IBM, Toshiba, Sharp and Hitachi today announced that they will co-operate on the development of a new data transfer protocol that will allow computers to communicate with LCD screens via . Dubbed Digital PV Link, the technology will enable high-resolution displays to handle moving images rather better than they do right now, the four developers said. The idea behind the technology works something like this: by breaking down the image to be displayed into identifiable individual data packets, the data stream can be better optimised to enable the display to operate more efficiently. So, individual packets can be compressed to speed transmission, and packets need only been sent for sections of the image that have changed, again improving speed and maximising bandwidth. The packets will also be copy-protected, the companies said, and they confirmed Digital PV Link, as a data protocol, will work alongside existing digital interface standards. Digital PV Link's specification should be finalised around the middle of next year, and will be submitted to the current display-oriented standards bodies, including the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) and the Digital Interface Standards for Monitors (DISM). ®