HDMI sockets enable an ASUS motherboard to output both digital video and audio. Some ASUS motherboards feature built-in HDMI support, while other models require the addition of extra hardware to bring the motherboard up-to-date. Motherboards with HDMI capabilities can produce digital output, which is superior to the analog output common in low-end PCs. However, the quality varies from model to model.
History
Digital video interface, developed in 1999, was the first interface standard capable of transmitting digital video signals. The interface gained widespread support, but HDMI superseded DVI in 2002 -- although HDMI didn't become commonplace in the computer hardware world until about 2006. Although HDMI transmits digital video using the same signaling as DVI, it does one thing that DVI can't: HDMI also transfers audio signals. ASUS began integrating the HDMI socket into its motherboards soon after graphics processing unit manufacturers began developing video cards with HDMI support.
Basics
Asus motherboards can output HDMI in one of two ways: through an integrated video card or through a dedicated video card. Integrated cards are those that are built into the Asus motherboard itself, while dedicated video cards are those that are added to the motherboard through a peripheral-component-interconnect express card. Integrated cards are poorer in quality than most dedicated cards, but are less expensive. While the integrated video card can output HDMI to an external monitor, it won't render the graphics as well as a dedicated card.
Connection
HDMI uses a 19-pin socket that includes audio data on each color channel. Because HDMI and DVI use the same signaling, HDMI is backwards-compatible with DVI -- although DVI can't carry over audio. In other words, with the use of an adapter, an Asus motherboard with an HDMI socket can connect to a DVI monitor -- in most cases. Although less common, some DVI monitors use a DVI-Analog connection, which means that the DVI connector only communicates through analog signals. Since HDMI is purely digital, an Asus motherboard with an HDMI output cannot send digital signals to this kind of display. Furthermore, both the HDMI socket and the monitor must support high-bandwidth digital content protection; otherwise, video quality will be significantly reduced when playing HDTV content.
Upgrading
To enable HDMI output on an Asus motherboard that doesn't come with integrated HDMI sockets, you must add a dedicated graphics card to the PC. Since graphics cards with HDMI support use a PCIe, the motherboard must have at least one available PCIe x16 socket. Most cards also require at least one 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power connector. Before installing the card to the motherboard, remove the driver for the old graphics card from Device Manager, then disable the integrated card -- if applicable -- in the system setup. Install the driver software for the new card, then add the HDMI card to the Asus computer.
Tags: with HDMI, digital video, HDMI socket, HDMI support, video card, Asus motherboard, Asus motherboard