What is Laptop LCD Screen EDID?

You may have heard the term EDID used by laptop screen suppliers, you may have purchased a screen that appears to physically fit, or may even look identical to the original but fails to function correctly. 

Believe it or not, the same model of laptop screen can come in different hardware and software versions. Hardware versions may denote subtle differences like Matte or Gloss or the position of a connector for the LVDS LCD cable; The software or firmware version is known in the industry as EDID or Extended Display Identification Data. The screen has it's own mini operating system that runs on the panel and communicates attributes and settings to the laptop's BIOS and Operating System.

EDID is a VESA display standard format that contains basic information about the screen and it's capabilities including information about the manufacturer, resolution, orientation, colour characteristics and factory timings such as response rates and refresh frequencies. The display's name is included and serial number and also other custom settings that may be specific to it's type of usage. Some manufacturers may request LCD screens from the LCD manufacturers with modified EDID and then program the laptop's BIOS to only recognise the modified screens and no other versions.

For example, DELL may take a model of screen that is used in HP laptops, and modify the EDID for a specific purpose, so the screen functions in a different manner in their laptops. This then makes the 2 identical screens incompatible with each other, you need one for DELL and one for HP. So screen FW (firmware) numbers then become important to the LCD suppliers when supplying screens for different brands.

Communication between the LCD screen and the laptop is made via the LVDS (LCD data DDC cable) cable, and usually one of the connector pins (2nd from last is normal) is used for EDID signalling. The laptop's BIOS will request EDID information and the screen will supply it, via a handshake type data transfer, who are you? I'm LP156WH2 TLA1 EDID version 1.3, 1366x768, 65hz, etc. Then the laptop's BIOS confugures the screen and begins video transfer. The boot up process starts.

Incorrect EDID information or missing EDID information can result in screens staying blank, lighting up white, or displaying odd or inverted colours. The image can be chopped into 4 copies or split or scrambled or not fit on the screen as though the resolution is wrong.

The Windows display drivers and monitor INF files can also override the EDID settings and cause problems.

Transferring EDID between screens

EDID can be transferred between screens of the same make via an LCD burner connected to a PC's USB connection.

The latest version of EDID is 1.3 that can be used in LCD laptop screens, future EDID versions promise more parameters and configurability.

Understanding Laptop Screen Part Numbers

Contrary to popular belief, most of the time, the laptop screen that is fitted inside your laptop is not made by the laptop manufacturer. If you take a popular brand like Sony for example, and dis assemble the laptop, you'll find that the screen inside it will most likely be made by Sharp, Chunghwa or Chi Mei, the hard disk drives usually by Toshiba, Seagate or Western Digital and so on and so forth.

The main reasons for this, is that these components, such as LCD screens and hard disk drives are complicated to manufacture and require extensive investment and specialist knowledge and conditions to manufacture. Because of this, there are only around 11 main manufacturers of laptop screens worldwide, mostly in Asia and of these around 5 or 6 are used in most laptops.

Whilst it is true to say a few laptop makers do also produce laptop screens, such as Toshiba and Samsung, they often do not fit their own screens to their own laptops, usually because the laptop manufacturing side of their business is completely separate to the screen manufacturing side of their business and ironically it's often cheaper for them to buy screens from others.

AU Optronics is one of the most widely used brands inside all major laptop models, alongside LG Philips and Chunghwa. Samsung, Toshiba and Sharp screens are used alongside Chi Mei, however less often.

Why are you telling us this?

The trend for self repair has risen in recent years, mainly due to the provision of DIY instruction manuals and videos online, and the demystifying of technical information. Users are finding that laptop screen replacement is actually a very simple task and have been going off to buy a replacement screen themselves rather than sending their laptop back to the manufacturer for repair which has risks, expenses and long repair times.

As users have become more technically Savvy, they have change in trend from searching for a replacement screen for their laptop by laptop make and model and started to box clever and search for the laptop screen's model number instead. You know the old story of a little information being dangerous :)

There is a common mis conception that the screens are made by the laptop makers, and so people armed with this incorrect information are searching for the wrong thing, and of course finding nothing.

The reason we want you to understand this, is that we collect internet search data and analyse it, and recently there has been a large amount of searches for incorrect products, and users are failing to find what they need, so we would like to help with this situation.

