Can you really tell a difference between DVI & VGA?

[imported_Burkeman]

Yes

 

[Bull Dog]

Quality with VGA is also highly dependant on the cable being used. A cheap cable will make the picture look like sh!t.....don't ask me how I know.

 

[ProviaFan]

Well, I'm not too ready to waste time searching for my lost HD15 cable to set up a test that won't convince the people who aren't open to results that challenge their opinion anyway. But regardless, not only do low quality DACs on video cards (which you even admit!) affect image quality, but less than desirable ADCs in LCDs (even "high end" LCDs, like my Samsung 213T) can also cause blurry, ghosted, or jittery images. I just didn't appreciate being told that what I was clearly seeing was placebo effect (basically saying that I'm full of ....), so sorry if I got a bit too defensive, but in some respects it seemed understandable given the circumstances.

 

[Geomagick]

I would never go back to VGA. Havee been using DVI for about 3 years now and it makes a great deal of difference. The was quite angry at Samsung for not including a DVI cable with my 191T as the VGA cable provided crippled the image qualtiy.

Still at least Dell included one with my 2005fpw

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: Seer
There is a huge difference with the sharpness and clarity of text when switching to dvi from vga on my brothers 19" 1280x1024

Ditto. I've used 17" and 19" LCD's primarily (but also 20" and 24" widescreens), and DVI makes a huge difference on text and browsing. DVI is crystal clear; even when you turn cleartype on a VGA LCD, it looks blurry compared to DVI.

Some video cards are better than others at making VGA look acceptable on an LCD, but DVI is always the better solution, and in many cases the difference in sharpness is huge.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024

Originally posted by: Seer
There is a huge difference with the sharpness and clarity of text when switching to dvi from vga on my brothers 19" 1280x1024

Ditto. I've used 17" and 19" LCD's primarily (but also 20" and 24" widescreens), and DVI makes a huge difference on text and browsing. DVI is crystal clear; even when you turn cleartype on a VGA LCD, it looks blurry compared to DVI.

Some video cards are better than others at making VGA look acceptable on an LCD, but DVI is always the better solution, and in many cases the difference in sharpness is huge.

and in some cases it's non-existent to the naked eye, as several people have pointed out in this thread I sat and compared my mate's LCD over DVI and VGA when he got it, and neither him (who spends most of his life doing CAD/VIZ work), myself, nor his gf could see the slightest difference. Believe me we looked very hard, as i had advised him to get one with DVI input for the very reason that i had been assured by all that it would look superior, and had no reason to doubt that given the reasoning behind it.

As you say however, some cards/screens/cables will do a vastly better job than others (and this was with a 9600XT (which iirc has always been top notch for 2d IQ)/Benq 17" LCD/heavy shielded VGA cable (nothing like some of the cheapo lightweight ones you sometimes see)). All the stars aligned effectively He ended up using the DVI cable anyways, because he figured if he had it, he may as well use it

EDIT: off topic, when you use a DVI-VGA adapter, i assume the signal isn't converted through the card's DACs? (since it's a purely digital signal i assume) How does that work? Does the adapter actually do it? Does the monitor have a DAC? :headasplodes;

 

[imported_Seer]

Originally posted by: dug777
No need to get all defensive there mate. I was simply going on my personal experience, and clearly i'm not at all alone as you can see from others in this thread.

I am intererested to see a pic side by side, identical conditions however, as i said.

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. Maybe it sounded confrontational, but I was just saying that there is a rather large difference.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: Seer

Originally posted by: dug777
No need to get all defensive there mate. I was simply going on my personal experience, and clearly i'm not at all alone as you can see from others in this thread.

I am intererested to see a pic side by side, identical conditions however, as i said.

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. Maybe it sounded confrontational, but I was just saying that there is a rather large difference.

lol. you replied while i was replying to the dude above you mate All good now

 

[alpha88]

Originally posted by: dug777
EDIT: off topic, when you use a DVI-VGA adapter, i assume the signal isn't converted through the card's DACs? (since it's a purely digital signal i assume) How does that work? Does the adapter actually do it? Does the monitor have a DAC? :headasplodes;

The DVI socket can carry an analog signal. Nearly all video cards out put both analog and digital on their DVI port, the adaptor just converts the wires of the analog signal to Dsub.

Most DVI inputs on moniters only take the digital signal, though there are analog inputs as well. Digital only outputs also exist.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: alpha88

Originally posted by: dug777
EDIT: off topic, when you use a DVI-VGA adapter, i assume the signal isn't converted through the card's DACs? (since it's a purely digital signal i assume) How does that work? Does the adapter actually do it? Does the monitor have a DAC? :headasplodes;

The DVI socket can carry an analog signal. Nearly all video cards out put both analog and digital on their DVI port, the adaptor just converts the wires of the analog signal to Dsub.

Most DVI inputs on moniters only take the digital signal, though there are analog inputs as well. Digital only outputs also exist.

Cheers mate

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: butt head
Here's my 2c worth:

I am sitting in front of 2 Dell 2405 monitors (24", 1920 X 1200). One is connected via a DVi cable and another is connected with a vga cable. I can't speak for anyone else but I can tell you guys that the picture on both is identical and equally stunning. There is absolutely no difference in quality / detail / colour etc. I have swapped cables and switched one monitor from DVi to VGA etc and I can confirm that absolutely no one in my team (I'm a graphic designer, 20 years in the business) can tell the difference!!

I know that this should not be so, but it is.

BH

LCD's still can't match the best CRT's. Try your comaprison it on a good 19" or larger CRT.

 

[nullpointerus]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: butt head
Here's my 2c worth:

I am sitting in front of 2 Dell 2405 monitors (24", 1920 X 1200). One is connected via a DVi cable and another is connected with a vga cable. I can't speak for anyone else but I can tell you guys that the picture on both is identical and equally stunning. There is absolutely no difference in quality / detail / colour etc. I have swapped cables and switched one monitor from DVi to VGA etc and I can confirm that absolutely no one in my team (I'm a graphic designer, 20 years in the business) can tell the difference!!

I know that this should not be so, but it is.

BH

LCD's still can't match the best CRT's. Try your comaprison it on a good 19" or larger CRT.

For color vibrance, maybe, but I greatly prefer the accurate geometry and crisp text which many CRTs can't hold a candle to no matter how much I work with the menus. Personally, going back to a CRT now would be terribly frustrating.

 

[Bowsky]

Color seems alot more solid with DVI vs. VGA. I'm using a 2405 and when I have a computer attached via VGA I can usually see colors on stationary images shift shades ever-so-slightly. Although this is not a huge problem, if you are using an LCD, DVI provides the absolute best video quality.

 

[kmmatney]

Originally posted by: ProviaFan
There is most certainly a noticeable different on my Samsung 213T (at 1600x1200, of course).

I use a Samsung 213T at work and it makes a big difference. Unfortunatly, I have it hooked up to VGA most of the time

However on my smaller BenQ's there is not much difference.