Spriggan43

Would connecting a LCD by DVI connector speed up the process of getting the image from graphics card to the LCD monitor...

For if I don’t have a DVI is the process this /digital to analog then back to digital/ ???

When a LCD manufacture states that a LCD will operate at say 8ms is that speed based on the DVI connection or analog or both??

UncleMacro

No. The time it takes to get the image from the video card to the LCD monitor is a function of the screen refresh rate (that's the 60 Hz part if your screen is refreshing 60 times a second). If you're trying to get the screen updated quicker then you should raise your refresh rate. The analog output on video cards is faster than the digital outputs. Analog outputs usually go to 400 MHz whereas the more common single link DVI outputs go to 165 MHz. That speed difference doesn't matter if you're running lower screen resolutions which will fit into 165 MHz. If you're running higher resolution screens (1600 X 1200 or above) then the analog output is quicker than the digital output unless you have a dual link DVI output. Dual link DVI goes at least 330 MHz which is enough for high refresh rates at high resolution.

8 ms is talking about the response speed of the LCD. It has nothing to do with whether the signal is analog or digital. It runs at the same speed for both. An 8 ms LCD screen responds quicker than an old slower 16 ms LCD screen (as long as you ignore trickery companies play with their speed specs).

Cellus

Usually anything with a response time of 8ms or lower (there are new 4ms screens out there) is beyond sufficient - any better than that and the human eye can't even tell the difference. The response time, to boil it down, is how long it takes for a liquid crystal to change (how long the "window pane" takes to turn).

ebackhus

Yup, it's exactly like that. The DAC (Digital-Analog Convertor) on the card converts the digital data in the frame buffer into analog data that CRTs and some LCDs can understand. This can cause some degredation in the signal and eventually the image, but it's tiny. Using a DVI connection with an LCD panel will yield the best results for that setup, while using the old D-SUB VGA port for a CRT will work best for that, despite the signal change.

There's plenty of arguments about why one is better than the other. I personally prefer CRTs for what I do which is gaming and graphics design. I like the higher redraw that CRTs offer and the color accuracy. They also have a wide range of resolutions (my 19" supports up to 1900x1440 @ 70Hz) without distortion. LCDs offer the advantage of smaller units, less power used, and cooler operation. Early ones were just miserable to use and got horribly washed out when motion occured on-screen. Modern units are nearly on par with CRTs but still suffer one major flaw: viewing angle. LCDs create images by affecting the light being shone through the panel. Since it's like you're shining a light down a narrow tunnel, the amount of visible light diminishes as you move more to the sides and further from the center.