Notebook LCD Screens

Beethoven

Member
Oct 10, 1999
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Help!!

Can someone explain the difference between all the types of LCD screens on notebooks. I've seen XGA, active-matrix, Super XGA, XGA+, and Ultra XGA.

I am looking at buying a cheap notebook, either the Toshiba Satelite 1805 or the HP Pavillion ZE1100. Both are around $1000. The Toshiba comes with an TFT active-matrix display, and the HP with a TFT XGA display, both 14.1".

Any suggestions on low-end laptops would be welcome too. :)

Thanks!
 

Derango

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2002
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<< Help!!

Can someone explain the difference between all the types of LCD screens on notebooks. I've seen XGA, active-matrix, Super XGA, XGA+, and Ultra XGA.
>>



OK, XGA, SXGA, XGA+ and Ultra XGA all refer to the the native resolution of the laptop LCD

Active matrix and TFT are really one and the same. i would be interested in knowing the XGA/SXGA/SXGA+/UltraXGA rating of the laptop, rather than active-matrix :)

XGA = 1024x768
SXGA = ???? 1200x1024??
SXGA+ = 1400x1050
UltraXGA = 1600x1200

At anything less than the native res of an LCD, the image becomes distorted or it dosen't fill the whole screen. The distortion is mimized at a res that is exactly half of the native res. There is no distortion at the native res.
 

jschuk

Senior member
Jun 29, 2001
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Just so you know, the Toshiba LCD is XGA as well. In fact, all TFTs 13.3" and larger should be at least XGA.