I-O Data Launches USB 3.0 to DVI Adapter Powered by DisplayLink

I-O Data is known for its storage devices, but it released something a bit different this once, specifically the USB-RGB3/D USB 3.0 to DVI display adapter.

Where SMSC created a USB 2.0 into 10/100 Ethernet device, I-O Data, using DisplayLink's DL-3100 chip for connectivity and virtual graphics, built a different sort of converter.

Specifically, it created the USB-RGB3/D USB 3.0 to DVI display adapter, which is supposed to be the first USB 3.0 display adapter in Japan.

“The DisplayLink DL-3000 family of chips allows I-O DATA to be first-to-market with high-quality products that our end consumers want now,” said Hiroshi Kawada, board director of Business Strategy Dept. of I-O DATA.

“The USB-RGB3/D adapter fills an immediate need for users of the newest PCs, allowing them to take advantage of displays of different resolutions without sacrificing performance.”

The DisplayLink 3.0 technology grants it resolution of up to 2048 x 1152 pixels.

This includes 1,080p (Full HD), and there is no use for worrying about performance, since USB 3.0 has a very high throughput.

That's 5 Gbps, for those who don't know, and it comes in addition to a high energy efficiency and backwards compatibility with USB 2.0.

Sales should already be underway in Japan, for the prices of $137, which is about the same sum as 101.82 Euro.

“Mixing and matching devices with different peripherals will continue to become even more popular with USB 3.0’s speed and versatility,” said Dennis Crespo, DisplayLink executive vice president of marketing and business development. “And this is as true in Japan as any other technology-embracing market.”

Design-wise, the item looks quite unassuming, with a black (or at least very dark gray), rectangular frame.

It should let netbooks, notebooks and other PCs go multi-screen easily, for high-quality multimedia playback, multi-channel audio and gaming (both 2D and 3D).