It's time again to pop open the virtual mailbag, which overflows with insightful questions from inquisitive readers.
This week's first query comes from a reader who recently upgraded from an old CRT monitor to an LCD. When connecting the new monitor to his computer, he noticed that there are two output jacks to choose from, labeled VGA and DVI. Although his existing monitor cable -- as well as the cable that came with the LCD monitor -- only fits the VGA jack, he wondered what the difference is, and more importantly, if he's missing out on something.
First of all, congratulations for switching to LCD and giving the boot to your old CRT. Besides being monstrous, desktop-stealing eyesores, CRT monitors are energy hogs that will warm up a room faster than many space heaters. They're also prone to graphic distortions, such as pin cushioning and high-frequency interference. They're good for business if you're an optometrist; however, because long-term use of a CRT is murder on your eyes.
Back to the question at hand: The acronym VGA stands for Video Graphics Array, an analog computer display standard utilizing a 15-pin D-subminiature, or D-sub, connector. It's relatively old technology, introduced by IBM in 1987, but still widely used today in home computers and mobile devices. The majority of today's off-the-rack PCs use VGA display technology, primarily based on expense and compatibility.
The key word in the above paragraph is analog. To communicate with an analog display, whether CRT or LCD, the computer must convert the signal from its native digital format. Because of this conversion process, you sacrifice speed and quality.
Digital video interface, or DVI, skips the whole conversion process and delivers the digital signal in its native format, resulting in much cleaner, faster and brighter displays, free of the old analog distortions. In side-by-side...

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