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Reading a Display Spec Sheet in Plain Language
A plain-language guide to display specifications: which listed figures tell you something real, which are mostly marketing, and how to read each cautiously.
Foundations
Specs Explained
What the numbers and terms on a display spec sheet actually mean.
Bit Depth and Why Gradients Show Banding
Bit depth sets how many tone steps each color channel can show. Learn why too few steps cause visible bands in gradients and how dithering helps.
Color Gamut and Color Spaces Explained
Color gamut describes the range of colors a display can reproduce. Learn how color spaces define that range and how to read coverage percentages with care.
High Dynamic Range Explained
High dynamic range aims for brighter highlights and deeper shadows in one image. Learn what HDR changes, what it needs from the display and where it falls short.
Peak Brightness Versus Sustained Brightness
Peak brightness is what a screen can reach briefly in a small area; sustained brightness is what it can hold across the image. See why the two differ.
Pixel Density and Why Viewing Distance Matters
Pixel density in pixels per inch and your viewing distance together decide how sharp a screen looks. Learn the math and the limits of the rule of thumb.
Refresh Rate Explained
Refresh rate counts how many times per second a screen can update its image. Learn how it relates to smooth motion, frame time and when higher rates matter.
Response Time and What the Numbers Leave Out
Response time measures how long a pixel takes to change color, but quoted figures vary by method. Learn how it is measured and what it means for blur.
Viewing Angles and Why Colors Shift
Why a screen's contrast and color change when you look at it from the side, how liquid crystal and OLED panels differ, and how to read viewing angle figures.
What Screen Resolution Really Means
Screen resolution is a count of pixels, not a measure of sharpness. Learn the common names, the arithmetic behind them and why more pixels is not always better.
Related topics
More in foundations
Display Basics How LCD, LED and OLED screens work, how they compare and where they are heading. Testing and Calibration Understanding brightness, contrast, color and motion tests and why calibration matters. Panel Technologies The panel types and light sources behind modern and older screens. Connections and Setup Cables, signals and settings that decide how a display behaves. Care and Common Problems Why screens develop faults and what general care involves.