作为较新的技术，HDMI在各个方面都对较旧的(HDMI)VGA电缆进行了改进。无论是传输速率、显示速率、视频分辨率，甚至是所用信号的性质，
HDMI都表现出色。(HDMI)
话虽如此，VGA还远未灭绝。虽然旧接口逐渐被淘汰，但许多设备仍在使用VGA端口，因此了解其优势和局限性非常重要。因此，这里是关于VGA(VGA)和HDMI接口
的差异和功能的入门。
VGA和HDMI简介
VGA（视频图形阵列(Video Graphics Array)）是IBM早在 1987 年为计算机显示器设计的显示接口。15 针 3 行VGA端口成为 PC 主板、游戏机和DVD播放器中普遍存在的功能。
顾名思义，VGA接口只承载视觉信息，而且其分辨率也被认为是当今标准的低分辨率。然而，其简单的兼容性和广泛的制造商支持意味着该接口将继续开发，直到 2010 年业界最终转向HDMI标准。
HDMI（高清多媒体接口(High Definition Multimedia Interface)）于 2002 年推出，通过单根电缆传输音频和视频数据，分辨率和帧速率也大大提高。在接下来的几年里，它迅速成为多媒体连接的事实标准。
即将推出的高清电视(HDTVs)迅速集成了这项技术，使用HDMI连接器作为统一的视听接口。由于HDMI向后兼容DVI（数字视频接口(Digital Visual Interface)），因此大多数现代设备都可以使用它。
然而，这让VGA用户陷入困境，因为您需要专门的适配器将VGA转换为HDMI信号，即使这样，性能也可能参差不齐。这就是为什么即使是游戏机和流媒体设备也迁移到更新的技术，加入计算机放弃VGA端口。
根本区别：模拟(Analog)与数字(Digital)
两个接口之间最明显的区别是使用的信号类型。VGA连接传输模拟视频信号，而HDMI用于数字传输。
但是，这是什么意思？基本上(Basically)，模拟信号包含连续的信息梯度，而数字信号由离散值组成。
这使得模拟传输更容易传输，尽管不是特别有效。另一方面，
数字传输可以打包大量信息并且不易受干扰。(Digital)
HDMI：全多媒体传输
作为模拟接口，VGA一次只能传输一种类型的信息。这将其限制为仅用于视频传输，图像质量也较低。
(HDMI)另一方面，HDMI可以传输任何类型的数字数据。该接口经过开发以适应视频和音频信号，而不会影响两者的保真度。
同一根HDMI线缆可以同时传输 32 通道的高分辨率杜比数字(Dolby Digital)音频以及 1080p 分辨率的视频流。这使得HDMI成为 4K 游戏机和(HDMI)蓝光播放(Blu-Ray)器等高性能应用的主要接口。
VGA：更简单更快
由于HDMI数据流的复杂性，需要在播放前将信息解码为可用信号。无论所讨论的系统多么强大，这
都会在任何HDMI连接中引入一个小的输入延迟。
VGA中不存在此问题。它的模拟信号可以快速转换成屏幕上的运动图像，无需任何后期处理或转换。这种低输入延迟是VGA唯一的优势，因为它在其他所有指标上都输给了 HDMI。
可悲的是，这是一种在大多数应用程序中很少发挥作用的品质。输入延迟只是在实际播放中引入了轻微的延迟，丝毫不会影响播放质量。除非内容对时间非常敏感，否则使用VGA(VGA)没有明显优势。
HDMI：灵活稳定
任何使用过旧CRT显示器的人都知道，您不能只将VGA连接器插入正在运行的设备并期望它能够工作。不过，您可以在HDMI中做到这一点。
此功能称为热插拔，允许即时切换HDMI显示器，而无需重新启动整个系统以生成视频馈送。对于许多商业应用来说，这种能力是救命稻草。
HDMI电缆也不太容易受到电磁干扰，因为它们的屏蔽层和数字信号较厚。这使它们成为比VGA更好地部署在辐射源周围的选择。
HDMI：更多像素，刷新速度更快(Refresh Faster)
HDMI 不仅可以支持比VGA更高的分辨率（高达 4K），而且还支持更高的刷新率，最高可达 240 Hz。这种优势不再只是理论上的，高端显示器和UHD 电视(UHD TVs)定期提供这些高级规格。
该标准的最新版本HDMI 2.1a甚至支持 8K，以及Dolby Vision and HDR10+等高级视频标准。
相比之下，最新版本的VGA只能达到 1600×1200 的最大分辨率，在 60 Hz 的标准刷新率下也是如此。除了音频集成之外，这也是电视和电脑显示器制造商全面转向HDMI(HDMI)的另一个重要原因。
VGA 与 HDMI：简而言之
HDMI显然是传输任何多媒体流的更好接口。它消除了对音频电缆的需求，并提供了改进的分辨率和帧速率。DisplayPort是唯一提供类似功能的其他接口。
然而，考虑到VGA是一种更古老的技术，这是可以预料的。在当时，VGA是一种令人惊讶的强大技术，通过更简单的模拟信号传输视频流，没有任何输入延迟。
但就像任何技术接口的旧标准一样，VGA的时代即将结束。在这个 4K 图形和 120 Hz 显示器的时代，HDMI是娱乐生态系统的重要组成部分。VGA仅适用于与投影仪等旧设备的接口(interface with older devices like projectors)。
VGA vs. HDMI: How Are They Different?
