Introduction

DisplayPort 1.1 is poised to make its first steps in 2008, with the first high-end displays based on the standard coming out in the first quarter. At the same time, all future GPUs coming out in 2008 are also expected to support DisplayPort natively; even IGPs slated for early next year are poised to support it. That doesn't mean every board is going to sport the connectors, but the potential is definitely there for a much, much more rapid adoption than was the case with DVI, and perhaps even HDMI.

But as with any display standard, you don't just need the transmitters in the graphics card (or a converter from DVI/HDMI to DisplayPort); you also need the receivers that are going to power the digital displays handling the computed pixels. And given that Silicon Image is backing HDMI as it holds the IP to that and receives royalties on every chip (while DisplayPort is royalty-free), there's one less major competitor than usual in the market.

The largest player in the DisplayPort world is Genesis Microchip, which is publicly traded. Analogix and Parade Technologies (both smaller private companies) also sell DisplayPort receivers and transmitters. So the market is competitive, but it's arguably not overly populated yet. And realising the potential of the market, Integrated Device Technology (IDT) is announcing today their intention to enter the market, with their first proof-of-concept silicon slated to be present at VESA's upcoming Plugfest on December 6 and 7.

We took this opportunity to chat with IDT's Chad Taggard, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Worldwide Marketing, on DisplayPort in general and the company's entry into this new market. Let's look at what seems to be happening in the different markets DisplayPort is aiming at first…