The resolution of your Raspberry Pi display is important for optimizing its performance and ensuring a clear image. Learn how to check your Raspberry Pi’s screen resolution.

This article will guide you through the process of checking the resolution of your Raspberry Pi display, understanding what it means, and potential solutions if it’s not set correctly. …


Updated October 9, 2023

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This article will guide you through the process of checking the resolution of your Raspberry Pi display, understanding what it means, and potential solutions if it’s not set correctly.

Checking Your Raspberry Pi Screen Resolution

There are several ways to check the screen resolution of your Raspberry Pi. Here are three methods you can use:

  1. Using the command line: Open a terminal window by clicking on the “Terminal” icon in the menu bar, or pressing CTRL + ALT + T. Type the following command and hit enter:
tvservice -s

This will display information about your current screen resolution, refresh rate, and other settings. The output should look something like this:

state 0x400001 [1920,720p50, progressive] hdmi_group=1,hdmi_mode=1,hdmi_mode_3d=0,hdmi_drive=0,hdmi_force_hotplug=0

In this example, the resolution is 1920x720 pixels at 50Hz refresh rate.

  1. Using the vcgencmd command: Open a terminal window and type the following command:
vcgencmd get_lcd_info

This will give you detailed information about your display, including its resolution. The output should look like this:

display_number=0
width=1920
height=720
depth=32
pixel_order=0
alpha=1
horizontal_freq=60.0000000
vertical_freq=50.0000000

Again, the resolution is 1920x720 pixels at 50Hz refresh rate in this example.

  1. Using the Desktop GUI: If you are using a desktop environment like Raspbian with Pixel or Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop, you can check your screen resolution by going to “Preferences” > “Raspberry Pi Configuration”. Select the “Advanced Options” tab and look under “Display”. The current resolution will be listed here.

Understanding Screen Resolution

Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels displayed horizontally (width) and vertically (height) on your screen. Higher resolutions typically result in sharper images, but require more processing power and can affect performance. The refresh rate is also important as it determines how many times per second your display updates its image, which impacts smoothness of motion in videos or games.

Potential Issues with Screen Resolution

If the resolution of your Raspberry Pi screen is not set correctly, you may experience issues such as:

  • Blurry or pixelated images
  • Inconsistent performance
  • Incorrect aspect ratio

To fix these issues, you can try adjusting the resolution using the tvservice command. Here’s an example of how to set the resolution to 1024x600 pixels at 60Hz refresh rate:

tvservice -e 'DMT 87'

This command selects a mode that is predefined for a 1024x600 display at 60Hz. You can check available modes by running tvservice -m. If your desired resolution isn’t listed, you may need to add a custom mode using the modelines option:

tvservice -a "1280 720 60 6"

This command adds a new mode with 1280x720 pixels at 60Hz refresh rate and 6ms of vertical sync. After making changes, restart your Raspberry Pi for them to take effect.

By checking and understanding the resolution of your Raspberry Pi screen, you can optimize its performance and ensure a clear image on your display.