Glossary · Display

Nits (brightness)

Nits is the unit for the brightness of a display. The higher the value, the easier the screen is to read in the sun.

What does Nits (brightness) mean?

One nit equals one candela per square meter. Indoors, a few hundred nits are enough. Outside in direct sunlight, you need much more so the image doesn't wash out.

Manufacturers usually advertise the peak brightness. A display often reaches that only for a short time and only on a small part of the screen, for example on bright spots in an HDR video. In everyday use the value is lower. What matters more is how well a display can actually be read outdoors.

A general explanation of the term, not from a video. How it plays out on a specific device in everyday use is covered in the reviews below.