Computer display standard
Various computer display standards or display modes have been used in the history of the personal computer. They are often a combination of display resolution (specified as the width and height in pixels), colour depth (measured in bits), and refresh rate (expressed in hertz).
Until recently, most computer monitors had a 4:3 aspect ratio and some had 5:4. Recently, monitors with 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratios have become available, leading to new widescreen formats. Productive uses for such monitors, i.e. besides widescreen movie viewing and computer game play, are the wordprocessor display of two standard letter pages side by side, as well as CAD displays of large-size drawings and CAD application menus at the same time. The VESA industry organization has defined several standards related to power management and device identification. Ergonomy standards are set by the TCO.
Standards
|
X |
Y |
16:10 |
16:9 |
4:3 |
non-square pixel |
| QUXGA-Wide |
3820 |
2400 |
x |
|
|
|
| WUXGA |
1920 |
1200 |
x |
|
|
|
| 1080i/1080p |
1920 |
1080 |
|
x |
|
|
| 720i/720p |
1280 |
720 |
|
x |
|
|
| QUXGA |
3200 |
2400 |
|
|
x |
|
| QXGA |
2048 |
1536 |
|
|
x |
|
| UXGA |
1600 |
1200 |
|
|
x |
|
| SXGA+ |
1400 |
1050 |
|
|
x |
|
| SXGA |
1280 |
1024 |
|
|
x |
5:4 |
| XGA |
1024 |
768 |
|
|
x |
|
| SVGA |
800 |
600 |
|
|
x |
|
| VGA |
640 |
480 |
|
|
x |
|
| QVGA |
320 |
240 |
|
|
x |
|
(listed most recent on top)
- 16:10
- WUXGA
Widescreen Ultra XGA: 1920 x 1200, with a 16:10 aspect ratio.
- 16:9
- 1080i/1080p
HDTV resolutions that some monitors accept, they are 1920 x 1080 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The resolutions are used with interlaced (1080i) or progressively-scanned (1080p) video.
- 720i/QXGA
Quad XGA, quad meaning four, so the display has four times the pixel amount of XGA, with 2048 x 1536 pixels. Also called Super Ultra XGA (SUXGA).
- UXGA
Ultra XGA, a de facto standard with a resolution of 1600 x 1200 with 32 bit pixels, true colour.
- SXGA+
Super XGA+, 1400 x 1050.
- SXGA
Super XGA, a de facto standard with a resolution of 1280 x 1024 with 32 bit pixels, true colour. This is an unusual resolution because the numbers work out for a 5:4 display rather than a 4:3 one, so many images appear wider on SXGA displays than most other resolutions. The resolution probably should have been 1280 x 960 (a popular standard resolution for Unix workstations).
- XGA
Extended Graphics Array is an IBM display standard introduced in 1990. XGA supports a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels with a palette of 256 colours, or 640 x 480 with high colour (16 bits per pixel). XGA-2 added 1024 x 768 support for high colour and higher refresh rates, improved performance, and supports 1360 x 1024 in 16 colours.
- SVGA
Super VGA, a video display standard created by VESA for IBM PC compatible personal computers. The resolution is 800 x 600 4-bit pixels. Each pixel can therefore be one of 16 colours.
- VGA
Video Graphics Array is actually a set of different resolutions, but is most commonly used today to refer to 640 x 480 pixel displays with 16 colours and a 4:3 aspect ratio. Other display modes are also defined as VGA, such as 320 x 200 at 256 colors and a text mode with 720 x 400 pixels. VGA displays and adapters are generally capable of Mode X graphics. It is identical to MCGA.
- MCGA
Multicolor Graphics Array. What IBM called VGA.
- 8514
released about the same time as VGA. 8514/A cards had a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 with 256 colours, interlaced at 43.5 Hz.
- QVGA
Quarter VGA
- EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter, with a resolution of 640 x 350 pixels of 16 different colours selectable from a 64-colour palette.
- CGA
Color Graphics Adapter, developed in 1981, IBM's first color graphics card for IBM PCs. CGA can display 80 x 25 or 40 x 25 text in 16 colours, 640 x 200 pixels graphics in 2 colours or 320 x 200 in 4 colors (IBM PC video modes 0-6).
- Hercules
a monochrome display with a resolution of 720 x 348, capable of sharp text and graphics. Very popular with the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet, which was the PC's first killer app.
- MDA
Monochrome Display Adapter, the original standard on IBM PCs and IBM PC XTs. Supports text mode only at 720 x 350 pixels.
See also
