What Is the Standard Size for LCD Monitors?

By Tom McNamara

Liquid crystal display monitors, or LCDs, have been a welcome addition to the desktop because they take up much less space than the old CRT monitors, and they maintain a sharp picture for several years. There is no one "standard size," but one size is most common: 19 inches.

Evolving Technology

As technology evolves and improves, larger monitors become available for the same cost as earlier smaller monitors. However, 19-inch monitors (measured diagonally) have been common for quite a while.

5:4 vs. 4:3

A 19-inch monitor typically has a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels, if it has a "5:4" shape. This means that for every 5 vertical pixels, it has 4 horizontal pixels. A "4:3" monitor at this size will usually be 1600 x 1200 pixels.

19-Inch Widescreen

If you have a newer 19-inch monitor, however, it will usually be in a 16:9 or 16:10 "widescreen" format. In this case, a 16:10 monitor will have a resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels.

Evolving Retail Options

Manufacturers have introduced larger models as costs have come down. You will now commonly find 22-inch and 24-inch 16:10 monitors (5:4 monitors are rare at this size). A 22-inch may have a 1680 x 1050 resolution, but most have a 1920 x 1200 resolution.

High-Definition Video

Higher-resolution monitors are advertised as "full HD," meaning they are capable of displaying 1920 x 1080 high-definition video (commonly called "1080p" in this context), as from a Blu-ray movie.

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