Displayport Adapter: Displayport to DVI or Displayport to HDMI

Hey everyone what do you think is the best adapter to buy? If i have to choose either Displayport to DVI or Displayport to HDMI for the x200 Ultrabase. My thought processes are:

Displayport to DVI:
pros:
I can connect it to my dvi port in my monitor and have my ps3 attached to my hdmi port.

cons: for sure no sound and dvi's getting obsoleted.

Displayport to HDMI:
pros: possibly have sound with this connection. I can also connect it to my HDTV.

cons:If i want to connect to my dvi port.. i'll have to go from displayport to hdmi to dvi (i have an adapter for that already). The question is... having that many adapters will it deteriorate the digital signal (don't think so imo)

So i guess my question is what does everyone thing? Any real life experience? What's a good place to order these adapters in Canada?

Thanks!

 

HDMI. I doubt you'll have sound either way since Displayport was only meant for video. However it'll be more useful in more situations. Especially when you already have the cables and adapters (others may back away from the price of HDMI cables and adapters).

 

Displayport can carry both Video and audio, that's the purpose of it. Get the HDMI.

 

ya Displayport has sound (upto 8 channels)... I'm just not sure if the ultrabase would support sound output.

Displayport is actually better than HDMI because there's no licensing for manufacturers like Lenovo where as HDMI you have to pay for licensing. Also Displayport supports HDCP and has the highest bandwidth (10.8 gb/s??). It's basically the best compare to what consumers have access to.

Also HDMI cables are cheap... I fully believe that those monster cables are not worth the price they charge and is not necessary to buy. it's all a scam.

I'm leaning towards HDMI... please continue posting! thanks for the reply.

 

i agree that displayport and hdmi are meant for both sound and video. however, in the case of graphics cards with these ports i think the situation is different.

the graphics card has nothing to do with the audio. so unless lenovo configures the port in a way that they added audio to the graphics card, you wont be getting sound from the port on the graphics card.

atleast thats what i think will happen. will find out soon enough though. and the best place to get an adapter is from Startech. good warranty good product.

http://www.startech.com/item/DP2HDM...playPort-to-HDMI-Cable-Adapter-Converter.aspx

 

For the X200 Ultrabase, this is mentioned:

"Digital and analog video support - VGA monitor port and DisplayPort"

So no actual mentioning about combined video and audio output... But for the DisplayPort on the T500:

"Available on the new ThinkPad T500, the new DisplayPort video port gives you the ability to attach a high-resolution digital DVI monitor using the DisplayPort connector option. Display port is a next generation display interface technology that combines HD video and audio into a single digital connector-interface used for a broad range of applications not only for notebooks, but also for monitors, televisions, and projectors."

Notice how they mention HD video and audio... So, just have to wait and see how they have done it.

 

ya i suspect the ultrabase for the x200 won't have sound output.. that's why i said possibly have sound with this connection under pros for Displayport to HDMI. However, hopefully I'll be surprised and it'll have sound also.. if not it's no biggie i guess.....

Ya Startech is really the only adapters i have seen online... has anyone tried it yet??

 

Be warned: Lenovo Display Port to HDMI Adapter DOES NOT WORK!

I recently purchased a T500 based on the reassurance from a Lenovo Sales Rep that the Display Port to HDMI Adapter supports the Thinkpad Display Port drivers and carries both audio and video to HDMI.

After purchasing the StarTech Display Port to HDMI Adapater I was unable to connect my T500 to the HDMI on my LCD HDTV. The computer did not even read/verify that an external monitor was connected.

Lenovo Tech support told me the only Thinkpad Display Port Adapter available through Lenovo is Display Port to DVI and is therefore the only available solution at this time.

 

my x200 + ultrabase works with displayport to hdmi from my x200 to tv.

not sure about sound, i haven't played with it extensively...

 

What Displayport to HDMI Adapter did you use?

 

thats the problem with displayport you dont have much choice. but i was looking at a friends new desktop rig and video cards have connectors for sound now so im pretty sure that if you go displayport to hdmi the sound will work.

 

I have both of the Startech.com adapters (DP to DVI and DP to HDMI)

it depends... although video card / laptop has displayport it does not guarantee it outputs sound. This is the same idea with HDMI.. not all video cards that have HDMI output sound. The displayport architecture itself can output sound.. but the video card/laptop manufacturer might not have enabled this feature.

 

Final word from Lenovo is that the chipset currently used on all of the new models does NOT support Audio through a DisplayPort.

It was indicated that once the new Intel chipset (calpella) is released this
technology should work. At this point this chipset won't be available for
at least 6-8 months from now. No telling how long until the Lenovo releases new models with the Calpella Chipset.

As for current Lenovo DisplayPort equipped laptop owners, upgrades are not an option when the new Chipsets do become available. To use an
analogy it would be like changing out an engine on a car from two different
years. Your graphics and wireless card would also have to be switched out
as well.

Mystery solved.

 

Seems to defeat the purpose of having the DisplayPort then. Why hook the lappy to a TV when you also have to run a second cable for sound? If hooking the computer to a TV was a main concern that would seem to drive a customer to a competitor w/HDMI that does support both audio & video.

 

The purpose of DisplayPort is that it is a royalty free solution. This saves Lenovo HDMI licensing fees ( $10,000 annual and $0.04 per notebook). Display Port is also higher bandwidth and can support 2560x1600 (e.g. a 30" studio display). HDMI only supports 1080P or maybe 1920x1200.

Unfortunately, although DisplayPort costs Lenovo less, it actually costs consumers more. HDMI cables and HDMI/DVI adapters are plentiful and cheap. Conversely DisplayPort equipped displays are very rare and the converters are overpriced.

I would have much preferred HDMI as well (and would even have paid a $50 premium and/or sacrificed a USB port for it [I would want to keep the VGA though for legacy projectors]). It is the only feature I really thought was lacking on the x200 series. It would have given me the flexibility to hook it up to a LCD/Plasma TV or digital projector very easily (I used the S-Video on my T40 several times) and also supported monitors up to 24". However, the x200 was so good in every other way that I was willing to make this concession.

 

'Displayport to HDMI' from StarTech does in fact work with my T500. I have not yet been able to get sound through the HDTVs' speaker using the StarTech Dp2HDMI coupled with a 15' HDMI cable.

From the start the machine recognized the HDTV after attaching the dongle and the HDMI to both the lap and the HDTV. I did however have one or two issue with subsequent recognition of the above which I had to reboot to recover from.

DP2HDMI from StarTech does work. Currently I only have audio on the lap without using the 2 or 3mm jack.

12/18/2008