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How is screen resolution measured? What monitor resolutions are there? How to calculate the actual size on the screen

When purchasing a new monitor for your system unit consultants at any electronics store may ask you what screen resolution you prefer for your monitor. For those to whom such a question may seem like something from the Chinese literacy section, let’s break it down. So.

What is screen resolution?

Let's start with what the image that we see on the monitor is. Any picture is assembled from special points - pixels. To somehow understand what we are talking about, let’s draw an analogy with embroidery. From monotonous crosses of different colors, the result is some kind of picture or pattern. So here, pixels are like crosses on embroidery, only they are much smaller and tightly pressed against each other, so there is no feeling that the image consists of individual dots, but looks whole. In addition, they are able to take on different colors as required by the situation. Thanks to this, we watch movies, pictures, switch different windows and instantly see the corresponding changes on the monitor.

Pixels - nowhere without them

Pixels can be square or in some cases rectangular. There was even a wave of replacement of the beloved square monitors with more elongated ones, which sometimes stretched the images too much. But more on that later.

It is the number of these same pixels per unit length, or in other words their density, that determines the resolution of monitor screens.

Screen Resolution Options

The main parameters of monitor resolution are height and width. So, if you go to the control panel on your computer and go to the screen settings section, you can go to this window (this particular window is for operating system users Windows systems 7), which you will see in the photo below.

IN in this case the monitor has installed maximum resolution 1366 x 768 pixels. What does it mean? This means that in width from left to right sides monitor has 1366 pixels, and from top to bottom - 768. This optimal monitor, given as an example, in which information from the screen will be transmitted as clearly and conveniently as possible for a person with normal, normal vision.

We also see that the monitor can be set to another, lower resolution. By reducing the width to 1024 pixels, for example, images can be made to appear more stretched. That is, in fact, the physical number of pixels that determines the resolution of the monitor screen does not change, it remains the same, but the display of images will be the same as it would be with a different resolution.

The most popular screen formats

The shape of pixels was mentioned above, so let’s look at this issue in more detail.

Previously, and we are talking about a hundred years since the appearance of the first films, all monitors of the first models of televisions and computers had a 4:3 format. Even when there were no televisions yet, silent films were shot in this format. What do these numbers mean? This is the aspect ratio of the display element, one might say the ratios of the height and width of the monitor. So, the dimensions can be as follows: 16:12 = 4x4:3x4, 40:30 = 4x10:3x10. Analog TVs the majority have this particular format and, accordingly, analogue television programs are also “adjusted” to the 4:3 frame. This also includes the 5:4 format. It is also more “square”, and is used in the production of computer monitors. But gradually he burst into life new format 16:9, which gave rise to a new image size, and the screen resolution of a widescreen monitor appeared, constantly being modernized and changing in parameters.

Widescreen broadcasting: convenient or profitable?

The new trend was advertised for its convenience. So, a person should perceive information better on the sides of the monitor than on the top and bottom. But we must not miss the point that large-format production is possible. Yes, yes, if you take 4:3 and 16:9 monitors, which have equal diagonals, it turns out that their area is different. A 4:3 screen will have more room to work with than a 16:9 screen, but will require fewer production resources than a square one. Many opinions were expressed both in favor and against widescreen monitors, and both have their pros and cons. For those people who started their acquaintance with by computer means in times of 4:3 format, wide screens inconvenient and require a lot of time to adapt to it.

So, when working in office programs like Microsoft Word, at the same scale, 5:4 monitors will be able to display more lines than their widescreen counterparts. You don’t need to constantly move up and down the sheet to find some information; you can see the entire sheet, and at the same time you won’t lose much in the readability of the text. Wide monitors stretch the “square” image, causing round things to become oval, stretching the faces and bodies of characters on the screen. Fortunately, they are working on all the problems. So, on a 5:4 monitor you can view a widescreen movie, only black margins will be added at the top and bottom so as not to cut off part of the image. Similarly, on a wide monitor, you can make sure that the picture has its original parameters and does not spread across the entire screen area. In computer games, developers add the ability to maintain different formats etc. But what is still important is that the wide format is primarily beneficial for the manufacturer, and it is constantly being imposed on us, reducing the production of square screens. “Do you want a 5:4 monitor? But this is unfashionable, no one buys these anymore!” Of course, he doesn’t buy it, because everyone is chasing fashion, not really thinking about convenience. And the funny thing is that screens with 4:3, 5:4 formats are cheaper than models of wide-format monitors, the production of which uses less material, and which, logically, should cost less. But let's get back to the question

Problems in choosing the optimal resolution

The fact is that the abundance of manufacturers who decide for themselves which expansion is best for them puts the consumer in a difficult position. There are more than three dozen different video standards, which have different resolutions and different aspect ratios. Let's say the XGA video standard has a resolution of 1024 × 768 (786k) or 640 × 480 (307k), with an aspect ratio of 4:3, when the VGA standard has four acceptable resolutions (640 × 480, 640 × 350, 320 × 200, 720 × 400 ) with appropriate aspect ratios (4:3, 64:35, 16:10, 9:5). The WHUXGA video standard today has greatest number pixels - 7680 × 4800 (36864k), and it is widescreen - 16:10. But how to choose exactly the one that will suit a particular user?

