How SVGA, XGA, SXGA and UXGA Differ

A common question many people ask when looking for projectors is "What is SVGA, XGA, SXGA and UXGA" and "Which kind should I get". The type of projector you will be looking to buy depends on what you will need to do with your projector. In making this kind of decision its good to know the differences between each type so you can make the best choice.

In short these abbreviations are the main standards of resolution. A resolution is the number of pixels that the projector will be capable of displaying. Pixels are essentially small squares that make up an image, and the more pixels you have, the sharper and less blocky the image will be when viewing.

The following is the Standard Resolution of each type.

• SVGA - Resolution: 800 * 600 - Total Pixels: 480,000
• XGA - Resolution: 1024 * 768 - Total Pixels: 768,000
• SXGA - Resolution: 1280 * 1024 - Total Pixels: 1,311,000
• UXGA - Resolution: 1600 * 1200 - Total PIxels: 1,920,000

When buying a projector not only is important to note the resolution as this will affect the overall quality of the picture, but you must also make sure that your computer will be compatible with the projector.

For example, if your computer is trying to send information to a projector that is XGA, and your projector has a SVGA resolution then this could cause some problems. You will still see an image but you will not get the clearest picture because of compatibility issues.