Why do flat TV makers use odd native resolutions such as 1366x768?

Question

It's annoying... There's no way to do 1:1 pixel-mapping to these LCD TVs!

Any HD signal, be it 720p, 1080i or 1080p, will have to be scaled by an odd factor before being displayed, so there's no way to get a tack-sharp image out of your PC or PS3!

On the other hand, projector makers do make units with exactly 1280x720 pixels, which means you can watch a 720p signal without scaling (when overscan is turned off), or a 1080p signal by scaling it by a factor of 2/3. Both cases are far better than scaling by odd factors.

So, my question is: Why do TV makers use such odd native resolutions in their flat panels?

Answer 1

It has one extra pixel horizontally.

1080/9 x 16 = 1920

768/9 x 16 = 1365.3

So, 1366x768 is within one pixel of the same ratio as 1920x1080.

Answer 2

those aren't odd, they're even