Common mistakes include buyers searching for incorrect products:

ACER LTN160AT01 (Samsung Brand Screen, obsolete now)

ACER B133XW01 (AU Optronics Brand Screen)

SONY CLAA133WA01A (Chunghwa Brand Screen)

DELL LTN133AT17 (Samsung Brand Screen)

And so on.

These searches yield no results as they are incorrect, the user has mixed up the laptop manufacturer's name with the screen model number, made by somebody else.

What they should do is either search by screen model number, without the laptop make included or search for the laptop make and model, like this:

Search type 1: By laptop make and model, search for:

Acer Aspire 3810t

Sony Vaio VPCS12X9E

Dell Latitude E4310

Search type 2: By laptop make and model, search for;

AU Optronics B133XW01

Chunghwa CLAA133WA01A

Samsung LTN133AT17

How to determine your laptop screen make:

On the rear of the LCD you'll find stickers, the largest sticker usually has the model number in bold. It's often the most prominent set of digits on the back of the LCD display that contains the model information.

Laptop Screen Maker Model Starts with Examples

Making life easy

This innovative company have an excellent laptop panel search facility that has been simplified, all you need to do is choose "laptop screen part number" from their search, and enter the 8-12 digit part number (similar to the examples above right 3rd column) and the website will do the rest. These kind of intelligent websites make searching for awkward model numbers a breeze.

7 Reasons To Repair/Replace Your Own Broken Laptop Screen

Often, when your laptop screen breaks or cracks you may worry that it is beyond repair, or that such repairs will cost a great deal in time, money and professional help. However, changing a broken laptop screen is much easier than many people initially realize. It need not be a daunting or intimidating task. Below we list the 5 key benefits of choosing to change your laptop screen yourself:

1

            It saves money: In these difficult times replacing your broken screen yourself is much more cost effective than taking your laptop to a specialist shop or purchasing a replacement model. The repair shops, authorised service centres and the laptop manufacturers use the same laptop screens that replacement screen suppliers are selling.

   2

            It is simple and easy: Changing your laptop screen is much simpler than is often initially thought. After using this informative screen replacement video for guidance, thousands of peoples have stated that, whilst initially reluctant, they couldn’t believe how easy the process was. Here are some genuine screen replacement testimonials from other people who have changed their own laptop screen using an online screen supplier.

   3

            It saves valuable time: Having a broken laptop screen of course means that you can easily fall behind on work/college/or university deadlines. Taking your laptop to a repair shop means it could be out of service for days or even weeks. However, our delivery service ensures that products ordered before 3pm (within the UK,) will be with you the next day. Using the guidelines we provide, it should only take 15-20 minutes to replace the old screen with the new, and have your laptop running smoothly again. And remember using an online screen expert means you are more likely to recieve the correct replacement screen, first time.

   4

            No risk of your laptop being lost: It happens, items can go missing by post or courier. If you send off your laptop to a repair specialist, or they collect the laptop from you - there is always a small risk of the laptop going missing, even if the item is trackable. The companies insurance *should* cover this (if they are a real company and have insurance), however there is no insurance for your data or personalisations.

   5

            (on a lighter note,) It may earn you respect amongst friends or family members in awe of your newly acquired technical abilities-until they discover for themselves how simple the process can be too. Maybe you can make some extra cash for yourself and change your friends and collegues screens in the workplace, or anybody else you know. Why not put an advert in your local paper?

   6

            It can guarantee quality and reassurance: You may not trust the local repair shop with your computer. There have been many reported cases of data privacy infringment and the theft of confidential details such as financial information. Whilst this is no way a generalization of the conduct of repair shops en masse, several stories do exist of laptops being sent in to rectify a minor fault, (such as a routine screen change,) and being returned to the customer with their entre hard drive wiped. If you change your screen yourself, you can be assured the process will always be carried out with the appropriate quality and care.

   7

             Quality Screen Assurance: You will always be guaranteed to recieve a brand new, non reconditioned part from any reputable online laptop screen supplier, and you will see the item and it's quality before fitting.

 
What next?

       You will need to find a reputable online supplier of laptop screens, we recommend a google search. Here is some more information on how to choose a reputable laptop screen supplier.

