Is DVI worth the extra money?

[Don]

Hi, I have just realised that my screen has a DVI input as well as the
standard 15 pin VGA. My video card does have a DVI outout, but I am
currently running the screen on the 15 pin socket. Before I go out to buy a
DVI cable, could someone please advise me if I would actually see any
difference in picture quality please?

Many thanks in advance,

Don

 

[J. Clarke]

Hi, I have just realised that my screen has a DVI input as well as the
standard 15 pin VGA. My video card does have a DVI outout, but I am
currently running the screen on the 15 pin socket. Before I go out to buy
a DVI cable, could someone please advise me if I would actually see any
difference in picture quality please?

If it is an older LCD then it is very possible that there will be a
noticeable difference. Newer ones don't seem to show much difference
between the analog and digital inputs but the only way to be sure is to
either find someone with the same exact model who has tried both or to try
it yourself. If it's a CRT then don't bother--the DACs in CRTs with DVI
are typically of lower quality than the ones in decent video boards.

By the way, a DVI cable should cost under ten bucks and shipping--CrapUSA
and the like overcharge ludicrously on cables. Provantage has them for
$6.46 plus whatever UPS charges.

 

[DaveW]

YEs, you will se a somewhat sharper, clearer picture due to the lack of
digital to analog to digital conversions required to send the signal.

 

[NightSky 421]

Hi, I have just realised that my screen has a DVI input as well as the
standard 15 pin VGA. My video card does have a DVI outout, but I am
currently running the screen on the 15 pin socket. Before I go out to buy
a DVI cable, could someone please advise me if I would actually see any
difference in picture quality please?

Many thanks in advance,

Don

Switching from an analog cable to a DVI cable on a newer LCD often does not
make much difference. I made the switch on my BenQ FP737s-D, and the
difference was very minimal, if any, even in gaming. I noticed text on the
desktop was slightly sharper, but going to DVI hardly made any difference in
my overall viewing experience.

 

[Richard Forester]

It really depends on your videocard and the age of the monitor. I have seen
almost no difference using a DVI cable over a VGA cable with an AIW9800Pro
card and Samsung 930b monitor. However, at my office I see a very big
difference using DVI over VGA. Older cards that sometimes generate noise
that is cleared up using DVI. There's also a quality of cable issue here
to.

Anyway, considering how cheap you can get a DVI cable it may be worth your
while even if the gains are minimal. I know I wouldn't think of using VGA
unless I had to.

Richard

 

[Don]

Hi, I have just realised that my screen has a DVI input as well as the
standard 15 pin VGA. My video card does have a DVI outout, but I am
currently running the screen on the 15 pin socket. Before I go out to buy
a DVI cable, could someone please advise me if I would actually see any
difference in picture quality please?

Many thanks in advance,

Don

Thank you to all respondents. I gues the bottom line is to try it. I very
much appreciate all responses.

Don

 

[Bobby]

For the price of a cable you will get a lasting improvement in picture
quality.

You will not go back toVGA.

Bobby

 

[Ashton Crusher]

Hi, I have just realised that my screen has a DVI input as well as the
standard 15 pin VGA. My video card does have a DVI outout, but I am
currently running the screen on the 15 pin socket. Before I go out to buy a
DVI cable, could someone please advise me if I would actually see any
difference in picture quality please?

Many thanks in advance,

Don

IN addition to what the others have said, here is what I noticed the
most...

With the analog there would often be less then perfect color for text,
that is, when a letter on the screen in Word was supposed to be a
white letter, there would be a slight mix of other colors in it. It
varied depending on the font and size. You could push the "auto"
adjust button and it might make it better for a while. When I switch
to the digital input that kind of problem went away. So if with your
analog setup you see imperfections in your letters you'll probably see
improvement with DVI. I'm sure the same happens with photos but it's
just harder to see that kind of tiny imperfection in a photo.