QVGA

The full form of QVGA is Quarter Video Graphics Array. It is also known as Quarter VGA in short. QVGA is a type of resolution whose dimensions are 320x240 pixels. The QVGA display is normally found in devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. The display is also common on other handheld devices such as game consoles.

Resolution

Most of the time, the display is in the portrait layout as opposed to the landscape layout; they are also known as 240x320 displays because they are taller than they are wide. So why is it known as Quarter Video Graphics Array? The name is because the display is 1/4th of the 640x480 resolution of the original IBM machine which had the VGA display. The original display was almost a de facto standard in the 1980s.

Mobiles and Other Handheld Devices

The QVGA display is not known to be directly compatible or derived from the standard VGA interface or chipset. The QVGA only applies to the resolution. The resolution is also used often in digital video recording equipment as it saves a lot of space in a space-efficient medium. It is often seen in other multi function devices such as the digital camera like Fujifilm as well as in some mobiles developed by Pantech and Samsung.

Frames per Second

Each frame in the display of the above mentioned devices is 320x240 pixels. QVGA can accommodate about 15 to 30 frames per second. QVGA is not a video format as many people think; it is just a resolution.

iTunes Software

Before Apple introduced version 7 of its famous iTunes software, the television programs on iTunes were distributed in QVGA in case you wanted to watch the programs on your computer and sync the programs with your iPod. The iPod is capable of playing the QVGA resolution movies at about 30 frames per second. The resolution is used by some high end phones in order to capture video.

LCD Screens Also Use QVGA

If the resolution has a landscape layout then the image will have resolution of 320 pixels horizontal by 240 pixels vertical. Today there are many LCD screens using the QVGA specification and there are many QVGA displays that have the touch screen feature.

A Little Bit about VGA

In the past, the majority of computers have had the VGA resolution. VGA refers to Video Graphics Array. The VGA resolution is capable of producing 16 colors at a resolution of 640x480 pixels. Some of the most common smartphones and PDAs using the QVGA display are the Sony-Ericsson P990i, the TDS Ranger and Recon, the HTC Excalibur, the Cingular 3125, the Q-Tek 8500, the Nokia N95, and the Motorola Q. We see that the QVGA display is being increasingly used in mobiles and handheld devices as the clarity is very good and at the same time the images take less time to load. QVGA is definitely here to stay.