the provided mini DisplayPort to full-size DisplayPort adapter. This larger connector may be unfamiliar to most Mac users, but it's frequently seen on recent-model Windows laptops; it looks like a slightly cockeyed HDMI plug. The other necessary connection on the front of the unit is USB, which provides power for the adapter. Considering the number of cables going into and out of this small device, a bit of onboard cable management wouldn't be amiss. You could velcro or cable-tie your cables to the DualHead, since it doesn't get particularly hot during usage. Users who need even more space to spread out have the option of stepping up to the TripleHead2go unit, which teams three monitors instead of two -- for about 2x the price. Performance Unlike the dual-DVI connection that enables full resolution on Apple's 30" Cinema Display, the DualHead creates a virtual spanned display across both of the connected external monitors. In my testing, with two smaller Cinema Displays, the combined resolution got up to the supported maximum of 3840x1200 -- more than enough real estate for almost anyone. Given that this "one big monitor" is actually two displays with a hefty border in between, window management becomes more important than in a simplex setup. Matrox's PowerDesk software lets you define target cells for your apps, quickly moving windows around the screen and swapping content from your LCD to the wide external duplex display. It took me a few passes through the documentation to get a handle on the best way to manage the display cells; Matrox's instructions and the utility interface are aimed more at a video professional audience than at consumers. The responsiveness of the big screen was surprisingly good. Matrox's hardware doesn't do any hefty graphics processing of its own; rather, it presents the large virtual display resolution to the onboard GPU and lets the graphics chip in the Mac do the heavy lifting of drawing on that big canvas. On the Retina MBP, I didn't notice any dragging or slow performance onscreen, even with several QuickTime movies playing at once. Older Mac hardware might not fare quite as well -- Matrox's compatibility guide for adapters is a good place to start if you're considering options. Wrap-up With its base requirement of two resolution-matched external displays plus a solid GPU-equipped Mac, the DualHead2go is fairly described as a specialty item. If your needs demand extreme widescreen, however, and you'd rather repurpose older DVI monitors than shell out $999 for a 27" Thunderbolt display, Matrox is there to help you out. Pros Unique widescreen capability Small and unobtrusive Impressive performance Cons Software is a bit confusing Requires identical resolution monitors Limited consumer appeal Who is it for? Graphics and video pros who believe wider is better.
Dell intros color-accurate U2413, U2713H and U3014 displays (updated)
Dell's UltraSharp displays still have a certain cachet among sticklers for quality, most of all at the high end -- so today's release of three advanced models might as well be a bonanza. The 24-inch U2413, 27-inch U2713H and 30-inch U3014 (above) once more center on PremierColor and the visual accuracy to match. Even the two smaller displays have a 12-bit processor that helps their LCDs reach 99 percent of the Adobe RGB color space and all of the sRGB space, or enough of the spectrum to eliminate most rude surprises with photo work. What else is new? Dell hasn't divulged full details of the screens themselves, but there's now a single-display arm and a dual-display stand to get just the right placement. Like what you see -- or rather, what you will see? The U2413 and U2713H should be available now for $599 and $999 alongside the $149 arm and $169 stand, while the range-topping U3014 is due "soon" for $1,499. Update: We reached out to Dell for more details, and the updates are substantial -- all three displays bump up to a 2-million-to-1 dynamic contrast ratio, an increase in Adobe RGB color gamut coverage (up from 96 percent), a more adjustable height and support for DisplayPort daisy chaining. The two larger screens also add Mini DisplayPort.
VESA outs latest DisplayPort Dual-Mode 1.1 standard with 4K HDMI support
As manufacturers ramp up the pixels for TVs, that tech will soon trickle over to the computer side of things. As such, the VESA standard body's just announced a new DisplayPort version that'll work with the highest HDMI 1.4a resolutions like Ultra HD (4k), 3D 1080p60 and 1080p with deep (billions or more) colors. It'll be able to output those modes through a new DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, version 1.1, once new graphics cards and devices arrive "later this year" with the standard, according to VESA. As it stands, DisplayPort Dual-Mode already supports all those resolutions natively (and more), including UltraHD at 60Hz or even four simultaneous 1080p60 monitors. However, the new standard, along with a compliant adapter, will let you drive HDMI 1.4 TVs or displays using a single cable at the higher resolutions (if supported) -- rather than the 1080p60 it was limited to before. If you need a higher res version of things, check the PR after the break.