What to consider when choosing a monitor resolution

The maximum resolution of the monitor screen is often optimal for working on a computer. It can be manually changed to one of those available in the list of resolution settings.

Since the issue of screen resolution is relevant for both televisions and computers, which are fundamentally different devices(although a TV can also be connected to a PC as a monitor), we will consider the optimal parameters separately for both types of devices.

TV: ease of viewing

The standard definition monopolist in its field for some time has always had an aspect ratio of 4:3, and only relatively recently has the 16:9 ratio begun to appear, which is positioned as an image with high definition - digital television. We are now exactly at the stage when the transition from one standard to another is taking place, and how long this process will drag on is completely unclear. Some countries have long switched to a new, more convenient and high-quality digital format, but in the domestic open spaces this can be expected for a long time. Therefore, you can buy a newfangled widescreen TV, almost all models of which provide a function for adjusting the resolution of monitor screens. After carefully studying the instructions, the user will be able to decide for himself how to view a square picture on a rectangular monitor - stretch it to fill the entire monitor, or add a black frame on the sides to preserve the proportions of the original image.

PC monitor - a dilemma for gamers

If a gamer chooses a monitor, then he must first familiarize himself with the requirements for the preferred game/games, and then, based on this data, summarize which monitor screen resolutions are best suited for this. It’s impossible to say unequivocally “this model is ideal for all games in the world.”

View news in Odnoklassniki - is it worth bothering with choosing a resolution?

If you use a PC to work in office programs or just to view mail, news feeds in in social networks etc., you need to choose solely according to personal experience or consult with experienced user, who can explain to you all the points of interest.

This also includes the screen resolution of the laptop monitor. It is likely that for its transportation it will be more convenient (purely physically) for it to be rectangular and compact, so as to fit into a backpack or bag. On a rectangular monitor, it is convenient to open two windows at once, when a 4:3 or 5:4 monitor gives you more space to view and work on one document.

First, a little about the theory. Screen resolution may vary depending on the device you are using. Some users mistakenly believe that screen size and monitor screen resolution are the same thing. For example, the screen size and its maximum resolution are 1600 x 1200, and the user can set the resolution, for example, 800 x 600. Naturally, the image on the screen will be formed according to the principle that was set by the user himself. As a result, it turns out that screen size and resolution are slightly different concepts. In order to achieve the perfect picture, you need to set the maximum resolution that your monitor supports and then the image will be of the highest quality.

What screen resolutions are there?

Today there is great amount monitors and the same number of resolutions. It should be noted that all these devices have different aspect ratios, for example: 4:3, 5:4, 16:9, 16:10 and many others. Widescreen devices with an aspect ratio of 21:9 are in great demand. Use similar devices It's just not practical today, as they're best suited for watching movies shot in CinemaScope. This is directly related to the fact that if you set a different resolution on such a monitor, for example, FullHD (1920 x 1080p), then wide black bars will remain at the edges of the monitor.

As for the resolution of monitors themselves, they are divided among themselves, as you might guess, by aspect ratio. The following are highlighted: For aspect ratio 4:3 -1024x768, 1280x1024, 1600x1200, 1920x1440, 2048x1536. For 16:9 aspect ratio: 1366x768, 1600x900, 1920x1080, 2048x1152, 2560x1440, 3840x2160. For 16:10 aspect ratio: 1280x800, 1440x900, 1600x1024, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1600, 3840x2400. The most popular resolutions today are: 1920x1080, 1280x1024, 1366x768.

It is worth noting that the higher the screen resolution, the better the image itself will be, but it can be very small and some owners of such devices will have to change it to a smaller one in order to see anything on the monitor. As a result, of course, everyone can see immediately before purchasing a device in a store what kind of image will be on it and whether it suits them.

Good day! Many users understand permission as anything, so before starting to talk about it, I want to write a few words of introduction...

Screen resolution- roughly speaking, this is the number of image pixels per certain area. How more points- the clearer and better image quality. So, each monitor has its own optimal resolution, in most cases, which needs to be set for a high-quality picture on the screen.

In this article I will consider the issue of changing the resolution, and typical problems and their decision in this action. So …

What resolution should I set?

Perhaps this is one of the most popular questions, when changing the resolution. I’ll give you one piece of advice: when setting this parameter, I primarily focus on ease of use.

