The last couple of years has brought some new connector ports to the computer industry and an update to a port that was lagging behind the technology of the day. The Apple computers with their Thunderbolt port, and both the Apple and PC camps with Display Port connections and USB 3.o connectivity.
For awhile video connections seemed to be “getting along” between the computer and the CE camps with everyone using the HDMI 1.4a standard in either regular, mini or micro versions. The problem happened when Apple introduced the Thunderbolt port.
This port was designed to eliminate the need for wires and distribution devices to connect devices of various configurations to one port on the computer by daisy chaining one device to the next device, to the next device etc. Your printer connects to your monitor and your external hard drive connects to outboard audio system… you get the drift.
This is a great idea providing that all your devices are Thunderbolt ready. In reality most of us are not willing to run out and replace perfectly good working devices with new ones simply to daisy chain our devices together, so, we need adaptors.
The same thing happens when we look at Display Port. Designed by VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) to enable the daisy chaining of multiple monitors together eliminating the need for video card manufacturers to have to put 2 or more output ports on their video cards or use an outboard video distribution device to send signals to multiple computer monitors.
These are all really great ideas and allow the main computer to “talk” to each one of the Display Port or Thunderbolt connected devices individually over a single cable connected to the computer. But it seems no one talked to the Consumer Electronic manufacturers! They just keep rolling along with HDMI, well, maybe we will start to see some display port inputs and outputs on TVs, but not this year! I can imagine that the rumored Apple TV will have Thunderbolt connectivity. We’ll have to wait and see.
All these changes create chaos for the even the most informed consumer. With screams of “I just want to watch Netflix on my big screen with my new laptop computer!”
This is what Wired 1 Consulting is all about. Give us a call. We can make it work!