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Measured in millimeters, a smaller number generally means a sharper image, as there are more dots in an area of any given size. Note, however, that image quality is determined by multiple factors: a monitor with a smaller dot pitch is usually better, but by no means always, due to a number of factors, including:
Traditionally, dot pitch was always measured on the diagonal, as this gives the most accurate representation of the monitor. Starting about the mid- 1990s, however, some companies introduced a horizontal dot pitch as a marketing ploy. By measuring only the horizontal component of the dot pitch and ignoring the vertical component, even a cheap, low-quality monitor could be awarded a small-seeming dot pitch. A display with a horizntal dot pitch of 0.24 mm has four dots per linear millimeter, and a 0.20mm dot pitch display has five dots per linear millimeter.
The exact difference between horizontal and diagonal dot pitch varies with the design of the monitor, but a typical entry-level 0.28mm (diagonal) monitor has a horizontal pitch of 0.24 or 0.25mm, a good quality 0.26mm (diagonal) unit a horizontal pitch of 0.22mm.
Some present-day manufacturers quote dot pitch measurements made on the horizontal, others on the diagonal, and many use both. In general, low-end manufacturers tend to quote a horizontal measurement, quality manufacturers tend to use the diagonal method, but there are many exceptions. A similar distinction can be made in the audio equipment field, where low-end makers tend to cite PMPO Watts while quality makers end to measure their outputs in RMS Watts.