DisplayLink shows off adapters and docks from HP, Lenovo, EVGA and Targus at IDF 2012
With the proliferation of Ultrabooks, laptops are shipping with fewer ports and smaller screens. One of the benficiaries of the streamlined designs is DisplayLink, whose technology can turn a single USB port into a bevy of connections. At IDF 2012, the company showed off new gear from several vendors, including EVGA, HP, Lenovo and Targus. First, there's a handsome little puck from EVGA, called the UV Plus+39, that plugs into your laptop's USB 2 or 3.0 socket to grant you HDMI and DVI output at up to 2048 x 1152 resolution for $85. Next up, Lenovo's self-explanatory USB 3.0 to DVI adapter that supports the same max resolution as the Plus+39 for $80. Lastly, a pair of docks from Targus and HP. HP's 3005pr USB 3.0 Port Replicator turns your laptop's USB 3.0 port into four USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, one HDMI, DisplayPort, and RJ-45 jacks, plus audio in and out connections for a mere $150. Targus' $250 USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Dual Video Docking Station has similar connectivity to HP's solution, but swaps DisplayPort for DVI and adds the ability to charge 90W laptops using its included array of power adapters. Having trouble deciding which one's for you? Perhaps our photos in the gallery below will help you decide.%Gallery-165490% Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
VESA announces embedded DisplayPort version 1.4, claims better battery life and performance improvements
The embedded DisplayPort (eDP) standard consumes less power than the on-the-way-out LVDS method, and a new update from VESA should cut down on energy usage even more. The reduced power-sipping comes thanks to a new partial-frame update feature for Panel Self Refresh, regional backlight controls, additional link rate options and other tweaks. The upcoming release of eDP Version 1.4 will also support a wider range of mobile devices, including tablets, laptops and "handhelds," and the auxiliary channel can now carry a display's multitouch data to the system processor. Additionally, VESA says this latest version of eDP will allow for increased battery life and allow for thinner, lighter devices. Look for the standard to be released in October, and it should make its way to gadgets by 2014.
LG preps 21:9 aspect ratio EA93 and WQHD EA83 series IPS LCD monitors for debut at IFA 2012
It's tradeshow season and as is its custom, LG is bringing monitors packed with its latest and greatest display technology to show off. Just announced ahead of IFA 2012 are the EA93 and EA83 IPS LCDs, with the former aimed at entertainment / multitasking and the latter targeting graphics, video and photography pros. The EA93 is a 29-inch 21:9 aspect ratio ultrawidescreen (2560 x 1080) display with a thin bezel designed to immerse the viewer in the content. It can handle a 4-way split screen and connections via DVI Dual Link, DisplayPort, or HDMI with MHL support. The 27-inch EA83's claim to fame is its 2560 x 1440 WQHD resolution that brings four times the pixel count of 1280 x 720 panels and 99 percent Adobe RGB accuracy. There's no word on the price tag for either of these, but they should start shipping in November.
Nixeus shows off 27-inch IPS Vue monitor with 2560 x 1440 resolution, $430 price
Greenhorn Nixeus, perhaps better known for media streamers, has jumped headfirst into the display market with the 27-inch IPS Vue model boasting a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel WQHD resolution and priced at $430 -- around half what you'll pay for similar panels. The new model, which the company says will be released on August 21st, seems to be nicely specced with an LG S-IPS panel, true 8-bit color, 6ms refresh, DVI / DisplayPort / HDMI 1.4 connection options and full-portrait tilting. If you've been coveting more screen space and pixels, but don't want to be reduced to bread and water, it'll go up for pre-order soon. [Thanks, Myco]
VESA's Mobility DisplayPort standard links smartphones to PC displays, jabs MHL
If you own a modern Android smartphone, there's a reasonable chance you're familiar with MHL for video out to a TV. The format saves the trouble of adding an extra port, but it's really only intended for HDMI-based destinations and occasionally runs into compatibility issues. VESA is hoping to settle all that with its newly available Mobility DisplayPort standard, or MyDP. Existing micro-USB ports will still serve as the output, but you'll have the option of plugging into DVI or VGA displays with the right adapter, in addition to HDMI and full-size DisplayPort. Picture connecting to an older projector and you'll see why that might make sense. The new spec will charge up your device like with MHL, but it also has about 1Mbps of bandwidth for input, such as keyboards and trackpads in some future lapdock. Video still tops out at 1080p and 60Hz, so there's no hooking into a 4K display here. The real advantage, for many, is simply in having a broadly-adopted standard in the first place: VESA backing sees 180 companies tacitly endorsing the idea, producing a big improvement over the patchwork results that we've seen from MHL's much smaller alliance. The chief obstacle is the wait for the first smartphones, Ultrabooks and tablets with MyDP, which could be months or more away.
ASUS offers Thunderbolt upgrade card for some 7-series motherboards
Want to have your mobo cake now and eat the Thunderbolt later? ASUS is there for you with its new Thunderbolt EX Upgrade card -- as long as you buy, or have bought, certain of its 7-series motherboards. The supported models have a "unique system link connector" to cable to the upgrade card, which will gobble up one of your PCIe x4 slots and use a DisplayPort to serve up the 'bolt. So if you don't feel like laying the cash down now and don't mind giving up ports later, pass-through the break to see which models will work.
