Meant for phones and other mobiles, it will be even smaller than mini-DisplayPort

Oct 24, 2013 08:37 GMT  ·  By

You'd think that mini-DisplayPort was already tiny enough, but while such ports do fit on notebooks and desktop graphics cards, they can't be installed, at least not easily, in ultrabooks, super-thin tablets and phones. This is what VESA wants to do something about.

That “something” is the creation of the micro-DisplayPort standard, which will be an even smaller iteration of the DisplayPort connector.

It will measure 5.4 mm x 8.3 mm and will support data rates high enough to stream high-quality video to all sorts of monitors and TVs.

That includes panels with resolutions of 3840 x 2160 pixels (4K) and even standards higher than that, if VESA's press release is to be believed.

"Market demand for slim, mobile systems is growing rapidly," said Jim Hunkins, system architect, display technology for VESA member AMD, and lead of VESA's DisplayPort connectivity subgroup.

"Imagine sharing videos, photos, presentations and other visual content directly from your tablet or smartphone on a 4K-UHD display. An elegant, micro-sized video connector is essential to enable next-generation mobile systems to interact with the ever expanding array of external display options."

Needless to say, VESA will ensure backwards compatibility with existing DisplayPort devices and future DisplayPort capabilities.

It's also a given that the standard-setting organization will have to revise the specification in the future, if new assets start showing up in TVs and mobile devices.

Anyway, the first draft of the spec will define the mechanical and electrical specifications for the receptacle, plug, cable and docking connector.

"As with other VESA standards, our goal for the micro-DisplayPort connector is to create a robust, extensible standard that can be widely adopted by the industry to develop attractive, cost-effective, and flawlessly interoperable products," said Craig Wiley, senior director of marketing for VESA member Parade Technologies, and chair of the VESA Board of Directors.