2w ago

USB-C Could Potentially Replace HDMI and DisplayPort

Just had an oh-shit! moment at the library.

Depending on how things go, if the USB Implementers Forum can:

get the naming debacle figured out to where it's useful to people without sounding like gibberish.
develop USB-C to be more powerful than HDMI & DisplayPort.
lower licensing fees.

then USB-C could potentially overtake HDMI and DisplayPort in the graphics display cable market.

The reason I'm saying this is cause:

USB-C just_works.™️ for external/multi-monitor displays (it even works on my current dogshit NixOS laptop).
some manufacturers have already previously experimented/and sold graphics cards (GPUs) with USB-C as a display option.

As manufacturers already have to pay for HDMI/DisplayPort licensing fees, now it's just a matter of who can provide the most with the least overhead costs.

While it's not guranteed that USB-C is the true end solution, it does provide manufacturers with another option, which technically should lower costs for them to manufacture GPUs.

10 comments

The current implementation is problematic, with specific edge cases causing DisplayPort synchronization issues. This results in intermittent black screens lasting 5 to 20 seconds.
Driver updates often resolve the problem, though not consistently.
Signed an IT professional managing an environment with 4000 USB-C docks.
- God fucking damnit. I'm an electrician, I'm not supposed to do IT, but they call me for IT because computers are electricity. My number 1 call is USB-C dock related, usually a destroyed cable because it's been folded over 10k times or the port on the laptop because it has been plugged and unplugged 5x the MTF.
  I feel your pain, we only have a dozen docks.
- Preach it. Not to mention issues with wake from sleep when connected to thunderbolt docks. Very inconsistent.
They'll have to come up with a better connector, though. USB-C is just way too flimsy.
- Why come up with a new connector and not address the problem directly with a separate anchoring solution where needed? So far, solutions seem to go more rigid, but perhaps one that's more flexible and even automatically ejected when too much pressure is applied may be better for the cable and the connector. And if it isn't staying in, chances are you should probably be finding anchor points or alleviating tension for you longass/shortass cable.
Mum’s work has the abomination of vga to usb-c for display.
Also DP doesn’t have licensing fees.
Yeah, power (power monitor via PC or power minpc via monitor) plus fast wake-up (HDMI CEC/DP alt mode?), passthrough capability etc looks cool if you can get both sides of the hardware (plus the cable) to support it.
Fantastech II sale is today, prices will determine if I see any of this or keep using a 1050Ti and cheap old HDTV. EDIT: Not looking great for my chances so far...
Hopefully some magical fix for compatibility too
Even if it’s just spec printed on the cable (and maybe RFIDs we can scan with our phones to identify cables, while devices with screens can pop up warnings for any spec mismatches so we know they’ll charge slowly or w/e)
Pretty much already has for me.
There is a lot of "could" and "eventually" in this, actually.

10 comments