VGA (Image resolution – Video graphics)
The initials ‘VGA’ mean “Video Graphics Array”. This was a consumer market standard indicating 800 x 600 pixels in the display screen (old cathode ray tube type). The VGA standard, and particularly the SVGA – a later generation, was a versatile standard. The format was introduced in 1987 by IBM (International Business Machines). It had a market presence until well into the 1990s and continued in production for some years after being superseded by XGA. The VGA format size (800 x 600 pixels) is still in use for very small screens, data screens and instrument panels with low resolution requirements.
The VGA format supported only 128 colours in early versions although the SVGA format allowed for 256. The higher number of colours on SVGA allowed for improved colour representations. However, the flat colour representations tended to give a cartoon-like appearance.
Video Graphics types and generations
VGA underwent eleven generations of improvement. It was superseded by the following…
XGA – Extended Graphics Array (Nine generations);
QXGA – Quad Extended Graphics Array (QEGA seven generations);
HXGA – Hyper Extended Graphics Array (HXGA six generations);
Current in 2012:
HD – High Definition (currently 7th generation in 2012)
Definition: XGA (Image resolution – Video graphics)