      The following table lists some popular brands that are available to purchase online:

Acer replacement screens	Advent replacement screens	Alienware replacement screens
Apple replacement screens	Belinea replacement screens	Acer e Machines replacement screens
Aristo replacement screens	ASUS replacement screens	Aventec replacement screens
Clevo replacement screens	DELL replacement screens	EliteGroup replacement screens
e Systems replacement screens	Everex replacement screens	Evesham replacement screens
Fujitsu Siemens replacement screens	HP Compaq replacement screens	Medion replacement screens
Gateway replacement screens	Gericom replacement screens	Hi Grade replacement screens
IBM Lenovo replacement screens	Iridium replacement screens	Maxdata replacement screens
Microstar MSI replacement screens	Mitac replacement screens	Neo replacement screens
Novatech replacement screens	Philips replacement screens	Toshiba replacement screens
Packard Bell replacement screens	Panasonic replacement screens	Patriot replacement screens
Rock replacement screens	Samsung replacement screens	Sony replacement screens
Twinhead replacement screens	Uniwill replacement screens	Zoostorm replacement screens

How to choose a laptop screen supplier.
Laptop Screen Suppliers, what to look for.

Oh no, you have broken your laptop screen! It’s OK, stay calm, if you have a broken laptop screen there are several companies that sell replacement laptop screens. The screens are dead easy to fit; The question is where do you start looking and what should you look for?

Use Google or one of the other search engines to locate the correct screen. Choose a website that looks professional and offers comprehensive information about laptop screens.

When searching for the screen use the make and the model of the laptop, the best place to find this is on the packaging or front of the documentation for the laptop, for example toshiba satellite pro l450 replacement laptop screen; Do not include suffixes like "Toshiba Satellite Pro L450-115" keep the search simple - or search for laptop lcd screens and you will find several companies selling screens. When searching for a laptop screen, the company may have listed more than one screen available for that model. If you arrived to a website from a Google search, you should always search again on the suppliers website to make sure that there are no other models of laptop screen fitted to your machine. Sony and DELL are classic companies for fitting multiple screeens to their laptops, as are IBM / Lenovo.

If there are multiple screens for your laptop, this means usually you will need to know if the screen is a LED screen or a CCFL screen, sometimes mis labelled LCD (Inverter powered). LED screens are new technology and there is a transition period happening now (2011) whereby the same models of laptops can be fitted with both types.

You may on some occasions be asked to remove the screen by the supplier to establish the part number on the back of the lcd screen so the company can send you a quotation for the correct screen. Professional screen suppliers often request for particular models so that the correct replacements are send out without dissapointment to the buyer.

Check the resolution of the laptop screen and compare that to the resolution stated on the suppliers website. Some companies have a video running on their website to help you remove the screen or offer technical support which should be free.

Finally you can check the position of the connector on the back of your existing screen and compare that to the information provided by the supplier. Often screens can come with connectors in different positions.

But which company should you choose?

There are few things you need to confirm with the company before you go ahead and purchase the new screen. Here are some helpful hints and tips when ordering your new laptop screen.

So where do you start?

✔ Always check the company is governed by UK and EU selling laws and has a Company Registration Number and a VAT number. Are you dealing with a real company? Find out who you are dealing with for just £1.

✔ The company registration number should be available on the website. If they have a Company registered number you are dealing with and have the backing of a reputable Limited Company that is regulated by UK and European selling laws.

✔ Does the company have a good returns policy?

✔ Will the company pick up the screen from the delivery address if they have made a despatch error and correct the error immediately?

✔ The screen has a dead pixel, will the company offer an exchange?

✔ Does the company have lots of testimonials from happy customers that had purchased from the company?

✔ Are you able to contact the company easily and ask questions if you are not sure of the screen you require?

✔ Any screen enquiry via email should be answered at least within 24 hours, or ideally within 1-3 hours of the enquiry being made.

✔ Make sure the screens being sold brand new Grade A and not a refurbished screen.

✔ What is the delivery like, will the screen be received next morning (best), or next day, or in 2-3 days? Will the screen be properly packaged?

✔ Will the company deliver to your work address if you are unable to take the delivery at home?

✔ If you change your mind about the purchase are you able to send the screen back without any stocking fees being incurred?

And finally if you speak to a laptop lcd screen company the company should sound professional, confident and have an excellent knowledge of the different lcd screens on the market today.

Screen connector positions are identified by looking at the back of the screen, with the screen fitted.

Buying a replacement laptop screen can be easy if you find a skilled supplier and take the time to read the information provided on the LCD suppliers website. In more recent years, laptop screen manufacturers have started supplying identical screens that have connectors in different positions. This of course can cause a problem for you if you do not understand screen connector positioning.

