Monitor resolution is the number of pixels a display can show at once. Higher pixel counts mean sharper images. Displays have a native resolution, and scaling can affect image quality. Common resolutions include QSXGA, WUXGA, UGA, SXGA, and XGA. Computer monitors have higher resolutions than TVs.
Monitor resolution is the measure of the number of pixels a computer display or monitor can display at one time. Monitors that display more pixels offer a sharper, brighter picture. The term “pixel” is short for picture elements, and a pixel is the smallest element in an image.
The term resolution can be a bit misleading, in part because today’s computer displays sometimes act as televisions and vice versa. Since all types of displays use pixels, however, it’s common to measure resolution with pixel count. The terms display resolution and pixel dimensions also have similar meanings, and buyers will sometimes see resolutions measured in pixels per inch that a monitor can display, both horizontally and vertically.
The computer monitor combines all the pixels to create the image and ultimately the resolution measurement for the display. Each pixel is so small that the human eye cannot distinguish between individual pixels. Instead, the eye naturally blends them together to create the image.
Monitors have a native resolution, which is the resolution at which their images look best. When viewing images in resolutions other than their native resolution, the image may not appear as sharp due to the scaling that must occur. Liquid crystal displays are more affected by native resolution.
Several measurements of standard pixels make up common amounts of monitor resolution for computer displays. For example, QSXGA measures 2,560 pixels by 2,048 pixels, which is usually shortened to 2560×2048. The measurement means that a QSXGA display measures 2,560 pixels horizontally by 2,048 pixels vertically, which is a ratio of 5 to 4. There are a number of other standard measurements, including WUXGA, which is 1920×1200; UGA, which is 1600×1200; SXGA, which is 1280×1024; and XGA, which is 1024×768.
To determine the total number of pixels in a standard monitor resolution, individuals can multiply the two pixel measurements. Using QSXGA again as an example, a person can multiply 2.560 by 2.048 to get a total pixel count of 5,242,880, usually reduced to 5.24 million pixels or 5.24 megapixels. An XGA resolution (1024 by 768) would produce 786,432 total pixels or 0.79 megapixels. Consumers should keep in mind that a 15-inch (38.1 cm) monitor with 3 megapixel resolution would create a sharper image than a 20-inch (50.8 cm) monitor with 3 megapixels because the smaller monitor would offer more pixels per inch than the largest monitor.
On average, computer monitors have higher resolutions than television displays. A high-definition TV resolution can range from 1920×1080 to 1280×720, but the best resolutions for computer displays carry many more pixels. Both types have experienced a steady increase in the total number of pixels they can display over the past few years, and monitor resolution is expected to continue to increase in the future.
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