You’ve probably heard of the VGA analog format for video transfer. It’s been in use for the past 20 years as the primary technology to send a video signal from a computer to a monitor or screen. Most laptops, desktop computers and projectors are still equipped with analog VGA analog, which means it’s important that any output device, including video switchers, are equipped to accept VGA inputs along with more modern digital inputs like HDMI.

But that’s going to change … eventually.

Major manufacturers like LG, Samsung, AMD, Dell and Intel have agreed to phase out analog VGA technology by 2015. This means that current video systems should include the ability to accept VGA signals, since VGA won’t completely go away until 2020 or later. But, rest assured, it is going away.

Benefits of Digital Signals
Digital display interfaces like DisplayPort and HDMI (the most popular for high-def video signals) transmit higher resolution images using less power, making them especially desirable for applications that receive a video feed from a laptop, such as display systems in corporate boardrooms.

Here are some of the other advantages of HDMI over VGA (and other analog transfer protocols):

• The signal is all-digital, so there is no loss of quality
• Less degradation of quality over longer distances
• Video and audio can be transmitted at the same time via HDMI, so fewer cables are needed for an installation

Today’s projectors and computers still have options for VGA analog interface, but that won’t always be the case. If you’re currently considering a video system upgrade or a new installation, you’ll want to make sure your system is future proof with the proper HDMI protocols.

Talk to a qualified audio video contractor to learn more.