As a rule, this convenience is achieved by setting optimal resolution For specific monitor(everyone has their own). Usually, the optimal resolution is indicated in the documentation for the monitor (I won’t dwell on this :)).

How to find out the optimal resolution?

2. Next, right-click on the desktop anywhere, and context menu select screen settings (screen resolution). Actually, in the screen settings, you will see the option to select a resolution, one of which will be marked as recommended (screenshot below).

You can also use various instructions for selecting the optimal resolution (and tables from them). Here, for example, is a clipping from one such instruction:

  • - for 15-inch: 1024x768;
  • - for 17-inch: 1280×768;
  • - for 21-inch: 1600x1200;
  • - for 24-inch: 1920x1200;
  • 15.6-inch laptops: 1366x768.

Important! By the way, for old CRT monitors, it is important to choose not only correct resolution, but also sweep frequency(roughly speaking, how many times the monitor blinks per second). This parameter is measured in Hz; most often monitors support modes of: 60, 75, 85, 100 Hz. To prevent your eyes from getting tired, set it to at least 85 Hz!

Changing the resolution

1) In video drivers (for example Nvidia, Ati Radeon, IntelHD)

One of the most simple ways changing the screen resolution (and in general, adjusting brightness, contrast, picture quality and other parameters) is to use the video driver settings. In principle, they are all configured in the same way (I will show a few examples below).

IntelHD

Extremely popular video cards, especially in Lately. In almost half of budget laptops you can find a similar card.

After installing the drivers for it, simply click on the tray icon (next to the clock) to open the IntelHD settings (see screenshot below).

Actually, in this section you can set the required resolution (see screenshot below).

AMD ( Ati Radeon)

You can also use the tray icon (but not every driver version has it), or simply right-click anywhere on the desktop. Next, in the pop-up context menu, open the line “Catalyst Control Center » (note: see photo below. By the way, the name of the setup center may vary slightly, depending on the software version).

Nvidia

1. First, right-click anywhere on the desktop.

2. In the pop-up context menu, select “ Panel Nvidia control "(screenshot below).

2) On Windows 8, 10

It happens that there is no video driver icon. This can happen for several reasons:

  • reinstalled Windows, and you got it installed universal driver(which is installed along with the OS). Those. there is no driver from the manufacturer...;
  • There are some versions of video drivers that do not automatically put the icon in the tray. In this case, you can find a link to the driver settings in the Windows Control Panel.

Well, to change the resolution, you can also use control panel. IN search bar Type “Screen" (without quotes) and select the coveted link (screen below).

3) On Windows 7

Right-click on the desktop and select " Screen resolution"(this item can also be found in the control panel).

Next you will see a menu that will display all possible modes available for your monitor. By the way, native resolution will be marked as recommended (as I already wrote, in most cases it provides the best picture).

For example, for a 19-inch screen the native resolution is 1280 x 1024 pixels, for a 20-inch: 1600 x 1200 pixels, for a 22-inch: 1680 x 1050 pixels.

Older CRT-based monitors allow you to set the resolution much higher than recommended for them. True, a very important quantity in them is frequency, measured in hertz. If it is below 85 Hz, your eyes begin to ripple, especially in light colors.

After changing the resolution, click "OK". You are given 10-15 seconds. time to confirm settings changes. If you do not confirm within this time, it will be restored to its previous value. This is done so that if your picture becomes distorted so that you cannot recognize anything, the computer will return to its working configuration.

4) On Windows XP

Almost no different from the settings in Windows 7. Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select “properties”.

Here you can select the screen resolution and color quality (16/32 bits).

By the way, the quality of color reproduction is typical for old CRT-based monitors. In modern ones the default is 16 bits. In general, this parameter is responsible for the number of colors displayed on the monitor screen. Only a person is practically unable to distinguish the difference between 32-bit color and 16-bit (perhaps experienced editors or gamers who work a lot and often with graphics). Whether it’s the butterfly’s business...

PS

Thank you in advance for any additions to the topic of the article. I have everything for this, the topic is fully covered (I think :)). Good luck!

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In the century high technology the market is replete with various types computer peripherals. And once again buying a monitor for your personal computer, a person asks a reasonable question about what size and model of screen he wants. This, of course, depends, first of all, on the purpose for which it is purchased, and only after that one or another model is selected. In any case, the first thing the owner of new equipment will want to see is high-quality picture. And this is directly affected by screen resolution.

Which screen resolution is better?

Permission– this is the size of the image displayed on the monitor screen (measured in pixels). The more pixels, the clearer and better quality the picture.

