When we see a LED Screen for the first time we marvel at the display of colors, its high image quality, contrast, and brightness they have. While they capture our attention immediately, the truth is that to get the most out of these screens, we must consider other features such as the resolution and aspect ratio of the LED video wall, important when choosing the audiovisual content that we will play on them.
- So the resolution will be given by the number of pixels at which we will reproduce the content on our screens, being the most common: 1920×1080 (Full HD), 3840×2160 (4K), and 7680×4320 (8K).
- In the same way, the aspect ratio is based on a proportion between the width and height of our screen, the most common being: 4:3 (more square aspect), and 16:9 (panoramic aspect).
Which aspect ratio is the most appropriate?
When choosing a LED Screen, one of the first aspects that we will take into account will be the space that the screen will occupy. At this point and without realizing it, we are already giving a physical aspect ratio to the screen (if it will be square, rectangular, wider or taller).
As we see in the previous example, and in a simple way about the format of our screen, we must think that the content to be reproduced also has an aspect ratio, and we can modify it, regardless of the shape that our screen may have, hence the importance of choosing which is the aspect ratio that fits our requirements and serves us to reproduce in the best way our content.
For this we will have several configuration options:
- 4:3 is a traditional configuration and is used in televisions and monitors of technology prior to LCD and LED, it is an almost square aspect ratio.
- 16:9 is the most used configuration these days and we will find it every day in our televisions and monitors, it is a panoramic aspect ratio unlike the traditional one.
- 21:9 is an ultra wide screen configuration that we will find more everyday in monitors, and is used for video editing, movies, video game development, and streaming.
- 2.39:1: this type of widescreen aspect ratio is only used in the film industry and will be found mostly in movie theaters.
- 1:1: this configuration is completely square and is the most popular when making content for different social networks.
Is there a connection between pixels and aspect ratio?
Now that we know how the aspect ratio is distributed on our screens, let’s see how it relates to the pixel density of our audiovisual content.
While the aspect ratio defines the width and height of the screen where we visualize the content, the pixels are each point within our image, which together end up forming what our eyes capture, then the resolution of an image is given by the amount of pixels that are wide and high.
Let’s see an example: in a 1920×1080 resolution (Full HD) our image is composed of 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels high, which gives an amount of 2,073,600 pixels. Knowing the resolution data of our content, we will be able to know which is the ideal aspect ratio to reproduce it.
The resolution is closely linked to the pixel pitch, since it is the distance that the pixels have between them and the size of the screen is what finally determines what resolution the image has in total. An example of this would be: :
- If we have a 25.2′ x 11′ LED Screen with pixel pitch P1.99 mm, one must first pass everything to the same unit.
- 25.2′ = 7680.96 mm; 11′ = 3352.8 mm
- So, the width resolution is the number of times the pixel pitch enters the width = number of pixels emitted in the screen width.
- 7680.96mm / 1.99mm = 3859.77
- 3352.8mm / 1.99mm = 1684.82
- Aspect ratio: 3859.77 / 1684.82 = 2.29 (i.e. 21:9, since 21 / 9 = 2.3).
Let’s see now the different types of resolution and their aspect ratio:
- Following the same dynamics we will notice that for the different types of resolution we will have the following ratios: for the 4K version it will be 3840/2160 = 1.777., for the 8K 7680/4320 = 1.777, as we see the other resolutions also fit ideally to the aspect ratio 16: 9 and that is because by convention the new standard was adopted for televisions and monitors LCD, LED Display, QLED, OLED, etc. and their screens to reproduce this type of content optimally and most of the audiovisual content that is produced today is adapted to them.
- However, the content that was being developed for the previous technology and its resolutions 640×480 VGA (64/480 = 1.333), 800×600 SVGA (800/600 = 1.333), was given by an aspect ratio of 4:3 in a conventional way (4/3 = 1.333). That is why when playing this type of content in the 16:9 standard we see that the image is reproduced in a square shape leaving two black stripes on the sides that cover the rest of the screen.
- Today we can find some monitors that have an aspect ratio of 21:9 (21/9 = 2.333) that give us an even wider width than 16:9, however its rectangular shape allows us to reproduce our content adapting to the screen in a more dynamic way than with the 4:3 configuration.
- In the case of the aspect ratio 2.39:1 used in movie theaters, it is a case quite similar to the previous one, its more elongated rectangular shape allows to adapt the content that is reproduced to this type of screens without any problem.
- However, this is not the case for the 1:1 aspect ratio type, which is the most commonly used in social networks. This configuration shows a square content in a ratio of height and width of the same resolution size (500×500, 1080×1080, etc) and this is given because the cameras get the most out of their lenses when taking square pictures, although the software then passes it to a rectangular format according to its configuration.
The best company to get to your LED display
LED walls have the ability to generate almost any aspect ratio and resolution, since its modular design allows to configure the height and width required, generating the different aspect ratio, and pixel pitch the number of pixels (and therefore resolution) that will include that configuration. This should be considered when choosing an LED display.
One of the major manufacturers and distributors of Led Panels that is taking hold in the market year after year is the company Mirackle, as it allows you to customize almost 100% of your screen in terms of the aspect ratio and resolution that will have. It also offers the best quality in each and every one of its products and services:
- Personalized advice to answer all your questions and accompany you during the development of your purchase.
- Wide variety of facilities for any budget.
- Permanent stock and delivery service, regardless of your location, with satellite tracking so you can follow your shipment.
- Advice on the installation and development of your audiovisual content.
- Maintenance service, and replacement if necessary.
- 24-month warranty on all products.
