The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) announced today that it has approved DisplayPort 1.1, a standard that it hopes will replace DVI and VGA as the de facto standard for both internal and external display connectivity. DisplayPort has been compared to HDMI, as it can carry both high-quality digital audio and video signals. VESA has a bunch of stats to back up the spec: DisplayPort consumes less energy, boasts higher-performance and is delivered via a small, USB-like connector. Still, why not just use HDMI for computers as well? Because DisplayPort supports High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) 1.3, which controls the flow of data on both ends. This is great for movie studios and other content owners who would love to control the video output on your machine–lest you try to copy those Blu-ray movie discs via your video-out. Manufacturers like Dell, Lenovo, IBM, Samsung, and LG have already hopped on the bandwagon, so expect to see DisplayPort sometime in the near future–whether you like it or not.

For more on DisplayPort:
– see this press release
– and this Ars Technica article