# TV resolution.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-resolution/115593>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 23, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-resolution/115593 "2002-06-23T20:05:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-resolution/115593/1 "2002-06-23T20:05:53Z")

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I believe the data resolution of a TV signal is about 400 by 300 (roughyly) so why is it that the picture can look so clear and sharp on a huge TV, when on a 14" PC monitor the resolution has to get as high as 1024 by 768 for it to look clear. And a TV picture on a PC monitor is only clear when it is in a 400 by 300 window?

I hope you can understand what I am talking about from that messy paragraph.  
tanks.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-resolution/115593/2 "2002-06-23T20:20:21Z")

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Primarily because you site a lot closer to your computer monitor than you do to your TV. If you sit with your face only a couple inches from the TV screen, you’ll notice that the resolution isn’t that spiffy.