Operation Manual

Figure 1-2: The yellow RCA phono connector, for composite video output
When no other display device is available, a composite video connection will get you started with the Pi. The quality, however,
isn’t great. Composite video connections are significantly more prone to interference, lack clarity and run at a limited resolution,
meaning that you can fit fewer icons and lines of text on the screen at once.
HDMI Video
A better-quality picture can be obtained using the HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connector, the only port found
on the bottom of the Pi (see Figure 1-3). Unlike the analogue composite connection, the HDMI port provides a high-speed
digital connection for pixel-perfect pictures on both computer monitors and high-definition TV sets. Using the HDMI port, a Pi
can display images at the Full HD 1920x1080 resolution of most modern HDTV sets. At this resolution, significantly more detail
is available on the screen.
If you’re hoping to use the Pi with an existing computer monitor, you may find that your display doesn’t have an HDMI input.
That’s not a disaster: the digital signals present on the HDMI cable map to a common computer monitor standard called DVI
(Digital Video Interconnect). By purchasing an HDMI-to-DVI cable, you’ll be able to connect the Pi’s HDMI port to a monitor
with DVI-D connectivity.
Figure 1-3: The silver HDMI connector, for high-definition video output