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It's a bit of Minefield when deciding on which method to use to connect you Audio Visual Equipment, Our Guide to Video connections will hopefully make it easier for you to decide.

Digital Video - HDMI  - Resolution  v1.3b 1080P v1.4 4K

HDMI is an All Digital  Signal which enables the Source Video and Audio signal to be transferred from A to B  without any sort of compression or signal Loss, The resulting factor of the signal  Preservation is Rich colours and Sharpest Picture Possible as well as lossless Audio, HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, and multi-channel digital audio. supporting 8-channel digital audio, The earlier revisions of HDMI can transfer up to 5 Gbps bandwith of Data. However later revisions of the technology offer Higher bandwith up to 10Gbps.

HDMI supports high-definition Video formats 720p, 1080i, and 1080p up to 4k Resoltions for (HDMI 1.4) It also has the flexibility to support enhanced definition formats such as 480p,

HDMI also supports the Following Audio Signals, LPCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby TrueHD (24 bit) DTS-HD High resolution, DVD-Audio DTS-HD Master Audio, MPCM

Most equipment manufactured will have HDMI 19 pin connections present, Including SKY HD, Blu-ray players,  Games consoles, TV's, etc.

HDMI is also compatible with HDCP copy protection which is used to protect the transfer of Audio / Video content in the digital signal,  Many video and audio devices have the HDCP specification in them including Games consoles, Blueray Players,  The HDCP spec is also used on the DVI interface found on Computer Monitors / PC Laptops.

Digital Video - DVI - Max Resolution HDTV 1080p or WQXGA 1440p (Dual Link DVI)

DVI cables are capable of transferring an all Digital Video Signal including the hIgh Definiton Signal. There are 3 Variations of DVI Connections ie, DVI-A (Analogue) compatible with VGA, DVI-D (Digital) Compatible with HDMI, DVI-I (Analogue & Digital) Compatible with both Digital and Analogue Signals. One of the misconceptions when using an HDMI to DVI lead that it will carry both Audio and Video However DVI only carries the Video Signal. DVI cables are generally used to connect PC / Laptops to Monitors / TV.

DVI is Compatible with HDCP copy Protection which is used to transfer of Audio / Video content in the digital signal

DVI Digital Connections are available in both Single Link and Dual Link Versions, The Dual Link DVI uses 1 TMDS 165Mhz transmitter whereas the Single Link version uses one, This effectively doubles the power and provides an increase in speed and signal quality;

A DVI single link 60-Hz LCD can display a resolution of 1920 x 1200, while a DVI dual link can display a resolution of 2560 x 1600.

Cable Length - The maximum recommended cable length for DVI cables is 5m, However most of today graphic cards can support longer lengths up to 10m, If installations are extended beyond 10m then signal degradation can occur, In these cases the use of DVI boosters can resolve any issues.

DVI-D Single Link
DVI-D Dual Link
DVI-I Single Link
DVI-I Dual Link
DVI-A

Analogue Video - Component Video  - Max Resolution 1080P only on Equipment that supports this resolution in Component video Mode
Component Video signal is an RGB signal converted into a compressed and more compact format, Component video cables are three copper conductors fitted with RCA Jacks (red, green, blue), The component video signal consists of three signals, luminance which indicates brightness, the other two signals are colour difference signals which determine the amount of blue and red in relation to the luminance, Component video cables can support High definition video signals 720p / 1080i / 1080p (on compatible equipment), however they can only transfer the video signal.
 
Analogue Video - RCA - Composite - Max Resolution 576i
Composite Video Cable is a Copper Conductor with 1 RCA Type Plug on each end of the cable, Composite Video connections are usually Yellow RCA type Jacks and Sockets found on most AV equipment,  RCA Video Cables are usually found next to 2 Audio RCA Red / White Jacks, Composite video Cables are supplied as a single cable or connected to the Left and Right Audio Leads to provide the all in one Audio Visual solution, Most AV equipment including analogue / Digital Camcorders / Cameras will connect to the RCA Video and Audio inputs on TV's etc. RCA Video Provides a maximum Resolution of 576i,

 
Digital Video  DisplayPort - Resolution  1080P  up to 4K
         No Image DisplayPort is designed to replace older video standards such as VGA and DVI,  DisplayPort cables offers all the advantages that an HDMI cable does including 3D support,  higher resolutions 1080p and beyond, higher refresh rates, and higher colour depths and is suitable for Home theatre, Monitors, Projectors etc. DisplayPort cables are backwards compatible with older and existing standards via the use of a small adapter / converter. DisplayPort  will allow you to daisy-chain up to four 1920 x 1200 monitors with a single output cable.
 DisplayPort cables also carry the audio signal and supports DTS Digital, Dolby Digital DTS-HD and Dolby True HD however this is dependant upon the audio functionality of the devices you are connecting. Not all products support audio through displayPort.