DisplayPort vs HDMI: Which is Better for LED Display?

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DisplayPort and HDMI are two common and easily confused types of data transmission interfaces. This article will compare them from multiple perspectives to help you make a confident choice when selecting device interfaces.

1. Interface Definition

DisplayPort: DisplayPort is a digital video interface standard designed to replace VGA, DVI, and FPD-Link (LVDS). It transmits audio, video, or USB data from a computer host to a display device through 20 signal pins.

HDMI: HDMI is a fully digital audio and video transmission interface that can send uncompressed audio and video signals through 19 signal pins.

1. DisplayPort vs HDMI Interface Definition

2. Historical Background

DisplayPort interface standard was introduced in 2006 by VESA, the alliance of PC and chip manufacturers. It requires no certification and no royalties. Hardware manufacturers such as AMD, Apple, Dell, Intel, Lenovo, and HP support DisplayPort.

HDMI standard debuted in 2002 and was led by TV manufacturers like Hitachi, Matsushita (Panasonic), Quasar, Philips, Sony, and Toshiba. Adopters of HDMI are required to pay a $10,000 annual patent fee.

3. Version Comparison

DisplayPort Version	Release Date	Bandwidth	Maximum Transfer Rate	Maximum Resolution/Refresh Rate	Maximum Transmission Distance	Features
DisplayPort 1.0-1.1a	2006/2008	10.8 Gbps	8.64 Gbps	2560×1600@60Hz	2m	Supports HDCP protection.
DisplayPort 1.2-1.2a	2010/2012	21.6 Gbps	17.28Gbps	3840×2160（4K）@ 60Hz 5120×2880（5K）@ 30Hz 2560×1600（3D）@ 120Hz	15m	Supports Multi-Stream Transport (MST); Supports stereoscopic 3D display; Supports daisy-chaining multiple monitors (DDM, Direct Drive).
DisplayPort 1.3	2014	32.4 Gbps	25.92 Gbps	3840×2160（4K）@ 120Hz 5120×2880（5K）@ 60Hz 7680×4320（8K）@ 30Hz	Supports 4.5 meters of optical fiber cable.	Supports Display Stream Compression (DSC) lossless compression technology; Supports Forward Error Correction (FEC); Supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) meta transport; Supports Multi-Stream Transport (MST) technology.
DisplayPort 1.4-1.4a	2016/2018	32.4 Gbps	25.92 Gbps	3840×2160（4K）@ 120Hz 7680×4320（8K）@ 60Hz	Supports 4.5 meters of optical fiber cable.	Supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) video output; Supports Wide Color Gamut; Maximum audio channel count increased to 32.
DisplayPort 2.0-2.1	2019/2022	80 Gbps	77.37 Gbps	3840×2160（4K）@ 240Hz 7680×4320（8K）@ 120Hz 15360×8640 (16K）@ 60Hz（DSC）	DP40 cable exceeds two meters; DP80 cable exceeds one meter.	Supports dynamic HDR10+ standard; Supports Dolby Vision; 32 audio channels supported; Supports 8K2K dual UHD resolution; Supports 3D surround, HDCP 2.2, DSC 1.2, ARC; Supports USB Type-C Alt Mode for transmitting DisplayPort signals.
DisplayPort 2.1a	January 2024	80 Gbps	77.37 Gbps	3840×2160（4K）@ 480Hz 7680×4320（8K）@ 240Hz	Supports 2-meter passive cable.	Updated DP54 UHBR cable specifications; Supports UHBR10 and UHBR13.5 devices; Supports Display Stream Compression (DSC) codecs to ensure automotive data security.

2. DisplayPort and HDMI Different Version

HDMI/Version	Release Date	Bandwidth	Maximum Transfer Rate	Maximum Resolution/Refresh Rate	Features
HDMI 1.0-1.1	2002/2024	4.95 Gbps	3.96 Gbps	1920×1080@60Hz LPCM 24bit/192 kHz	Uses HDMI Type-A interface; HDMI 1.1 adds support for DVD-Audio.
HDMI 1.2-1.2a	2005	4.95 Gbps	3.96 Gbps	1920×1200@60Hz	Adds support for SACD; Specification compatible with CEC function.
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2006	10.2 Gbps	8.16 Gbps	2560×1600@60Hz	Supports Deep Color technology; Supports streaming of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; Introduces Type C (Mini HDMI) interface; HDMI 1.3a adds support for Bitstream DST format for SACD transmission.
HDMI 1.4-1.4a-1.4b	2009/2010/2011	10.2 Gbps	8.16 Gbps	1920×1080@24Hz(3D) 3840×2160（4K）@24/25/30Hz	Adds support for 3D video formats (including Frame Packing); Introduces Type D (Micro HDMI) interface; Adds support for ARC (Audio Return Channel) audio function; Enhances network transmission capability to 100Mbps.
HDMI 2.0-2.0a-2.0b	2013/2015/2016	18 Gbps	14.4 Gbps	3840×2160（4K）@60Hz	HDMI UHD adds support for 10-bit color depth; Adds support for 21:9 ultrawide screen display; HDMI 2.0a adds support for HDR video output; HDMI 2.0b adds support for Hybrid Log-Gamma broadcast format.
HDMI 2.1-2.1a-2.1b	2017/2022/2023	48 Gbps	42.6 Gbps	3840×2160（4K）@120Hz 7680×4320（8K）@60Hz	Enhances audio return channel (eARC); Supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM); Supports dynamic HDR with frame-by-frame HDR metadata; Adds support for wider color gamut, including BT.2020 color space; HDMI 2.1a adds support for Source-Based Tone Mapping (SBTM); HDMI 2.1b adds support for Quick Media Switching (QMS) for movies and videos.

