Apple's mini connector set to be part of DisplayPort standard

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
After taking a gamble on the acceptance of Mini DisplayPort as a connection for computer screens, Apple is about to be rewarded as its technology is now expected to become part of an industry-wide format that also includes extremely high resolutions and multiple displays on a single link.



The Video Electronics Standards Association, or VESA, said last week as CES began that DisplayPort 1.2 should include Mini DisplayPort as part of the DisplayPort 1.2 specification.



Before this, Apple has had to license its technology itself and made the standard free as an incentive for rapid adoption from vendors constrained by the regular DisplayPort connector.



It's not known whether the officially approved Mini DisplayPort will involve the full range of features from 1.2, but it will let any company building a computer or graphics card adopt the port with the blessing of the standards group and know that it will work with other 1.2-supporting hardware.



In the meantime, those who use at least the full-size standard will have options that previously haven't existed in computer displays without special tricks. By offering twice as much bandwidth between the graphics hardware and the display, 1.2 will up the maximum resolution for a single computer display from the 2560x1600 found in the 30-inch Cinema Display and most other large monitors to a much larger 3840x2160, even with 30-bit depth that allows one billion colors.



Mini DisplayPort versus DVI; regular DisplayPort is significantly larger than Apple's offering.



Depending on the color and frame rate, the DisplayPort refresh will also permit two 2560x1600 displays to run from just a single connection or as many as four 1920x1200 displays; a sufficiently fast video chipset could drive multiple views from one port as a result.



Expanding further still, the standard enables a single display to run at a much faster 120Hz frame rate or else to create a stereoscopic 3D effect, usually viewable through special glasses.



Whether Apple embraces these aspects or not, its actual implementation will take some time: VESA doesn't publish its final DisplayPort 1.2 specifications until the middle of this year and thus makes it the earliest practical time that third parties can start making their own compatible hardware, even if Mini DisplayPort by itself is available early and should be present on all future Macs.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 74
    amac4meamac4me Posts: 282member
    Either way, Apple has decided to move full steam ahead with the DisplayPort on Macs. The inclusion of it on first portables is a clear sign as portables outsell desktops.
  • Reply 2 of 74
    filburtfilburt Posts: 398member
    Mini DisplayPort should be ammended to support audio and USB, eliminating the need for awkward connection between MacBooks and LED Cinema Display.
  • Reply 3 of 74
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    DisplayPort, the DRM is free
  • Reply 4 of 74
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by filburt View Post


    Mini DisplayPort should be ammended to support audio and USB, eliminating the need for awkward connection between MacBooks and LED Cinema Display.



    1. Mini DisplayPort has always been on the roadmap for DisplayPort 2.0 ( Now they have changed the name to 1.2 )

    2. Apple went ahead and did all the techinical requirement for Mini DisplayPort, and submited it back. Instead of waiting for Displayport 1.2. Like What Intel did to USB 3.



    Mini DisplayPort is Pin to Pin Comptabible to DisplayPort.

    And since DisplayPort 1.2 is Pin to Pin the same as 1.1, Min Displayport Should get all the features update as well.



    1.2 has an 100Mbit /s Backbone. Which means it will support Most of your USB prepheiphals. Like WebCam, USB Audio, etc.
  • Reply 5 of 74
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by filburt View Post


    Mini DisplayPort should be ammended to support audio and USB, eliminating the need for awkward connection between MacBooks and LED Cinema Display.



    The DisplayPort spec already includes audio and, as Ksec says, Mini DisplayPort is pin to pin compatible. Not sure why Apple chose not to do audio in their implementation.
  • Reply 6 of 74
    dluxdlux Posts: 666member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ksec View Post


    1. Mini DisplayPort has always been on the roadmap for DisplayPort 2.0 ( Now they have changed the name to 1.2 )

    2. Apple went ahead and did all the techinical requirement for Mini DisplayPort, and submited it back. Instead of waiting for Displayport 1.2. Like What Intel did to USB 3.



    Mini DisplayPort is Pin to Pin Comptabible to DisplayPort.

    And since DisplayPort 1.2 is Pin to Pin the same as 1.1, Min Displayport Should get all the features update as well.



    1.2 has an 100Mbit /s Backbone. Which means it will support Most of your USB prepheiphals. Like WebCam, USB Audio, etc.



    Just curious - do you have a source for this?
  • Reply 7 of 74
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by addabox View Post


    The DisplayPort spec already includes audio and, as Ksec says, Mini DisplayPort is pin to pin compatible. Not sure why Apple chose not to do audio in their implementation.



    My guess would be the Controller End ( Proberly the Macbook Nvidia End ) does not supporting the Audio Spec Yet. ( I am not sure if the audio part is required in the specification. )



    A little bit like previous HDMI implementation in Video Card where Audio Passthrough are not always available.
  • Reply 8 of 74
    taurontauron Posts: 911member
    As usual the dog (apple) leads while the sheep (windows) follows.
  • Reply 9 of 74
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ksec View Post


    My guess would be the Controller End ( Proberly the Macbook Nvidia End ) does not supporting the Audio Spec Yet. ( I am not sure if the audio part is required in the specification. )



    A little bit like previous HDMI implementation in Video Card where Audio Passthrough are not always available.



