What DVI output does a card have?

[Amitu]

I was browsing through the DVI video card section at NE and, as fate would have it, the little white label on one of the images of APOLLO GeForce FX5200 caught my wandering eye. It read "DVI/A" (i.e. a misleading, worthless, non-standard-recognized analog DVI).
That got me to thinking,
1. Is there a fool-proof way of finding out the kind of DVI output a card really has, without first buying it?
2. Do all OEMs pull this trick on the unwary customer? Some other "DVI" cards I randomly took a look at do not even make the mistake of identifying the type of DVI on their pictures.
3. The "detailed" specs at NE (or any other reseller, for that matter) do not shed any extra lights as to the type.
Would going to an OEM site reveal more (and true) info?
4. After connecting to, say, an LCD via a DVI cable, how does one know that the analog channel is being used?

 

[Amitu]

Is the lack of the digital connection on DVI-A not practically important with today's digital flat panels?

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Amitu
I was browsing through the DVI video card section at NE and, as fate would have it, the little white label on one of the images of APOLLO GeForce FX5200 caught my wandering eye. It read "DVI/A" (i.e. a misleading, worthless, non-standard-recognized analog DVI).

Are you sure they don't mean DVI-I and are just using the wrong term? Why would they ship a card with a DVI connector that could only output analog -- in other words, one you could ONLY use with a DVI->VGA adapter? You might as well just put a VGA port on the card instead.

That got me to thinking,
1. Is there a fool-proof way of finding out the kind of DVI output a card really has, without first buying it?

The manufacturers specs should say exactly what kind of outputs, etc. the card has. I wouldn't buy something if I couldn't find detailed specs on it.

2. Do all OEMs pull this trick on the unwary customer? Some other "DVI" cards I randomly took a look at do not even make the mistake of identifying the type of DVI on their pictures.

The vast majority of DVI connections are DVI-I (supporting both digital and analog out). I've seen a few cards with only DVI-D (digital only), but this is almost always noted in the description. I haven't heard of anybody selling "DVI-A" or "DVI/A" (analog-only -- which, as you noted, would not really be a DVI connection at all) cards.

3. The "detailed" specs at NE (or any other reseller, for that matter) do not shed any extra lights as to the type.
Would going to an OEM site reveal more (and true) info?

Generally, yes. Reseller sites are not always accurate; the card's manufacturer *should* have the correct information.

4. After connecting to, say, an LCD via a DVI cable, how does one know that the analog channel is being used?

Well, first off, I don't know of any LCD panels that can take an analog input through a DVI connection (all the ones I've seen that take both have a DVI-D input and a VGA input, not a DVI-I that's internally switched). But the OSD on a modern LCD should tell you which input you're running on, and what kind of signal (resolution, refresh, etc.) you're getting.

 

[Amitu]

Matthias, thank you very much.

Are you sure they don't mean DVI-I and are just using the wrong term?

That's exactly the problem. How can I be sure that they are "mistaken" when this spec (DVI/A) is on the very label where the bar code and some other important info are found? Anyway, if there is somebody who should really know the difference between D/I and A, that would be a video card manufacturer.

The follow-up questions then are:
1. At this day and age, should one reasonably expect that a reputable manufacturer (and I consider, for example, Apollo to be one) will provide a DVI output as I or D and never as "A" alone?

2. IMHO, the type of DVI is very important to both the casual and expert user and obviously fully known to the manufacturer. So why be so cagey about publishing it out front (especially if it's not A)?
If you look at the majority of cards, old and new, low or high end, by any vendor, you can only find the word "DVI" alone in the spec and/or spot a DVI connector - which type? - on the accompanying picture(s).

 

[rbV5]

DVI-A is a male connector only. Link

 

[Amitu]

Yes, BUT,

DVI-A is a male connector on the _cable_. This plug "picks" the 5 analog female pins of the standard DVI-I female receptacle on the card. _All_ cards have the DVI female receptacle, which brings us back to square one:
How is one to know for sure that on the card's DVI female receptacle (clearly seen on all pictures) the card has the _digital_ side active?
In other words, the DVI-A cable plug and the DVI card receptacle combination doesn't preclude a situation where the card might have indeed only a "DVI/A" analog output, like possible with the Apollo card in my first post example.

 

[Mem]

That`s a DVI-I connector on that card, from this website link. It says

Connector Features
CRT Monitor: 15-pin D-sub VGA connector
TV_OUT Connector
DVI-I (flat panel display) connector

.

1. Is there a fool-proof way of finding out the kind of DVI output a card really has, without first buying it?

Why not give them a call by phone .

 

[rbV5]

How is one to know for sure that on the card's DVI female receptacle (clearly seen on all pictures) the card has the _digital_ side active?

Because, all DVI ports on a video card (DVI-I, DVI-D) carry at least the digital signal. Like I said, DVI-A is a male only connector (never found on a cards output) I think they only use DVI-A on adaptors anyway (from the link).

The link I gave clearly shows that the difference between DVI-I and DVI-D, and the DVI port on the Appolo card is clearly DVI-I, meaning it carries both analog and digital signaling.