Marine Dictionary & Glossary of Boating Terms

nit

Similar Terms: nits

1 nit = 1cd/m ²

A nit is the non-SI unit of candela per square metre (cd/m ² ); which is the derived SI unit of luminance. The candela per square metre unit is based on the candela; the SI unit for luminous intensity, and the square metre; the SI unit for area.

As a measure of light emitted per unit area, the nit or cd/m ² are frequently used to specify the brightness of a display or monitor. For example, most liquid crystal displays (LCD) have luminances of 200 to 300 cd/m ² (nits) while HDTVs range from 450 to about 1000 cd/m ² (nits).

More is better! The higher the number the greater the brightness and the greate the ability for the screen content to be seen in direct sun light.