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Additional Monitors
Monitors added to a PC beyond the built-in monitor in a notebook PC or the VGA/DVI connected monitor on a desktop PC. DisplayLink supports up to 6 additional monitors to one PC via a USB cable.
Auto-Install
A product with Auto-Install capability will detect if the virtual graphics card software is installed in the PC and automatically install it if it is not using software stored within the product. Auto-Install is a unique feature of network displays and can allow a home user or IT professional to add a new additional monitor to almost any PC in under a minute.
Color Depth
See Color Quality
Color Quality
The Color Quality specifies how many colors are displayed on the monitor. This is often specified in the number of bits per pixel of a screen; a higher number of bits means more colors are displayed on the screen and the picture quality is better. Color Quality should not normally be changed; a user should ensure that Color Quality is always set to “Highest” (32-bit) to ensure the best picture quality. DisplayLink network displays support 32-bit color at all resolutions.
DisplayLink GUI
The GUI is a small taskbar application that allows a DisplayLink user to very easily configure a DisplayLink network display. The GUI can be accessed by clicking on the 
icon in the taskbar.
When a new device is connected, the DisplayLink GUI will show a pop-up to notify the user that a new network display with GUI functionality has been added to the PC.
The DisplayLink GUI allows a user to configure all of the basic functionality of an additional monitor including Extend and Mirror modes, screen resolution and quality, and rotation. The user can also turn the device off, for instance to hide the display from an audience looking at a projector screen. More advanced functionality can be found in Windows Display Properties by clicking “Advanced …”
Extend Mode
A configuration that allows two or more monitors to act like one large Windows desktop. Windows can be dragged from one monitor to another the same way that they can be dragged across a single monitor on the Windows desktop. Displays in extend mode allow a user to put different content on each monitor, reducing the amount of time spent switching between applications and allowing the user to see more information at one time, resulting in an increase in productivity.
Displays can be extended in all directions – to the left, right, or even above and below another monitor. A display can be set to extend by choosing “Extend to …” from the DisplayLink GUI and choosing which direction (left, right, up, or down) to extend. To select the last extended position (for instance, after using mirror mode for a while) choose “Extend” from the menu. More advanced configuration can be made in Windows Display Properties by choosing “Advanced…” from the DisplayLink GUI menu.
Landscape Mode
See Rotation
Mirror Mode
A configuration where an additional monitor replicates exactly what is on the primary monitor at all times. This mode is sometimes called “clone mode.” Mirror mode is normally only used with projectors when the user wants to display exactly the same content on a projector screen as is displayed on a notebook screen to allow an audience to see.
A display can be set to mirror by choosing “Mirror” from the DisplayLink GUI.
Native Resolution
The native resolution of an LCD monitor specifies exactly how many physical pixels, or points of light, that the monitor has. To obtain the best picture quality on an LCD display it is important to set the resolution in Windows to the native resolution of the LCD panel. For instance, a 1280x1024 LCD panel will look best when set to 1280x1024. DisplayLink network displays will always set the native resolution of an LCD screen automatically whenever it can be detected to make this process transparent.
Network Display
A monitor connected to a PC over a standard network interface. Typical network display interfaces include USB, WiMedia, Wireless USB, Ethernet, and WiFi. Network displays make it much easier to add additional monitors to a PC without any hardware upgrades required in
the PC.
Portrait Mode
See Rotation
Resolution
The resolution of a display specifies the number of pixels on the display. Resolution of a monitor is normally specified by stating the number of pixels across by the number of pixels down, for instance 1280x1024. To obtain a clear picture quality on an LCD display it is important to set the best resolution possible on the screen, called the native resolution. DisplayLink network displays will always set the native resolution of an LCD screen automatically whenever it can be detected.
The resolution of a display is also sometimes used to define the number of pixels in the display in a given area, often in the units of pixels per inch (ppi).
Rotation
Many displays can be rotated to different orientations. Most monitors are used in “landscape” (“normal”) mode where the width is longer than the height. A display that supports rotation can also turn the display to “portrait” mode where the height is longer than the width. Portrait mode can be useful for displaying long pages of text like word processing documents or web pages. Many users with 2 or more displays set one display to portrait mode to allow easy viewing of web pages on a dedicated screen. Some displays can also be rotated upside-down – for instance for use with a projector that is mounted to a ceiling.
DisplayLink network displays can be rotated to 0° (normal), 90° (portrait), 180° (upside down), and 270° (portrait) using the DisplayLink GUI.
USB Graphics Adapter (UGA)
Software that runs on a PC and allows adding an additional monitor without requiring complicated hardware to be installed in the PC. The UGA can be loaded on almost any PC and some products install the software automatically using Auto-Install.
Windows Display Properties (WDP)
A control panel built into windows for configuring multiple displays on a Windows PC. Accessed by clicking “Advanced…” in the DisplayLink GUI or though the “Display” icon in the Windows Control Panel.