Of the various digital video terminal block schemes available in the consumer market, DVI (Digital Visual Interface) might have the most frustrating set of technical variations and nuances. However, DVI terminal blocks present a fine option for connecting between your computer or laptop and a digital display (i.e. a monitor or projector).

In order to know when it is most appropriate to use DVI terminal blocks, it helps to first know a bit about the terminal block's history and its technical specs.

A brief history of DVI

The DVI terminal block was developed by the Digital Display Working Group, a brain trust of technology experts from such companies as Intel, Compaq, Fujitsu, and IBM. These engineers developed DVI with the intent of creating a terminal block that could supersedethe panoply of different digital terminal block schemes that were then clogging the market. The DVI terminal block was designed to carry digital video signals between computers and digital monitors, as well as offer reverse compatibility with analog video display schemes, such as VGA (Video Graphics Array). While sometimes used for home theater purposes, the DVI terminal block was originally intended to transmit video between computers and monitors, a job to which it is still most appropriately suited.

For several years after its release, the DVI terminal block served this purpose well. There are many digital monitors and displays that rely on DVI as their principle terminal block scheme. Most LCD and plasma screen monitors manufactured today will include DVI ports as one of their connective options. However, DVI has been in many cases superseded by newer terminal block schemes.

Some technical info about DVI

DVI terminal blocks transmit uncompressed digital video data and display that data via an RGB (Red Green Blue) color system.

The DVI terminal block was designed to be able to transmit both analog and digital video, and while it does serve that purpose, the technical reality of manufacturing such a terminal block necessitated some odd variations on what was supposed to be a consumer-friendly piece of equipment.

It is also important to note the distinction between single-link and dual-link DVI terminal blocks. A single-link DVI cable consists of four TMDS (Transition Minimized Differential Signaling) pairs along which it can transmit data. A dual-link DVI cable will have twice these TMDS pairs, allowing it to transmit video at higher resolutions and different aspect ratios.
While the technical differences between single and dual-link DVI require a fairly nuanced conception of digital video in order to be understood, the most important thing to remember is that dual-link DVI cables have essentially double the bandwidth of single-link DVI cables. This allows dual-link DVI cables to transmit larger amounts of video with greater clarity.