What is the connector?

On the back of your laptop screen there will be a connector, often referred to as a 20 PIN, 30 PIN or 40 PIN connector. The connector is for the picture signal that comes from the base of the laptop. A flat grey cable will come from the base of the laptop and connect to the connector on the back of the laptop screen. The cable from the base of the laptop can come from either the left or right hand sides (when looking from the back) of the base and therefore you can have the same screen with either a left side or right side connector.

How do I identify which side the connector is on?

With the screen still fitted to the laptop, turn the base of the laptop around so you are looking at the back of the screen. You will see the flat grey cable we mentioned earlier coming from the base of the laptop and attaching to the connector on the back of the screen. The connector will either be, top right (common), bottom left (common) but could also be top left or bottom right.

figure 1: A Screen with a bottom right hand side connector

In fact the very same model of laptop can come fitted with screens with left and right connectors, depending on the cables used at the time of manufacture by the laptop maker. In addition to this, we advise that you check the connector position with the screen fitted to the laptop because some manufacturers fit screens upside down which can cause confusion. You want the connector position with the screen in place, from the rear.

Figure 2: A screen with a bottom left hand side connector

You can now purchase either a left or right hand side connector replacement screen for your laptop computer with total confidence.

Figure 3: A screen with a top right side connector

Why do they do this?

Usually, contrary to popular belief it isn't to make our lives difficult. Usually cost saving measures are the cause of this as many 15.6" bottom left hand connector screens are in fact technically top right hand side screens, fitted upside down. With a screen fitted upside down, the connector is now at the bottom and far less cable is required from the base of the laptop to the screen connector.

Availability can also be an issue as screen models become obsolete or unavailable manufacturers are forced to buy alternate screens for their laptops and change the LCD cable to match. This can cause the same model of laptop to have different screens that are not compatible due to connector positioning.

Brighter, Sharper, Clearer.

We all know that different types of screen display different laptop screen resolutions. The higher the resolution, the crisper the and sharper the images will appear on the display. Of course, the higher the resolution of the laptop screen, the more pixels or "dots" are needed to create the finer image. On smaller laptop screens around 15" or less, high resolution screens can seem unusable. Those suffering from impaired eyesight for example want to avoid high resolutions on smaller screens.

* Note that some high resolution screens can display grainy or pixelated text if you try to run them at lower resolutions.

Can I Buy A Screen With Different Connectors?

You must replace the old screen with another that has the same connector positon and type, or the signal cable will not fit, and you'll end up paying to send the replacement screen back.

Can I Upgrade My Screen to LED?

CCFL and LED screens use different lighting technology and cannot be interchanged, you must always replace a CCFL screen with another CCFL and vice versa.

Can I Upgrade My Single Lamp Screen to a Dual Lamp?

CCFL dual lamp screens have extra cables and cannot replace single lamp CCFL screens. If your exisiting laptop is a single lamp CCFL screen, you must replace it with another single lamp screen.

Can I Upgrade My Screen Resolution?

The short answer here is "maybe", we don't reccomend it, often the replacement screen will not work.

You may have seen that your particular model of laptop comes supplied, or is upgradeable at the time of purchase with a higher definition laptop screen. Here are some of the main reasons why we recommend you do not try to attempt this without a valid upgrade screen model number.

"My laptop is upgradeable at the time of purchase, so I know it takes a high res screen"

- When you select the upgrade option, you may not be sent the same model of laptop. Differences in the graphics controller or cabling inside the machine can prevent an upgrade screen from working. Different service tags and serial numbers on the same model of laptop denote these kind of differences.

"My laptop says FULL HD playback, so I know I can upgrade my screen"

- Many laptop manufacturers mislead consumers by stating that the laptop is FULL HD or high resolution capable. This is true, however only with an external screen attached, the internal screen will most often only operate at a lower resolution.

"I've been told by XXX that my machine will take a FULL HD screen"

- In our experience, most of the time this advice is incorrect. We've even noticed that many of the major manufacturers when contacted will give incorrect information about your machine.

Dangers:

1) Fitting an incorrect screen can damage the motherboard or other components inside the laptop, especially with LED laptop screens. This can leave the laptop unusable.

2) You also risk damaging the laptop screen itself and therefore losing your statutory right to return the product as unused.

