What is the resolution of a TFT -LCD?

Common Standard Resolutions (Formats)

Resolutions are often referred to by standardized names. Here are the most common ones, from lowest to highest:

Traditional & Legacy Formats:

• VGA (Video Graphics Array): 640 × 480

  • The old standard from the 1990s. Rarely used today.

• SVGA (Super VGA): 800 × 600

• XGA (Extended Graphics Array): 1024 × 768

  • Common for early projectors and 4:3 aspect ratio monitors.

• WXGA (Wide XGA): 1280 × 720 or 1366 × 768

  • The baseline 720p "HD" resolution, common for older/entry-level laptops and TVs.

HD / Full HD Era:

• HD / 720p: 1280 × 720

  • The minimum "High Definition."

• Full HD / 1080p (FHD): 1920 × 1080

  • The most common resolution for over a decade. Found in monitors, TVs, and laptops. Aspect ratio is 16:9.

Higher-than-FHD (Common in Modern Monitors & Laptops):

• QHD / 2K / 1440p: 2560 × 1440

  • "Quad HD" (four times 720p). Popular for gaming and productivity monitors for its sharpness/performance balance.

• UW-QHD (Ultra-Wide QHD): 3440 × 1440

  • A wider, cinematic version of QHD (21:9 aspect ratio).

• 4K UHD (Ultra HD): 3840 × 2160

  • The dominant high-end standard for TVs and premium monitors. (4x the pixels of 1080p).

• 5K: 5120 × 2880

  • Found in high-end creative/professional monitors (e.g., Apple Studio Display).

• 8K UHD: 7680 × 4320

  • The emerging ultra-high-end standard for future-proof TVs and specialty monitors (16x 1080p pixels).

Important Related Concepts

1. Pixel Density (PPI - Pixels Per Inch):

   • Resolution alone doesn't tell you how sharp the screen is. A 1080p image on a 6-inch phone looks incredibly sharp, but on a 50-inch TV, you can see individual pixels.

   • PPI = (Number of pixels on the diagonal) / (Screen diagonal in inches). Higher PPI means a sharper, crisper image.

2. Aspect Ratio:

   • The ratio of width to height. Common ratios are:

     • 16:9 (Standard widescreen for TVs and most monitors)

     • 16:10 (Slightly taller, common in business laptops)

     • 21:9 (Ultra-wide, cinematic)

     • 4:3 (Old standard for monitors and iPads until recently)

3. Native Resolution:

   • This is the physical, fixed number of pixels built into the LCD panel. It's always best to run the display at its native resolution for the sharpest image. Running at a lower resolution will result in a softer, often blurry image due to interpolation.

Summary Table

In short: The resolution of a TFT-LCD is its grid of pixels (e.g., 1920 × 1080). The specific resolution determines the level of detail and sharpness, especially when considered alongside the screen's physical size (PPI).