Today the most popular is Full HD (1920x1080). In general, any manufactured monitor has its own recommended characteristics. For example, for monitors measuring 17-19 inches, the manufacturer recommends setting 1280x1024. It is at this value that the monitor will work the best way. And if we consider the 15 inch version, then here standard definition will be 1024x768. It is worth noting that this parameter You can change it yourself and adjust it to suit yourself, but remember, if you use a resolution less than the standard one, the picture will have a cloudy effect, which will obviously bring inconvenience and discomfort. Much also depends on the diagonal of the monitor; the larger it is, the correspondingly higher the screen resolution will be.

So, there is no clear answer to the question of what resolution an ideal monitor should have. First of all, you need to clearly understand why it is being purchased, and only after that delve into the characteristics of choosing the optimal resolution. These include: the size of the screen diagonal, its format, the type of built-in matrix, as well as the number of hertz (this parameter applies to CRT displays). In addition to these factors, the resolution can also be affected by what operating system the PC is running on.


T matrix types

Today in production used in monitors. And suitable for every type of activity different types models.

  • TN matrices (Twisted Nematic). Cheapness and speed are its main advantages. Basically, equipment with such a matrix is ​​accessible to anyone who prefers to play computer games. Of the minuses it is worth noting poor quality color transmission and minimal viewing angle.
  • IPS (In-Plane Switching). The manufacturer of such matrices is the Japanese company Hitachi. Since the previous type of matrix was characterized by poor color reproduction, the company primarily focused on this factor. The color on equipment with such a matrix is ​​very distinct, bright and saturated. Regarding the viewing angle, the developers also did a great job. And if compared with previous model, then the angle became much larger. Among the disadvantages we can highlight big time pixel response (60 ms).
  • S-IPS (Super). After some time, devices with such matrices appeared, main feature of which the response time was reduced several times compared to the previous type (16 ms).
  • VA (Vertical Alignmetn) is a kind of compromise solution between two previous types matrices In comparison, there is much better color reproduction and almost instantaneous response time. But as for the transmission of halftones, it is worse than its predecessors, plus it is not the best viewing angle.

To summarize, I would like to say that the choice depends on how you are going to use the equipment. For games and applications, the main factor will be response speed, and for design work, excellent color reproduction will be the main factor.


Optimal distance to the monitor

Many users often do not pay attention to the distance between them and the monitor, but in vain, because this can directly affect their vision. There is a special formula that is used to determine the distance from the eyes to the monitor ( display diagonal is multiplied by 1 or 1.5). Or you can rely on old way, which says that the distance from the eyes to the display should be measured with an outstretched arm.

Now let’s look at resolutions for specific monitors separately.

Monitors 17″

The standard resolution for monitors of this diagonal is 1024x768 pixels. But on wide-format monitor models, the picture at standard 1024x768 looks bad, to put it mildly. Therefore, you can safely resort to the value 1920x1080 Full HD (if it is supported by the device). And you can determine this by going to the “Screen Resolution” menu and turning the resolution slider to the maximum value. If the image is clear, then this format supported.

For CRT models, the standard resolution is 1280x1024. It is not recommended to set it higher yourself; the image will become cloudy. In general, such monitors are little used and are slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Monitors 19″

As for wide-format 19-inch monitors, for comfortable work You will need to set the resolution to 1920x1080. At the same time, there is no need to be afraid of damaging your eyesight, even sitting in front of a monitor with such a resolution all day long.

If we consider a 19″ CRT monitor, then the value here will be different and equal to 1600x1200 pixels. By increasing it, the picture will cause discomfort, so it is better to leave it at the standard one.

Monitors 22″

Such models are available with different standard resolutions: Full HD, 2K. Therefore, here you can experiment with its settings. Sometimes it happens that a certain monitor should be 2K according to the standard, but in reality better picture shows itself in Full HD resolution. In general, the setting is individual and depends only on the user’s preferences.

Monitors 23″

This is an option for monitors that are more difficult to install in the workplace or at home due to their size. What resolution will be comfortable for working on 23-inch monitors? Values ​​may vary (Full HD, 2K or 4K). At the same time, the standard provides for 2K format. In the case of 4K, you should understand that not everything OS and applications are adapted for this resolution, so there may be problems with it. Often, in order to use 4K, you must install a special driver.

Monitors starting from 23 inches are classified as hazardous to eyesight, so if used incorrectly and the resolution is set incorrectly, they can harm you.

Monitors 30″

Such monitors are rarely found in regular user, but among gamers and professionals in one field or another, this is a fairly common unit. The price for such models is usually quite high. For 30-inch models, you can safely set 4K resolution, provided that the monitor supports it. It is not recommended to set 1920x1080 (Full HD) on such a display, because it will look very bad.

On some "thirties" 2K will also display the picture perfectly. In general, everything here depends on the specifics of the manufacturer. All information about which resolution will be best for specific device usually provided in the instructions for it. Such monitors are often used by designers as well as in the gaming industry.