"Its not a VGA...NTSC i believe aka TFT screen."
Charles you are driving me crazy with this nomenclature stuff. Please picture me tilting at a windmill while reading this.
Seriously, this is hardly criminal behavior but spreading this kind of misinformation leads to people paying outrageous prices for screens which have crappy pictures all because of a few buzz words. Ok one more time, same verse as the first:
VGA is a video display standard. NTSC is a video display standard. TFT is a physical display type. Active Matrix is a physical display type. Essentially, Active Matrix and TFT mean THE SAME THING. Here is a simple list of best to worst screens:
XGA TFT = XGA Active Matrix
SVGA TFT = SVGA Active Matrix
VGA TFT = VGA Active Matrix
NTSC TFT = NTSC Active Matrix
Less than 482x330 resolution screens.
Thrown in there can be dual scan or passive matrix screens (again, these can mean the same thing basically) which have a poor viewing angle and motion display. These are not ideal for car use.
NTSC is a video standard with 525 lines of resolution per second for broadcasts in the United States. The NTSC standard combines blue, red, and green signals with an FM frequency for audio. The resolution of an NTSC signal will depend on the device showing the signal, but TV signals are generally considered to be about 482x330.
VGA is a video diplay standard of which allows resolutions of 640x480 with up to 16 colors.
Often times we also use these terms to mean the kind of input (NTSC signal or VGA signal) - this is a little imprecise but OK. You can display an NTSC signal on a TFT screen. You can also display a VGA signal on a TFT screen.
However, if your screen lacks the correct PHYSICAL resolution and color depth, your picture will suffer. People will scam you anyway they can on this stuff - please keep asking for opinions on this forum before you buy.
Here are some definitions from
Geek.com
Video Graphics Array (VGA) - This is a video standard that allows for resolutions up to 640x480 with up to 16 colors at a time. It also allows for 320x200 resolution with 256 colors. Many older games were written to take advantage of the 320x200 resolution because of the comparatively high color depth. SVGA and XGA replaced VGA, but VGA compatibility remains an important part of most graphics cards. If your video driver is messed up, Win95 and Windows NT let you go in under VGA mode and fix it.
National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) - This is a group that is responsible for setting the standard for broadcast and reception of television signals in the United States. The original NTSC standards were set in 1953 and call for 525 horizontal lines of resolution, interlaced scanning and a 60Hz refresh rate. The standard continues to exist until HDTV takes over.
Thin Film Transistor (TFT) - This is a synonym for the Active Matrix display. You'll often see screens referred to as "TFT-Active Matrix," or just "TFT" if they're low on space.
Active Matrix - LCD panels that are active matrix have a sharper, brighter image than those with passive matrix screens. They can also continue to be seen at much greater angles off of central viewing and cost more to produce. The "active" part of the word describes the use of a transistor or diode that actively controls each pixel.
If you still don't believe me, check out
Cnet Glossary
Removeable 6.8" LCD
Linear Mode
