USB 3.0 DisplayLink Products Shipping By Christmas 2010
We never really thought USB-connected monitors would take off, but take
off they have. In the case of Mimo, the demand for them has soared so
greatly that they've been able to stay in business and thrive by
selling secondary monitors that connect via USB alone. One of the main
drivers in making the whole USB monitor revolution tick is DisplayLink,
and they're understandably excited about the possibilities that come
along with USB 3.0.
Today, USB 2.0 has a bandwidth limitation that hinders DisplayLink products from being able to support extremely high resolutions and frame rates. Basic monitors can handle basic 2D tasks with relative ease, but start asking it to push 1080p, fast-moving multimedia through a clogged USB 2.0 cable and you run into all sorts of issues. USB 3.0 clearly has a huge boost in bandwidth--right around 10x more--so it's no surprise to hear that DisplayLink is already looking forward to selling gear based on the new protocol.
According to a new report, at least one DisplayLink monitor prototype will be setup and running at CES, and it will be using USB 3.0 technology. The new chip will be able to take advantage of the speed boost, which will enable video transfers of up to 4.8 gigabits-per-second. That could enable USB-connected monitors to easily display high-definition video content when paired with an advanced GPU, and honestly, this should make DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort at least somewhat scared. After all, USB ports are on every PC you see, and USB 3.0 ports will be hitting those next-gen PCs in short order. Once even the cheapest netbook on the market has access to a USB 3.0 port, that very netbook can then pipe out video to a massive monitor without having to use a VGA or DVI port. Expect to see USB 3.0-based DisplayLink products on store shelves by next Christmas.
Today, USB 2.0 has a bandwidth limitation that hinders DisplayLink products from being able to support extremely high resolutions and frame rates. Basic monitors can handle basic 2D tasks with relative ease, but start asking it to push 1080p, fast-moving multimedia through a clogged USB 2.0 cable and you run into all sorts of issues. USB 3.0 clearly has a huge boost in bandwidth--right around 10x more--so it's no surprise to hear that DisplayLink is already looking forward to selling gear based on the new protocol.
According to a new report, at least one DisplayLink monitor prototype will be setup and running at CES, and it will be using USB 3.0 technology. The new chip will be able to take advantage of the speed boost, which will enable video transfers of up to 4.8 gigabits-per-second. That could enable USB-connected monitors to easily display high-definition video content when paired with an advanced GPU, and honestly, this should make DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort at least somewhat scared. After all, USB ports are on every PC you see, and USB 3.0 ports will be hitting those next-gen PCs in short order. Once even the cheapest netbook on the market has access to a USB 3.0 port, that very netbook can then pipe out video to a massive monitor without having to use a VGA or DVI port. Expect to see USB 3.0-based DisplayLink products on store shelves by next Christmas.
