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Understanding The Basics Of Resolution For Monitors And Video Cards
Many people who use computers are confused about how resolution works. I hear it all the time from even experienced computer users. Monitor resolution is not a confusing topic if you understand the basics. I hope the following information will give you a better understanding of how resolution on a monitor actually works.
When you purchase a monitor or video graphics card for your computer, the hardware usually has its specifications printed on the box. There is a bunch of information printed, but the one you’re looking for probably looks something like this, 1024x768. These two numbers describe the horizontal and vertical pixel resolution. Monitors today will display graphics in different resolutions and that goes the same for the video card. The higher the two numbers, the better the resolution.
But what actually is resolution? Resolution is presented in the form of pixels. Think of the pixels as little squares on your screen. Let’s take the resolution 1024x768 as an example. A monitor that is displaying images in 1024x768 resolution means it’s using 1024 horizontal squares and 768 vertical squares to display the image. In other words, there are 1024 squares lined up adjacent to one another horizontally and 768 squares stacked on top of one another vertically. A higher resolution, such as 1280x1024, means there are now 1280 horizontal squares and 1024 vertical squares used to display the image. The more squares there are, the better the picture looks, given all other variables are equal. The reason is because more squares are used to draw the same image. With a higher resolution, each square, or pixel, is now smaller and a smaller pixel gets you more detail when displaying the image.
To summarize, each pixel on the monitor is one square. The more pixels you have, the better the image looks. So, if you’re buying a monitor or video card, in most cases, the higher the resolution, the better the image should appear. This of course holds true only if all other aspects of the monitor or video card of different manufacturers are the same such as memory, dot pitch, etc.
Now that you understand resolution, you’ll see why certain video or graphics look better on certain monitors and televisions. For example, standard broadcast television has a resolution of 640x480. DVD video has a resolution of 720x480. High Definition(or HD) video has resolutions of 1280x720 and 1920x1080. With all things being equal, High Definition video looks the best. Then standard DVD video, and then broadcast video. When I refer to all things, I mean compression, delivery method, interference, playback device, and anything else that might affect the video quality. We won’t get into those details as it can be tackled in another conversation.
I hope the above information has given you some insight into what resolution is and how it works regarding monitors and video cards. Understanding what resolution is and how it works will be helpful when deciding on making your next monitor or video card purchase.
About The Author
William Leung is the owner of www.instantimagers.com and has over 10 years of graphic design experience. He also possesses skills in web development, design, and multimedia design.
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