DisplayLink vs DisplayPort
DisplayLink's bandwidth is pretty limited at a measly 480Mbps - approximately five per cent of what DisplayPort, used with Eyefinity, can deliver. Eyefinity lets users spread the desktop images across multiple screens, but at super resolutions, which is what gamers are so excited about.
But DisplayLink's small bandwidth ensures that any image can be compressed and sent through the USB, which is great for non-graphics intensive tasks, but a bit of a drag if you feel like shooting up some Zombies multi-screen styleee - as the bandwidth is clearly not enough for 3D gaming or HD video playback, and the compression scheme introduces artifacts.
So, Displaylink typically targets specific markets, like the financial market, which requires more static images like word, excel, web, etc.
The firm's competition include Magic Control, Matrox, and, of course, makers of Display Port technology itself. Of course, AMD also offers the ability to spread your desktop across two displays with all its IGP platforms, including ultrathin notebooks like the HP dm3.
Still, the 60 employee firm must be doing something right as it has, to date, sold over a million chips to punters like Toshiba, Lenovo, Kensington, Samsung, HP, Dell, Infocus, EVGA, Acer, Mitsubishi, Sony, and Targus.
In other words, it's a firm that sees the big picture, spread out over multiple displays.