What else can happen?

Most of the time, the upgraded screens light up white when fitted, in worst case scenarios the screen will burn out components on the motherboard of the machine and render the computer totally unusable. Other users with Acer Aspire laptops that tried to upgrade to the high resolution screen reported a frosting effect, as though they were looking at the desktop through a window that was iced over.

But I Know I Can Upgrade!

If you are still serious about wanting to try and change the type of screen fitted to your machine you will need to:

1) Contact the manufacturer of your laptop, request the part number of the upgraded screen for your machine.

* Note that mostly they will give you their own part numbers, these are no use, you need the LCD laptop screen model number (they didn't make the screen fitted inside the machine.)

2) Contact a reputable laptop screen supplier for availability of that exact part number.

Why can't I just buy a HIGH RESOLUTION screen?

Because there are millions of screen models out there fitted to machines, with many screen models now obsolete, laptop screen suppliers have to use "compatible" screens. The suppliers work by laptop screen compatibility databases and know that for a DELL Inspiron 1545 machine they can send part numbers LP156WH2 by LG Philips, B156XW02 by AU Optronics and LTN156AT07 by Samsung. These three are all the same thing, 15.6" HD with a resolution of 1366x768. Other types/models of screen may damage this laptop. 

For this reason, you will need the compatibility information, or model numbers of the upgraded screens that can be fitted to your machine. Usually the LCD suppliers do not have this information.

Bottom line:

We do not recommend trying to upgrade your laptop screen to a higher resolution.

Just Like New

Laptops are, by their very nature, portable possessions and are used in a variety of places and contexts-thus, one of the main issues many encounter is the problem of keeping them clean. Focus in this respect most obviously rests on the laptop screen which bears the brunt of the aforementioned wear and tear. To counter such a problem people often look for particular methods of cleaning the screen. The following method is one that is deemed most effective:
 

1. Buy a bottle of Brasso Gadgetcare solution, a product often used to clean electronic devices, (eg. TV’s, Ipads, etc. Also included in the kit with the solution is a small microfiber cloth which can be used to help prevent scratching.  We recommend the Brasso Gadgetcare solution above similar products on the market as it is made using a patented anti-static technology which prevents dust and dirt settling on your screen. Brasso Gadgetcare leaves a thin film of silicone on your screen which has the effect of repelling dirt particles and thus ensures extended periods of cleanliness.
    
2.  Place your laptop on a sturdy surface, keeping the screen as horizontal as possible to ensure easy accessibility for cleaning. Dot the surface of your screen with several drops of Brasso Gadgetcare solution. Since the solution has a gel like consistency, the drops will hold in their original place rather than running like a liquid and causing damage to the inner workings of the screen.
    
3. Then, with the microfiber cloth wipe the surface of the screen so that the gel dots are equally spread out. Rub briskly, but lightly, avoiding placing undue pressure on the screen. As soon as the dots are spread, they will dry and disappear, forming a thin silicone glaze upon your screen, (as mentioned earlier.)
    

These are the only steps required. It takes but a few minutes to clean your screen and the results are effective and long lasting.  Cleaning your screen in this manner may even make it look better than when you originally bought the laptop (remember-dirt and dust particles settle on products in showrooms,) and it will no doubt improve the clarity and quality of your viewing experience.  

Compatible laptop screens, what is it about?

The term "compatible" replacement screen is often used within the laptop screen industry, but what exactly does this mean - and does it mean we are going to get a cheap copy of the original screen we had?

Understanding how laptop manufacturers build machines

The term "laptop manufacturer" is slightly misleading as really these companies are simply "assemblers" of machines. The individual components or parts of the laptop such as the keyboard, memory and hard disk drive are purchased from other equipment manufacturers (or OEMs). The hard disk may be manufacturered by Seagate or Western Digital for example, the power supply by Delta Electronics, china, the processor by Intel and of course the display inside the laptop will also come from various sources. Your laptop maker will simply assemble parts to make a laptop of the specification advertised but they do not make these parts themselves. They also do not make the screens!

When designing a laptop, the manufacturer will have a specificaion that the machine has been designed to. The laptop may for example include a 3.0 GB/sec 500GB SATA2 hard disk. This is the published specificaion of the hard disk, the size and speed. In the first quarter of the first year of manufacture, the laptop makers were purchasing Seagate hard disk drives, in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the same year, Seagate were unable to supply the volume of disks required and so the manufacturers fitted Western Digital drives of the same specificaion. The same thing happens with the screens inside the machines.

