The latest display connectivity standards are DisplayPort and HDMI ( High-Definition Multimedia Interface). DisplayPort first appeared in 2006, while HDMI came out in 2002. Both are digital standards, meaning all the data about the pixels on your screen is represented as 0s and 1s as it zips across your cable, and it's up to the display to convert that digital information into an image on your screen. If you are looking for a cable, you will want to make sure that you grab one of a decent length. If you are planning on hooking up two devices, then you will need to ensure that there is enough cable to extend between the two. To Conclude Because the standard has evolved over the years, not all DisplayPort cables will work properly at the latest speeds. The original Display 1.0-1.1a spec allowed for RBR (reduced bit rate) and HBR (high bit rate) cables, capable of 5.18 Gbps and 8.64 Gbps of data bandwidth, respectively. DisplayPort 1.2 introduced HBR2, doubled the maximum data bit rate to 17.28 Gbps and is compatible with standard HBR DisplayPort cables. HBR3 with DisplayPort 1.3-1.4a increased things again to 25.92 Gbps, and added the requirement of DP8K DisplayPort certified cables.

Shopping for the optimal DisplayPort cable for your devices could be a confusing task, even for tech-savvy people. Here are a few things you should focus on while shopping for a cable: You might think it's a simple matter of hooking up whatever cable comes with your monitor to your PC and calling it a day, but there are differences that can often mean a loss of refresh rate, color quality, or both if you're not careful. Here's what you need to know about DisplayPort vs. HDMI connections. The most commonly seen HDMI variant is Type A, a standard in almost every modern-day television and computer. HDMI Type C is a standard for tablet computers and smaller laptops. Type D is used in smartphones and tablets. Finally, Type E is customized for automobile and industrial applications. All these variants come with 19 pins. Other use cases might push you toward DisplayPort as well, like if you want to use MST to have multiple displays daisy chained from a single port. That's not a very common scenario, but DisplayPort does make it possible. Home theater use on the other hand continues to prefer HDMI, and the auxiliary channel can improve universal remote compatibility. If you're hooking up your PC to a TV, HDMI is usually required, as there aren't many TVs that have a DisplayPort input.DisplayPort supports G-Sync and FreeSync. It also offers technical advantages for setups that feature older-generation hardware.

Note that there are two bandwidth columns: transmission rate and data rate. The DisplayPort and HDMI digital signals use bitrate encoding of some form — 8b/10b for most of the older standards, 16b/18b for HDMI 2.1, and 128b/132b for DisplayPort 2.0. 8b/10b encoding for example means for every 8 bits of data, 10 bits are actually transmitted, with the extra bits used to help maintain signal integrity (eg, by ensuring zero DC bias).For devices that offer a choice between DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0, the latter may be preferred for HDR support. However, even in the case of HDMI, it is necessary for all devices in the setup to support the latest HDMI version. For instance, if a user wishes to enjoy the features of HDMI 2.0, the monitor and video card must both support HDMI 2.0 and not an earlier version.

In 2005, HDMI 1.2 was rolled out with a new Type-A connector compatible with personal computers. This version also came with improved Super Audio CD transmission, as well as support for Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr colors. In a mini update, HDMI 1.2a was enhanced with Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) support.

Next in line is DisplayPort 1.1, which was introduced in 2007 and supported 3D video, fiber optics linking, Dual Mode, and DisplayPort Content Protection.