TV resolution

[Oualawouzou]

Hi everybody,

Quick and to the point: how can I check the resolution of my TV? I doubt I still have the instruction booklet around.

Thanks!

 

[Rat]

Count.

You're welcome.

Otherwise, find the make and model number, and look it up on the web is all I can suggest.

 

[GodMark2]

If it's an analog set, than you almost certainly have 525 rows (of which only 480 are visible). For an analog set, the number of columns is variable (for black and white, it's actually a simple waveform, with no defined resolution). Typical brodcast TV uses 330 samples, VHS 220-260 , and DVD 480.

If it's an HD set, then it's usually printed on a label on the back near the power plug.

 

[grmcdorman]

GodMark2, doesn't that presume he's in North America? Overseas, it's mostly PAL (or SECAM), which is a different resolution (512 visible scan lines, as I recall).

 

[GodMark2]

GodMark2, doesn't that presume he's in North America? Overseas, it's mostly PAL (or SECAM), which is a different resolution (512 visible scan lines, as I recall).

Yes, my answer was presuming that he was in North America. PAL and SECAM not only have different numbers of scan lines, but also different aspect ratios (Height/Width), and each come in several different flavors. I have a map on my wall describing all of them, and in which countries they apply. It's an unholy mess, and I didn't want to really get into all that, but I suppose I should have at least added a disclaimer to the effect of "Valid in North America, other regions are similar but not identical, causing no end of headaches to people like me who have to make one fit into the other"

(One of my companies products is a video overlay generator to include GPS information in a live video stream, for survey work. Originally designed for USA/Canada, but people in UK liked it, and it was all downhill from there )

 

[grmcdorman]

Yes, aren't standards wonderful? There's so many to choose from!

I actually still own an Amiga, although I don't use it any more. I picked up a bit about the video standards because of that.

(The closest I got to fun with video at work was when we were doing the s/w for a video capture feature on a MR scanner. The fun there, of course, was showing to the user what would be visible on the TV - which depends on the individual device's overscan. It took a bit for the customer to understand that bit.)

 

[elgarak]

Yes, my answer was presuming that he was in North America. PAL and SECAM not only have different numbers of scan lines, but also different aspect ratios (Height/Width), and each come in several different flavors. I have a map on my wall describing all of them, and in which countries they apply. It's an unholy mess, and I didn't want to really get into all that, but I suppose I should have at least added a disclaimer to the effect of "Valid in North America, other regions are similar but not identical, causing no end of headaches to people like me who have to make one fit into the other"

(One of my companies products is a video overlay generator to include GPS information in a live video stream, for survey work. Originally designed for USA/Canada, but people in UK liked it, and it was all downhill from there )

Just a minor correction (could be a language problem): I understand "aspect ratio" as the physical dimension ratio of the screen (width divided by height). Those are the same for NTSC and PAL (4:3, 1.33:1). The resolution ratio, however, is different, though I do not know if some specialists use the same expression for that (could be, would be awfully confusing though, but I have seen worse).