If you take two of the same make and model of laptop and disassemble them, you will notice that they will have different parts inside them. In the same way there will be various models of replacement laptop screen that meet the specifications required for the laptop. This is why they do not publish the make and model of the parts such as the hard disk drive or laptop screen, but only the specificaion such as HD 1366x768, Glossy and LED backlit.

What are compatible screens?

All screens, including the original in your laptop are "compatible" screens.

Compatible screens are replacement laptop screens that would be used by the manufacturer of your laptop. This means a replacement screen of the same or higher specification than the original screen. This means the same replacement screen that would be fitted now by the manufacturer of your laptop. Compatible does not indicate a sub standard quality.

Because the availability of screens fluctuates, part numbers supplied by laptop screen suppliers vary on a weekly basis. You may be sent a Chunghwa replacement screen (used in many Sony machines), an AUO AU Optronics screen (AUO are one of the largest panel suppliers to the laptop industry), an LG Philips screen or a Samsung screen for example. All of these screens will be certified genuine replacement parts for your laptop and will operate at the specification required by the manufacturer.

Why can´t I have the exact replacement?

Sometimes you can, especially if your laptop is very new, however, laptop screens become obsolete very quickly and replaced by newer versions or models of the same screen. This is of course usually a good thing as improvements come with newer versions of the same screen.

Sometimes manufacturers like Samsung for example simply stop producing a screen and then an identical model from another manufacturer has to be sourced. Many laptops are more than 2 years old, these machines original screens will not be available anymore. This is usually not a problem as there are many genuine compatible replacement screens that can be used in the machine. 

For example, a laptop with a 15.4" WXGA 30 PIN GLOSSY screen (very common) will take over 500 different part numbers, from various manufacturers such as:

AU OPTRONICS B154EW01 V.1, V.2, V.3 etc

AU OPTRONICS B154EW02 V.1, V.2, V.3 etc

AU OPTRONICS B154EW03 V.1, V.2, V.3 etc

SAMSUNG LTN154AT10, LTN154AT07, LTN154AT08

LG PHILIPS LP154WX5 (TL) (B1), LP154WX4 (TL) (C8), and hundreds of other models

CHI MEI N154I3 L01, N154I3 L02, N154I3 L03 and hundreds of other models

All the screens above will operate identically and it will be an impossibility to tell them apart when fitted and operational.

What makes the screen "compatible"

To be a "compatible" screen the display must

- Be of the same physical dimensions as the original
- Be of the same resolution as the original
- The finish can be MATTE or GLOSS
- The viewing angles and contrast ratio must be the same or better

In short, the display must be as good or better than the original for it to be a compatible replacement laptop screen.

Conclusion

Remember that all screens are made in the far east, China, Singapore and the Philippines. If you see "made in Asia" this is normal for all replacement panels. 

Remember that the laptop manufacturers do not make the screens, there is no such thing as a genuine replacement DELL laptop screen or a genuine replacement Sony laptop screen. These organisations do not make screens.

Remember that laptop panel suppliers buy directly from the manufacturers, the same laptop panels that are fitted to the laptops in the authorised repair centres. 

Remember that for a replacement screen to function in your laptop it must meet the specificaions of the laptop in terms of colour depth, resolution and refresh rate.

What is laptop screen resolution?

Laptop screens are manufactured to different specifications. These obviously include physical size, such as 15.6 inches, and also the resolution of the screen. As laptop screens are made up of tiny dots (cells or pixels), the more dots the screen has the better the quality of the image will be. This is the same principle that applies to printers (dots per inch), the more dots for any given area, the higher the quality of the image on the display.

How is the resolution measured?

There are 3 ways that a laptop screen resolution can be measured. These are:

- pixel length X pixel width (e.g 1366x768)
This kind of measurement is the industry defacto and denotes the dots or pixels horizontally times by the dots or pixels vertically. This type of screen has 768 horizontal lines each containing 1366 pixels, giving a total pixel count of 1049088 (just over a million dots to make up the entire image).

- resolution name
The different types of resolution are given names by the LCD industry. These names identify with abbreviation the resolution of the screen. They are if you like codes that represent different resolutions of screen. In our example, 1366x768 is given the name HD. You may have also heard the expression FULL HD or FULLHD, this term refers to the much higher resolution 1920x1080 screens that display an image using almost twice the amount of dots or pixels as an HD screen operating at 1366x768.

