LED wall resolution calculator
Enter the wall's size from the floor plan and pick the LED cabinet. Ratio works out how many whole panels fit, the wall's resolution in pixels and its aspect ratio, then makes a pixelmap test card for it. Everything runs in your browser. Open Ratio.
How the resolution is worked out
An LED wall is a grid of identical cabinets (panels), so its resolution is always a whole number of cabinets:
- Panels across = wall width ÷ cabinet width, rounded to a whole panel. Same for panels down.
- Resolution = panels across × pixels per cabinet across, by panels down × pixels per cabinet down.
- Pixels per cabinet = cabinet size ÷ pixel pitch. A 500 mm cabinet at 2.6 mm pitch holds 192 pixels each way.
Worked example in metres
A 6 × 3 m wall of 500 × 500 mm cabinets at 2.6 mm pitch: 6000 ÷ 500 = 12 panels across, 3000 ÷ 500 = 6 down, 72 panels in total. Each cabinet is 192 × 192 px, so the wall is 12 × 192 by 6 × 192 = 2304 × 1152 px, an aspect ratio of 2:1.
Worked example in feet
A floor plan says 19'-0" wide by 10'-8" high, built from 600 × 337.5 mm cabinets at 1.5 mm pitch (384 × 216 px each). The width is 5791 mm, or 9.65 cabinets; the height is 3251 mm, or 9.63 cabinets.
- Nearest size: 10 × 10 = 100 panels, 3840 × 2160 px (UHD, 16:9). Built size 6.00 × 3.38 m, about 8 inches wider and 5 inches taller than the plan.
- Not larger than the wall: 9 × 9 = 81 panels, 3456 × 1944 px, still 16:9.
Which one is right depends on the stage: ask whether the opening is a hard limit.
Common cabinets
| Cabinet | Pitch | Pixels per cabinet |
|---|---|---|
| 500 × 500 mm | 1.9 mm | 256 × 256 |
| 500 × 500 mm | 2.6 mm | 192 × 192 |
| 500 × 500 mm | 2.9 mm | 168 × 168 |
| 500 × 500 mm | 3.9 mm | 128 × 128 |
| 500 × 1000 mm | 3.9 mm | 128 × 256 |
| 500 × 500 mm | 4.8 mm | 104 × 104 |
| 600 × 337.5 mm (16:9) | 0.9 mm | 640 × 360 |
| 600 × 337.5 mm (16:9) | 1.2 mm | 480 × 270 |
| 600 × 337.5 mm (16:9) | 1.5 mm | 384 × 216 |
These are what the common models in each class use. The datasheet of the actual panel always wins.
Questions
What is pixel pitch?
The distance in millimetres from the centre of one LED pixel to the next. A smaller pitch packs more pixels into the same cabinet, so the same wall gets a higher resolution.
Which pitch for which viewing distance?
A common rule of thumb: the closest comfortable viewing distance in metres is about the pitch in millimetres. A 2.6 mm wall looks smooth from about 2.6 m away, and better from two or three times that.
Why isn't my LED wall 1920 × 1080?
Because the resolution is set by how many cabinets fit, not by a video standard. Most walls end up with an unusual size such as 2304 × 1152. Make content at the wall's own resolution, or place it on a larger media server output (for example 3840 × 2160) and map the wall from there.
Should I round the number of panels up or down?
Rental walls only come in whole cabinets. "Nearest size" gets closest to the drawing. "Not larger than the wall" fits an opening that cannot grow, such as a proscenium or a truss. "At least the wall" makes sure the image covers the full area, for example behind a set piece.
How do I check the mapping on site?
Play a pixelmap test card at the wall's exact resolution. Ratio's card draws every panel border and numbers each panel, so a missing, swapped or offset cabinet is easy to spot. Use the button above to open Ratio with your wall already set up.