<P> Many display and image - acquisition systems are, for various reasons, not capable of displaying or sensing the different color channels at the same site . Therefore, the pixel grid is divided into single - color regions that contribute to the displayed or sensed color when viewed at a distance . In some displays, such as LCD, LED, and plasma displays, these single - color regions are separately addressable elements, which have come to be known as subpixels . For example, LCDs typically divide each pixel vertically into three subpixels . When the square pixel is divided into three subpixels, each subpixel is necessarily rectangular . In display industry terminology, subpixels are often referred to as pixels, as they are the basic addressable elements in a viewpoint of hardware, and hence pixel circuits rather than subpixel circuits is used . </P> <P> Most digital camera image sensors use single - color sensor regions, for example using the Bayer filter pattern, and in the camera industry these are known as pixels just like in the display industry, not subpixels . </P> <P> For systems with subpixels, two different approaches can be taken: </P> <Ul> <Li> The subpixels can be ignored, with full - color pixels being treated as the smallest addressable imaging element; or </Li> <Li> The subpixels can be included in rendering calculations, which requires more analysis and processing time, but can produce apparently superior images in some cases . </Li> </Ul>

A pixel is the smallest unit of text data