As the newer technology, HDMI offers improvements upon the older VGA cable in eνery respect. HDMI stands suрerior, be it the rate of transmissiоn, display rate, video resolution, or even the natυre of the signal usеd.
That being said, VGA is far from extinct. While the older interface is gradually being phased out, many devices still use VGA ports, making it important to understand its strengths and limitations. So here is a primer on the differences and features of the VGA and HDMI interfaces.
Introduction to VGA and HDMI
VGA (Video Graphics Array) is a display interface designed by IBM for computer monitors back in 1987. The 15-pin 3-row VGA port became a ubiquitous feature in PC motherboards, gaming consoles, and DVD players.
As the name suggests, the VGA interface only carries visual information, and that too at a resolution considered low by today’s standards. Yet its easy compatibility and widespread manufacturer support meant the interface continued to be developed until 2010 when the industry finally made the switch to the HDMI standard.
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) was introduced in 2002 to carry both audio and visual data with a single cable, that too at a much-improved resolution and framerate. Over the next several years, it quickly became the de facto standard for multimedia connectivity.
The soon-to-be-launched HDTVs swiftly integrated this technology, using HDMI connectors as a unified audio-visual interface. And as HDMI was backward compatible with DVI (Digital Visual Interface), most modern devices could make use of it.
This leaves VGA users in the lurch, however, as you need a specialized adapter to convert VGA to HDMI signals, and even then performance can be spotty. This is why even gaming consoles and streaming devices have also migrated to the newer technology, joining computers in ditching the VGA port.
The Fundamental Difference: Analog vs Digital
The most obvious difference between the two interfaces is the type of signal used. VGA connections carry analog video signals, while HDMI is meant for digital transmission.
But what does that mean? Basically, analog signals contain a continuous gradient of information, while digital signals are made up of discrete values.
This makes analog transmissions easier to transmit, though not particularly efficient. Digital transmissions, on the other hand, can pack a lot of information and are less susceptible to interference.
HDMI: Full Multimedia Transmission
As an analog interface, VGA is only capable of transmitting one type of information at a time. This limits it to video transmission alone, that too at a lower level of image quality.
HDMI, on the other hand, can transmit any type of digital data. The interface has been developed to accommodate both video and audio signals, without compromising on the fidelity of either.
The same HDMI cable can transmit 32 channels of high-resolution Dolby Digital audio as well as a 1080p resolution video stream simultaneously. This has made HDMI the mainstay interface for high-performance applications like 4K gaming consoles and Blu-Ray players.
VGA: Simpler and Faster
Thanks to the complex nature of an HDMI data stream, the information needs to be decoded into usable signals before playback. This introduces a small input lag with any HDMI connection, no matter how powerful the system in question.
This problem is not present in VGA. Its analog signals can be rapidly translated into moving images on the screen, without any sort of post-processing or conversion. This low input lag is VGA’s only saving grace, as it loses to HDMI on every other metric.
Sadly, it is a quality that rarely comes into play in most applications. An input lag just introduces a slight delay in the actual playback, without affecting the playback quality in the slightest. Unless the content is extremely time sensitive, there is no discernible advantage in using VGA.
HDMI: Flexible and Stable
Anyone who has worked with old CRT monitors knows that you cannot just plug a VGA connector into a running device and expect it to work. You can do it in HDMI, though.
Called hot-plugging, this functionality allows HDMI displays to be switched on the fly, without having to restart the whole system generating the video feed. For many commercial applications, this ability is a lifesaver.
HDMI cables are also less prone to electromagnetic interference, because of their thick shielding and digital signals. This makes them a better choice than VGA for deploying around radiation sources.
HDMI: More Pixels That Refresh Faster
Not only can HDMI support higher resolutions (up to 4K) than VGA but it also supports much higher refresh rates, going up to 240 Hz. This advantage is no longer just theoretical, with high-end monitors and UHD TVs regularly offering these advanced specs.
The latest version of the standard, HDMI 2.1a, supports even 8K, along with advanced video standards like Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
In contrast, the latest version of VGA is only capable of a maximum resolution of 1600×1200, that too at the standard refresh rate of 60 Hz only. Apart from audio integration, this is another big reason why TV and computer display manufacturers are completely shifting to HDMI.
VGA vs HDMI: In a Nutshell
HDMI is clearly the better interface for transmitting any multimedia stream. It eliminates the need for an audio cable and offers improved resolutions and framerates. DisplayPort is the only other interface to offer similar features.
That is to be expected, however, considering that VGA is a much older technology. For its time, VGA was a surprisingly robust technology, transmitting video streams through simpler analog signals without any input lag.
But like older standards of any technological interface, the days of VGA are drawing to a close. In this age of 4K graphics and 120 Hz monitors, HDMI is an essential component of the entertainment ecosystem. VGA is only useful to interface with older devices like projectors.
