Display stream compression (DSC) is a compression algorithm that allows monitors and TVs to display resolutions and refresh rates that they would not otherwise be able to handle. It improves the capabilities of HDMI and DisplayPort cables, allowing them to offer displays that have higher resolutions and refresh rates than they were originally capable of. DSC does all this without anyone knowing. You probably have it enabled without knowing it.
This is because DSC is a visual lossless compression format. While not mathematically flawless, you’d be hard-pressed to notice any kind of difference with DSC enabled. This is a good thing because it means that your 4K A 240Hz monitor can handle all the data needed without compromising quality.
What is DSC?
DSC is a VESA-developed compression algorithm supported by most modern TVs and monitors. It was first introduced in March 2014, but was not officially included in the DisplayPort 1.4 specification until version 1.2 was released in 2016. Version 1.2 was also added to hdmi 2.1 The specification in 2017 makes DSC more widely available. It has since been adopted by DisplayPort 2.0/2.1.
The purpose of DSC was to reduce the amount of information transmitted from a source device such as a gaming PC or UHD Blu-ray player to a TV or monitor. In practice, this means that DisplayPort 1.4 can support 4K 240Hz display, despite the fact that the cable doesn’t actually have the raw bandwidth to support such a resolution and refresh rate combination.
You can see this with the excellent Samsung Neo G8, which comes with DisplayPort 1.4 and hdmi 2.1 output, and yet it can get full 4K 240Hz signal from any port option.
DSC can also be used to transmit higher quality video than USB-C, USB4 and Thunderbolt 3/4 connectors allow.
How does DSC work?
DSC is a mathematically lossy, but visually harmless compression algorithm. This means that although there are some differences in the final image produced after compression is applied, the human eye cannot actually register it. It uses a variety of encoding tools to achieve this but can ultimately result in a 3:1 reduction in the size of data transmitted. It manages this with only a 0.5-microsecond increase in overall latency, making it a technology that you can use while gaming without any kind of impact on the look or feel of your game.
it makes it possible hdmi 2.1 DisplayPort 2.1 to handle up to 10K at 120Hz, or up to a single 10K display at 60Hz with 16-bit color and hdr,
However, it is important to remember that DSC only affects the data that is transmitted from the device to the display. It doesn’t help your graphics card in the same way that FSR or DLSS does, so you’ll still need a GPU that can render your game at whatever resolution and frame rate you target, even if you use DSC. Use or not. ,
Should I use DSC?
Yes absolutely. It’s unlikely you’ll notice any difference with it enabled, and if your monitor and graphics card Support it, you’re probably already using it and you don’t realize it. most cutting edge 4K high refresh rate keeps an eye on Use DSC in some capacity, and its use enables the latest Nvidia graphics cards to still sport a DisplayPort 1.4 connector instead of the DisplayPort 2.1 found on AMD’s RX 7000 series.