
What Is Screen Resolution

Screen resolution is by far the most important specification to consider when you are buying a new monitor. A higher screen resolution means that you can fit more on the screen and ultimately enjoy a finer, better quality display. Screen resolution is measured in pixels in the form of the width of the screen measured by the height of the screen. A pixel is the smallest unit of information on a screen and, if you look very closely at a monitor, you may be able to distinguish the individual pixels. This has, however, become harder and harder these days with far higher-resolution screens where the pixels are much smaller. By contrast, if you look closely at an old television screen, you will clearly be able to see the individual pixels. You may even be able to notice their individual colours - red, green and blue.

Today's monitors all belong to the flat-screen variety and they have what is called a native resolution. This is the resolution which the monitor was built to display. Using a different resolution will make the display appear washed-out and poor quality. You should always use the native resolution of your monitor, both for preventing eye-strain and having a better quality viewing experience in general. If you find that your monitor is unable to display its native resolution, it's likely that you have a problem with your graphics drivers. If this is the case, you'll need to reinstall them.

Generally, the larger the monitor, the larger the screen resolution will be. Also, most of today's monitors, including those on laptops, are widescreen. A 22" or 24" monitor will, for example, typically have a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, making it suitable for playing the latest high-definition Blu-ray movies. This is the standard full high-definition resolution these days, so it's one of the most common resolutions available. Smaller widescreen monitors usually have a resolution of 1366 x 768 and are often described as "HD-Ready." This term is especially common when referring to televisions.