4. Form Factors

4.1 DisplayPort includes 4 forms:

Standard DisplayPort;
Mini DisplayPort (MiniDP) (introduced by Apple Inc. in 2008);
USB Type-C (popular since 2015);
Thunderbolt: Initially developed by Intel and Apple, but the latest version Thunderbolt 3 is solely by Intel.

4.2 HDMI includes 5 forms:

Type A: 19 pins, 4.45 mm × 13.9 mm, widely used in daily applications.
Type B: 29 pins, 4.45 mm × 21.2 mm;
Type C (Mini HDMI): 19 pins, 2.42 mm × 10.42 mm, mainly used in digital cameras;
Type D (Micro HDMI): 19 pins, 2.8 mm × 6.4 mm;
Type E: 19 pins, 4.45 mm × 13.9 mm, used in automotive video systems.

5. Audio Performance

HDMI supports nearly all high-fidelity lossless audio formats: PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), Dolby TrueHD, DTS (Digital Theater Systems), DTS-HD Master Audio, AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), and L-PCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation).

DisplayPort supports audio formats including PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), Dolby Digital (AC-3), DTS (Digital Theater Systems), and L-PCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation).
DisplayPort is suitable for professional audio setups requiring many speakers due to its support for more audio channels (DisplayPort 1.4 can handle up to 128 audio channels).

6. Connect Cables

DisplayPort cables have the same basic layout and wiring, supporting similar functionalities: audio, daisy chaining, G-Sync / FreeSync, HDR, and DSC.
DisplayPort cables operate in seven transmission modes (RBR, HBR, HBR2, HBR3, UHBR10, UHBR13.5, and UHBR20).
DisplayPort cables are certified by VESA and come in various categories: Standard, DP8K, DP40, DP54, and DP80.

HDMI offers standard HDMI cables (19 pins), as well as fiber optic HDMI cables or wireless HDMI cables (using transmitter and receiver connectors).

7. Application Scope

7.1 DisplayPort is widely used in fields requiring high resolutions and refresh rates, such as high-speed gaming consoles, professional graphic design monitors, high-performance graphic and video editing (virtual reality and augmented reality devices), as well as broadcasting, monitors, medical, precision instruments, and military equipment.

7.2 HDMI dominates in consumer electronics and entertainment systems, extensively used in set-top boxes, TV boxes, DVD players, personal computers, cameras, video processors, projectors, digital audio systems, and home theater systems. With the popularity of 8K TVs, HDMI 2.1 is set to become the most universal multimedia interface.

8. Which is More Suitable for LED Displays?

LED displays require data and information to be processed and optimized by a video processor, then converted and distributed in the appropriate format. Various video sources can feed into the video processor, such as computer monitors, video recorders, game consoles, video conferencing equipment, and surveillance cameras.

Therefore, for ultra-high resolution led displays; for example, a video wall in a conference room measuring 7.2*4.05 meters uses our Indoor Display XA600-Series with P0.93 led panels stacked together, this setup achieves a total pixel count of 7680*4320 pixels; the video processor’s input interfaces must support DisplayPort and HDMI (like Novastar’s VX series) to perfectly accommodate different connections.

For led displays with resolutions lower than 1920*1080 (4K), for instance, an outdoor advertising screen measuring 7.68*4.8 meters uses our FV960-Series Outdoor Display with P5.7 panels. The total pixel count is 1344*840 pixels; usually only an HDMI input (like Novastar’s TB series) is required.

Indoor Display XA600-Series

Front-end Convenient Maintenance

Cabinet Size: 600*337.5mm/16:9 Ratio

Compatible with 300*168.75mm Module

With 3 Years Warranty and 5% Spare Parts

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FV960-Series Outdoor Display

Front-end Convenient Maintenance

Cabinet Size: 960*960mm

Compatible with 480*320mm Module

With 3 Years Warranty and 5% Spare Parts

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9. In conclusion

DisplayPort is commonly used in high-performance computers and professional display devices because it supports multi-stream transmission. HDMI is more focused on consumer electronics and home entertainment systems. Consider compatibility and usage scenarios carefully when choosing the appropriate interface for your device.