An Introduction to Native Resolution in Display Devices

Jan 24, 2022

You can’t choose the perfect display device without considering its resolution. As you may know, it affects the level of detail. High-resolution display devices produce clearer, more detailed images than their low-resolution counterparts. When choosing a display device, though, you should focus on the native resolution.

What Is Native Resolution?

Native resolution refers to the total number of pixels in a display device. Most display devices, including liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), have millions of pixels. They feature both rows and columns of pixels. The total number of pixels in a display device is its native resolution.

Regardless of the total number of pixels, native resolution is expressed as the horizontal pixel count by the vertical pixel count. A display device with a native resolution of 4840 by 2160, for instance, has 4,800 pixels in its rows and 2,160 pixels in its columns. Native resolutions use this format. They can vary depending on the display device, but native resolutions are always expressed with a horizontal pixel count by a vertical pixel count.

Native vs Supported Resolution: What’s the Difference?

Some display devices may feature a supported resolution. Supported resolution isn’t the same as native resolution. A supported resolution or “maximum supported resolution” refers to the maximum number of pixels that a display device can emulate.

Most Display devices can emulate pixels. They aren’t restricted to their native resolution. Rather, they support alternative resolutions through emulation. You can change the display device’s settings to a supported resolution. With that said, supported resolutions will never be clearer or otherwise better than the display device’s native resolution.

The Basics of 4K Resolution

You may come across 4K resolution when shopping for a display device. It’s a common feature in TVs, computer monitors and other display devices. What is 4K resolution exactly?

4K resolution refers to a native resolution with a minimum of 4,000 horizontal pixels. As previously mentioned, native resolution is expressed as the horizontal pixel count by the vertical pixel count. Display devices with at least 4,000 horizontal pixels are referred to as 4K displays. They offer a superior level of detail than display devices with fewer horizontal pixels.

In Conclusion

Display devices feature different specifications, one of which is native resolution. Native resolution is simply the total number of fixed pixels a display device has. 4K displays have a native resolution with at least 4,000 horizontal pixels.

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