Subscribe
Electronics
LCD Screen Jargon explained
Jargon Buster
Jargon |
Means |
Look for |
| Screen size | Usually measured in inches across the diagonal | Bigger is better: A 14-inch screen is twice as big as a ten-inch screen, which is twice as big as a seven-inch screen. |
| Screen resolution | Strictly speaking, the number of pixels per inch, but usually expressed as the number of pixels in the whole screen | The bigger the numbers, the better the picture quality is likely to be. |
| Screen brightness | The brightness of the screen, usually expressed in units called “nits.” 1 Nit = 1 candela per square meter | Ways of measuring brightness vary, so direct comparisons are difficult, but generally big numbers are best. |
| Contrast ratio | The ratio between the amount of light coming out of a white area on the screen and the amount of light coming from a black area | Ways of measuring contrast vary, so direct comparisons are difficult. But large ratios are generally best. |
| Viewing angle | The angle over which the picture is visible. | Different manufacturers have different definitions of what is “visible,” and some of them may not agree with yours. Best to check for yourself at a boat show. |
This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
Related Features
Helm Screens - Brightness
Posted | Brightness: Try Before You BuyManufacturers often describe the brightness—or luminance, to be technically correct—of a display in candelas, a unit of measure shown on spec sheets as cd/m (candelas per square meter). To further confuse us, salespeople in conversation usually refer not to candelas but “nits,” which means the same thing. The more nits, the brighter the screen image. The brighter the screen, the more likely you can read it outdoors.
Read Article
What goes on inside your LCD screen.
Posted | Screen Test
New displays look great in both sun and shade. Here’s why.
We all spend hours looking at LCDs at home and at work as well as on our boats. But how many of us know how they work or—more importantly—how to choose a good one? Equipment manufacturers bombard us with snippets of information, but what does it all mean? Is a QVGA better or worse than WXGA? Just
Read Article
Brokerage Listings Powered by BoatQuest.com
