Like its cousin HDMI but intended more as a computer-oriented complement, the new DisplayPort standard was created in 2007 by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) to define a more advanced method of carrying AV signal data. DisplayPort cables can carry both digital DVI and analog VGA signals within the same cable along with 24-bit audio and USB -- at farther distances and less expensively than other cable types. Thanks to efficient design considerations, DisplayPort has achieved breakthroughs in lower costs and ease of use. DisplayPort's freely licensed 128-bit copy protection scheme further open up new possibilities for AV enthusiasts, installers and developers alike while retaining legacy support for the 40-bit HDCP standard.
DisplayPort provides performance scalability for developments in high quality displays with ever higher color depths and higher refresh rates, using fewer wires in the cable.
The DisplayPort standard includes support for fiber optic cables as well as copper transmission media.