When building stage LED screens, you can often encounter the following problems:
“What’s the resolution of the LED screen for this event?”
“How do you calculate it?”
“Is there a method to determine it?”
Instead of providing quick answers, let’s discuss the principles.
What is Resolution?
Before we jump into calculating resolution, let’s grasp a few concepts: pixels, image resolution, and screen resolution.
Pixels:
Pixels are the tiny squares that make up an image, each with a specific color value and position. They are the fundamental, indivisible units constituting a digital image.
Image Resolution (PPI):
Image resolution refers to the number of pixels per inch in an image. It’s measured in pixels per inch (PPI). Higher resolution means a denser pixel count, resulting in a more realistic image.
In simple terms, image resolution involves division:
Image Resolution= Total Pixels/Image Area
Screen Resolution:
Screen resolution is the product of the number of pixels per row and per column on a screen. It varies depending on the display device. Higher screen resolution means more colors and higher clarity.
In mathematical terms, screen resolution involves multiplication:
Screen Resolution=Horizontal Pixels * Vertical Pixels
Let’s focus on the commonly used LED screens in offline events for a deeper understanding of their resolution calculation.
Why Recalculate LED Screen Resolution Every Time?
Different LED screens come with varying types, brands, models, and specifications. Hence, the method and results for calculating screen resolution differ accordingly. Recalculating the resolution provides accurate data for video production and technical departments to carry out their tasks.
How to Calculate Screen Resolution?
Now, let’s explore the calculation method starting with the LED module.
LED Module:
Consider a popular indoor full-color LED display specification, such as P3. The term “P3” implies that the distance between two pixels on the screen is 3mm. In reality, this is a shorthand, and the accurate value is 3.91mm (there are also less common specifications like 3.47mm and 3.5mm).
Assuming a standard LED module size of 500mm by 500mm, we can calculate the number of pixels in both horizontal and vertical directions:
Horizontal Pixels =500mm/3.91=128
Thus, each module has 128 pixels in both directions, resulting in a total of 16,384 pixels in a 500mm by 500mm area.
Full LED Screen:
Let’s assume a large LED screen with dimensions of 6 meters in length and 3 meters in height, comprising 12 modules horizontally and 6 modules vertically.
Horizontal Pixels=128pixels/module×12modules=1536pixels
Vertical Pixels=128pixels/module×6modules=768pixels
Hence, the resolution of a P3 LED screen measuring 6m by 3m is 1536 by 768 pixels.
Alternatively, for easy recall, remember that for a P3 LED screen, there are 256 pixels per meter. Multiply this by the length or height in meters to get one dimension, and then multiply both dimensions for the screen resolution.
It’s worth noting that some might calculate by directly dividing 6000mm by 3.91mm and 3000mm by 3.91mm, resulting in 1534 by 767. While theoretically correct, this method overlooks the fact that the factory-set pixel count on each module is 128, not 127.8.
Verify with Device Providers to Avoid Discrepancies
While understanding the calculation method enables quick and independent determination of values, it’s crucial to cross-verify with the LED screen provider. Different P2 LED screens, for instance, might have specifications like P2.38, P2.6, and P2.97, and the inventory could vary among providers.
In conclusion
By providing the fish and the fishing rod, we hope to collectively enhance everyone’s understanding and efficiency in dealing with LED screen resolutions in event setups.
