New Reversible USB Type-C Standard Gains Support for DisplayPort Video

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) today announced a DisplayPort Alternate Mode for the upcoming USB Type-C connector standard, which will let USB-Type C connectors and cables deliver DisplayPort signals.

As noted by AnandTech, DisplayPort technology built into USB Type-C has the potential to connect monitors, cables, docking stations, and more. With the ability to support displays and carry video data via USB, USB Type-C could potentially serve as the next Thunderbolt connector, powering 4K and higher resolution displays.

DisplayPortAltMode_575px

The DisplayPort Alt Mode repurposes some or all of the four existing SuperSpeed USB lanes to deliver full DisplayPort performance, and uses other signaling available in the USB Type-C connector for DisplayPort's AUX channel and HPD (Hot Plug Detection) function. This enables computers, tablets, smartphones, displays, and docking stations to implement the new USB Type-C connector at both ends while using the DisplayPort Standard over USB Type-C to transmit high-resolution A/V along with USB data and power.

Finalized in August, the USB Type-C connector specifications are much improved over previous USB generations. The slim connector is entirely reversible, making it easier to plug in, and due to its thin design, it's suitable for both mobile device and larger computers. It's also certified for USB 3.1 data rates of up to 10 Gbps and can deliver a maximum of 100W of power.

With an alternate DisplayPort mode and four lanes of signaling, one USB Type-C cable could be used to provide power to a device while also driving a connected display. According to VESA, Type-C ports and the first DisplayPort Alt Mode capable devices (using DisplayPort 1.2a) will be available beginning in 2015.

Earlier this morning, a rumor suggested Apple's upcoming 12-inch MacBook would take advantage of the new reversible USB Type-C connector, which is plausible as that device is rumored to begin shipping in mid-2015.

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
Verizon New

Verizon Offering $20 Credit After Major Outage, Here's How to Get It

Thursday January 15, 2026 7:37 am PST by
Verizon today announced it will be offering customers a $20 account credit after a major outage on Wednesday, and action is required to receive it. The carrier said affected customers can accept the credit by logging into the My Verizon app, but it might take some time before this option shows up in the app. Affected customers will receive a text message when the credit is available. On...

Top Rated Comments

H2SO4 Avatar
148 months ago
So before Thunderbolt gained traction it has serious competition?
They should have priced it reasonably while they had the chance, I wonder if TB will be the next FireWire as far as consumers are concerned.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MagnusVonMagnum Avatar
148 months ago
man, kinda sucks to have another connector standard. Oh well, i guess that's the price of progress. Maybe they're trying to figure out how to combine USB and thunderbolt and displayport.

You're right about everything except Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is now DEAD. This just killed it. It's a total replacement for Thunderbolt 2 while retaining USB connectivity and cable standards AND is reversible. It gets rid of ALL major problems and ALL major complaints and it's a HUGE standard (unlike Thunderbolt which hardly anyone supports or uses except Apple). It sucks to be people who bought into Thunderbolt and it sucks to own a Mac Pro. You've just been PWNED! :eek: :D

I called this a couple of years ago. No one gives a crap about APPLE standards and Intel or not, it's ONLY been really used by Apple. You CANNOT create "standards" when you represent 8% of the market. Making matters worse, Apple wanted to have exclusive access to Thunderbolt the first year. WHY???? There was NOTHING available for it and it only meant that PC adoption would not occur for at least another year to even start. They helped doom their own connection standard. Call it Steve's dying folly if you like, but it was a stupid move.

Thunderbolt was always about ridiculously high bandwidth which required active chips to achieve. USB 3.1 next year will hit what Thunderbolt 1 got in 2011 (10Gbps), and Thunderbolt 3 next year will be pushing for 4x that (40Gbps). And since it's PCI-E, it doesn't have the overhead USB has.

Dream on. They can't even hardly get any devices to support Thunderbolt I several years later and they're all universally OVERPRICED. Don't give me the "Pro" line of defense because Apple has done everything in its power to KILL its own Pro market and hand it lock, stock and barrel to Windows. The Mac Pro is really a Prosumer machine (given the lack of internal expansion, rack mount capability and even software now that most have left the market), except most prosumers can't afford it. I doubt you'll even see Thunderbolt III. For goodness sake, look how long it's taken to get significant USB3 adoption by consumers (given the lack of desktop sales and the lack of mobile support). By the time Thunderbolt III makes an appearance, USB 4 will be out in short order and that will be the last you will EVER see of Thunderbolt, virtually guaranteed and IMO good riddance. We don't need competing standards and we certainly don't need overpriced products for those standards. Sometimes competition is BAD (look at HDDvd vs. Blu-Ray and how that only slowed adoption).
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DonutHands Avatar
148 months ago
poor ADB, oops, i mean ADC, oops, i mean FireWire, oops, i mean Thunderbolt.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ravenvii Avatar
148 months ago
SWEET!

So before Thunderbolt gained traction it has serious competition?
They should have priced it reasonably while they had the chance, I wonder if TB will be the next FireWire as far as consumers are concerned.

Already is, IMO.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
148 months ago
I think the problem with most of you guys is that you need to realize Thunderbolt is not for you. It's for professionals. It doesn't have the overhead that USB does and it's twice as fast as this new USB standard, with optical versions on the way that go 50Gbps and 100Gbps bi-directional. It's about having direct access to the motherboard externally. You run things like USB on top of Thunderbolt.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krazygoat Avatar
148 months ago
Remember thunderbolt2 and maybe even 1 will be able to do USB 3.1 via an adapter.

We use Thunderbolt all the time. I have a Thunderbolt2 LG monitor on my desk now. We have dozens of very large thunderbolt 1 & 2 RAIDs. I use it on set for networking.

To me it is not an either or, thunderbolt did not make USB 2 or 3 go away and USB 3 while fast enough for most people did not make thunderbolt go away anny more than those technologies did not make 10GbE, Inifiniband, or even good ol' fiberchannel go away. Both connectors are small so I would want Thunderbolt AND USB 3.1.

Once the networking stack gets optimized (all done in software right now so IO can affect performance) then thunderbolt can take off as a networking technology too (also need switches). Remember too thunderbolt is specced to go to 100Gbps and USB 3.1 is just catching up to Thunderbolt 1
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)