- Shorthand name
Manufacturers of laptops, TVs, gaming systems or any other system using a screen have coined additional shorthand names as well as the two references listed above for the same product. These shorthand names are numbers and letters in an abreviated format that signify the resolution of the screen. For example shorthand name 768p is also known as HD and refers to the resolution of 1366x768. Shorthand name 1080p or FULL HD refers to the resolution of 1920x1080.

Understanding your screen resolution

With DELL laptops, a printout of the configuration of the laptop you have purchased is usually included with the sale. This printout usually tells you what type of screen you have. Other laptops may have stickers on the laptop or include some kind of documentation that tells you either resolution, resolution name or shorthand name. You can use the following table to assist you in identifying the correct replacement screen for your laptop.

How else can I tell my original laptop screen resolution?

If part of your original display is still functional, you can use the Windows Control Panel to retrieve your laptop screen maximum resolution. Please note that this must not be done with an external display attached to the laptop, as you will be viewing the maximum resolution of the external display and not your internal laptop lcd screen.

1. Go to your Windows Display Settings and the Advanced Configuration, push the slider for resolution as far to the right as possible and record the laptop screens maximum resolution. You can the compare that to the chart above to assist in selecting the correct laptop screen.

How do I find the Windows Display Settings?

Instructions for Windows 7 & Vista here 

Instructions for Windows XP here

Instructions for MAC OS here

Instructions for Linux here

Instructions for Android here

The Basics About LCD Technology Displays

The production of images on a laptop screen is governed by the same colour perception notions utilised by television. Namely, that any picture viewed is composed of many red, green and blue dots. 

However, whilst the individual dots on a television screen represent a phosphor, on a laptop screen they represent a tiny device, more appropriately termed, “a cell.” or more often a "pixel".

The Matrix

In that respect then, a laptop screen is composed of a matrix of many tiny pixels or cells. The white light which passes through the screen flows through a red, green or blue filter at the end of each cell-thus the cell adopts the corresponding colour. Three red, green and blue cells taken together form a pixel , the colour of which is determined by the brightness of the three cells which compose it.

Each pixel or cell contains liquid crystals, hence the terminology LCD or Liquid Crystal Display. Note that LCD has nothing to do with the Inverter or backlight of the display.

LCD - Liquid Crystal Display

The liquid crystals found in a laptop screen have molecular structures which adhere to the requirement of both a liquid and a solid. In fact, the slimy, liquid residue found at the bottom of a soap dish is a genuine example of such crystals and is not entirely dissimilar from the substance found in your laptop screen. 

However, you may wonder how a substance can have both liquid and solid molecular properties. For, the molecules in liquids fairly widely spaced in order to afford them their viscose characteristics, whilst those in solids are rigidly and compactly grouped.

This is indeed true. However, liquid crystals differ from ordinary liquids in terms of the shapes of the molecules which compose them. Whilst molecules in ordinary liquids behave in a disorderly manner, the molecules in liquid crystals are much longer and thinner. Thus, whilst their positioning is random their orientations can be aligned in unison to form a regular pattern. In this respect then, though they are liquids they can assume something of the ordered structure familiar in solids.

The Layers Of An LCD Screen 

In a laptop screen the liquid crystal substance is sandwiched between two plates of glass. One plate has horizontal grooves, the other vertical. The molecules present in the liquid crustal align themselves with these grooves-Thus a horizontal layer of molecules and a vertical layer is formed at both extremes of the sandwich. The intermediate molecules attempt to align themselves with the position of neighbouring ones, thus a gradual spiral is formed reflecting the gradation from horizontal to vertical. This is termed a “twisted cell” of liquid crystal.

The light which passes through these twisted molecules is what lights up the laptop screen pixels.

Each cell consists of two Polaroid filters with a twisted liquid crystal cell between them, an adjustable electrical field and, as stated before, a green, blue or red filter. In order to vary the colours presented on a laptop screen, the computer can alter the strength of the electric field acting upon the molecules-the greater the strength the more the twisted molecular structures tilt. This affects the brightness of each cell and thus alters the colour of the pixel.

And, of course, as in the original television example we used, these differently coloured pixels combine to produce pictures of unbounded clarity, detail and precision.