Correlation between pixel pitch, screen size and screen resolution

Choosing the right LED display could be a difficult task and would require a little bit of product knowledge. This blog will help you understand the determining factors for the most suitable LED display for you.

First and foremost, understanding pixel pitch is really important. There is a co-relation between the pixel pitch, the size of the LED display and final screen resolution you will be getting.

What is a pixel pitch?

Pitch pixel is the distance between two LED pixels, calculated from the centre of the pixel. Pixel pitch is always calculated in mm. E.g. (1.5mm, 3mm, 6mm).

What is the relation between pixel pitch and the viewing distance?

While determining which pixel pitch LED display should be installed in a particular location, the optimal viewing distance is considered. i.e. the viewing distance from the viewer to the LED screen.

E.g. If the viewing distance from the viewer to the screen is 3 meters then the LED display installed will be 3mm, if the distance from the viewer to the screen is around 7 meters then the LED display pixel pitch would be around 6mm which is closest to 7 meters.

The lesser the distance, the lower pixel pitch LED display must be installed and vice versa. The pixel pitch also varies for the indoor and outdoor environment. Indoor LED display pixel pitch ranges from 0.9mm to 6mm and outdoor LED display pixel pitch varies from 6mm to 10mm or even more in certain cases.

What is the relation between pixel pitch and screen size?                                                                                  

Pixel pitch determines the number of LED pixels on the cabinet. Lower the pixel pitch higher the number of pixels on it. E.g. XM Ace Series (1.5mm) will have comparatively more pixels on it than XM Kore Series (3mm). More the pixels higher resolution you can get, hence it’s easier to achieve higher resolution in smaller screen sizes due to finer pixel pitches & vice-versa. For e.g XM Rigel series which is an outdoor series will require a much bigger screen size for full HD resolution than the XM Ace series which offers finer pixel pitches.

What is the correlation between pixel pitch, screen size and screen resolution?

LED displays are divided into LED cabinets. Many LED cabinets make an LED screen. Hence the screen size and screen resolution depending on the size of the LED cabinet.

Here is a small formula to find out the resolution of one LED cabinet.

XM Kore Series Cabinet size is 500 x 500 (w x h) and pixel pitch is 3 mm. Hence here is how you find the resolution of the cabinet.

Formula:

Resolution (px) = Width / Pixel pitch

= 500/2

Resolution (width) =250 px

Same with height,

Resolution (px) = Height / Pixel pitch

= 500/2

Resolution (height) =250 px

The final cabinet resolution = 250 x 250 px (w x h)

Now if the LED display consists of 5 cabinets in width and 3 cabinets in height. Then the entire screen resolution is calculated as follow.

Screen Resolution Width = Cabinet width resolution x No. of cabinets in width

= 250 x 5

Entire Screen Resolution Width = 1250 px

Screen Resolution Height = Cabinet height resolution x No. of cabinets in height

= 250 x 3

Entire Screen Resolution Height = 750 px

Hence, the entire Kore Series Display Resolution is 1250 x 750 px (w x h).

How do we understand which LED display will give HD, full HD or 4K resolution?

HD, Full HD and 4K resolution are dependent on the pixel pitch and the cabinet size.

1. Relation between pixel pitch and resolution

Lower the pixel pitch, higher the resolution of the screen and vice versa. Since the pixels are close to each other, they deliver better viewing quality displays. E.g. 1.5 mm displays can have full HD screen resolution, but 10 mm LED displays cannot have full HD screen resolution.

1. Relation between cabinet size and screen resolution

If the number of cabinets installed is more, then the resolution will be more. E.g. 3 cabinets in width and 4 cabinets in height cannot deliver full HD resolution. Whereas, 7 cabinets in width and 6 cabinets in height can deliver a full HD resolution. (Note: Depending on the pixel pitch)

What is the relation between pixel pitch and the cost of LED display?

Lower the pixel, higher is the density of pixels in it. Hence, the cost is also high. Higher pixel pitch displays have comparatively less pixels hence, the cost is comparatively on the lower side.

For large areas like malls, large campuses, etc. a slightly higher pixel pitch like 3 mm or 6mm can do the job. Outdoor areas are a perfect fit for a cost-effective, high pixel pitch LED display.

To sum all this up, pixel pitch is a very important factor that determines most aspects of the LED display. It is very crucial to understand what pixel pitch is suitable for you before buying an LED display. Based on the space available and ideal viewing distance generally, the right size and pixel pitch are calculated, if the screen resolution is very crucial for you then the calculation can be done backwards.

Our team can always help to understand the difference and help in a good purchase decision. Our Experience centre at Mumbai and Delhi show live examples of different pixel pitches which can also help with your purchase decisions.