    That sounds right.
  • Reply 10 of 74
    Hurray! Yet another display connector from Apple, has anyone else lost count of how many there are?
  • Reply 11 of 74
    It's good that Apple got the mini port part of the standard (i kinda figured they would). Of course, this also means that the haters will be here shortly to preach about how VGA is superior and that Apple is dumb for not supporting it, or that HDMI is king and this whole Displayport thing is silly, standard connector or not.
  • Reply 12 of 74
    mcarlingmcarling Posts: 1,106member
    The implication that 3840x2400 will not be supported is odd.
  • Reply 13 of 74
    dluxdlux Posts: 666member
    Assuming the mini-DP connector gains all the capabilities of the full-size one, why would anyone bother with the latter in the future? More puzzling - why didn't VESA shrink the original down to the smallest size possible when they had the chance?



    I'm just hoping that all future implementations go right to the mini connector so we don't have to dick around with adapters.
  • Reply 14 of 74
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bokuwaomar View Post


    Of course, this also means that the haters will be here shortly to preach about how VGA is superior and that Apple is dumb for not supporting it, or that HDMI is king and this whole Displayport thing is silly, standard connector or not.



    Except that VGA is not superior and HDMI only supports resolutions up to 1920x1080 which isn't any good for computer monitors above 24-26 inches. I think the haters miss DVI.
  • Reply 15 of 74
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gastroboy View Post


    Hurray! Yet another display connector from Apple, has anyone else lost count of how many there are?



    C'mon let's be fair to Apple. Like any company they have limited resources and have to prioritize. They made the decision to add yet one more display connector to a market already crowded with them, instead of developing more iLife apps and adding features to the iPhone.



    I for one think it was absolutely the right decision, and support them wholeheartedly. Ermm.. hang on.
  • Reply 16 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gastroboy View Post


    Hurray! Yet another display connector from Apple, has anyone else lost count of how many there are?



    I'm amazed at all the animosity at Apple for dropping SL-DVI-D, DL-DVI-I, mini-DVI-D and micro-DVI-D in favour a single display connector for all their devices. Especially one that is considerably future-forward over the other available options.
  • Reply 17 of 74
    vandilvandil Posts: 187member
    In my opinion, since all the "content providers" are worried about piracy and Apple is in bed with them, instead of using HDCP via DisplayPort, why not just use HDMI? HDMI is still smaller than a full DVI port and works fine. Is DP that much better than HDMI?



    I'm still rocking a 23" Cinema HD Display with the dreaded ADC connector. I had to buy Apple's $100 ADC-to-DVI adaptor to get it to work on my PowerBook. The thing is a heavy white 5" equare brick that is always hot to the touch.
  • Reply 18 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vandil View Post


    In my opinion, since all the "content providers" are worried about piracy and Apple is in bed with them, instead of using HDCP via DisplayPort, why not just use HDMI? HDMI is still smaller than a full DVI port and works fine. Is DP that much better than HDMI?



    1) Read the article.

    2) Do a quick comparison on Wikipedia.

    3) Mini-DP, which Apple has stated it's adopting across the line, is smaller than HDMI.
  • Reply 19 of 74
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mcarling View Post


    The implication that 3840x2400 will not be supported is odd.



    Why would you think that is the case? DisplayPort 1.2 Will support that resolution.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dlux View Post


    Assuming the mini-DP connector gains all the capabilities of the full-size one, why would anyone bother with the latter in the future? More puzzling - why didn't VESA shrink the original down to the smallest size possible when they had the chance?



    I'm just hoping that all future implementations go right to the mini connector so we don't have to dick around with adapters.



    Good Question. Although i would like to ask the same thing. Why we all dont just use Micro USB Port or even Mini USB Port and Get Rid of the Big USB Port?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vandil View Post


    In my opinion, since all the "content providers" are worried about piracy and Apple is in bed with them, instead of using HDCP via DisplayPort, why not just use HDMI? HDMI is still smaller than a full DVI port and works fine. Is DP that much better than HDMI?



    I'm still rocking a 23" Cinema HD Display with the dreaded ADC connector. I had to buy Apple's $100 ADC-to-DVI adaptor to get it to work on my PowerBook. The thing is a heavy white 5" equare brick that is always hot to the touch.



    Well, technically DisplayPort is much better then HDMI. Like Firewire and USB.



    Except this time around. Firewire ( DisplayPort ) is Free.
  • Reply 20 of 74
    The "full-size" Display Port is roughly as big/small as a USB port. I don't see any practical reason why this had to be repaced by a mini version.



    My MBP early 08 has a full-size DVI port and 2 firewire ports, yet it's smaller in dimensions than the late 08 MBP. What a miracle of product design!
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