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TV resolution can be a confusing jumble of letters and numbers. There’s very little consistency between terminology, and anyone who doesn’t regularly browse spec lists can get confused by it all. Sure, 8K is more resolution than 4K, but is it twice as sharp? Is 1080p more or less than 4K? What is UHD? while The best TVs It is 4K, and there are some (expensive) 8k tvs, Knowing the difference may save you some money.
First, some basics. This should cover a large percentage of what you see when shopping for a new TV:
- 4K resolution always means that the TV has 3840 x 2160 pixels (pixels are the “basic units” of a TV picture).
- UHD stands for Ultra High Definition, also known as UltraHD, which also stands for 4K.
- Are most TVs 4K these days? At 50 inches and up, yes.
- Does 8K mean the picture will be better than 4K? Not necessarily, and often not.
- Is 8K twice as high as 4K? No, it’s twice the vertical and horizontal resolution, which is four times the resolution: 7,680 x 4,320.
- Is 8K worth worrying about? no.
- Do I need special content? Yes, to make the most of your TV. A 4K TV will look better with 4K content. There is essentially no 8K content available.
Still have questions? Let’s dig a little deeper.
What is the TV resolution?
Resolution, as it relates to televisions, refers to the number of pixels that make up the picture on a television. A single pixel, or discrete image element, consists of a small dot on the screen.
There are many resolutions found on flat panel TVs. Older TVs and many 32-inch models sold today have a million or so pixels (720p). Newer and slightly larger TVs (usually 49 inches and smaller) have just over 2 million pixels (1080p). Even the newest and largest TVs (usually 50 inches and up, although there are many smaller sizes as well) have 8 million (for 4K Ultra HD resolution). The latest, largest, and most expensive TVs contain more than 33 million pixels (8 k). You’ll have to look closely, or use a magnifying glass, to distinguish each one.
CNET David Katsmeyer Counting every pixel on an 8K TV.
Resolution is one of the most common specifications used to sell TVs, partly because “4K” and “8K” sound high-tech and impressive. However, resolution is not the most important element of image quality. Just because a TV has a higher resolution than another device doesn’t always mean it does It seems better. This may happen, but not always, and for reasons unrelated to the solution. A TV with the best High dynamic range performance, better overall Contrast ratio or Better color They will look better than those with more pixels.
However, it’s still worth understanding the different resolutions used by TV makers and others. Here are more details.
Select a large screen resolution
| Resolution name | Horizontal x vertical pixels | Other names | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 thousand | 10,240 x 5,760 or 4,320 | no one | There are no consumer products |
| 8 k | 7,680×4,320 | 8K Ultra HD | TVs, and some projectors |
| “Cinema” 4K | 4,096x(not specified) | 4K | Some projectors |
| Ultra clear | 3,840×2,160 | 4K, Ultra HD, Ultra HD | TVs, monitors and projectors |
| 2K | 2,048x(not specified) | no one | Some cinema projectors |
| Woksja | 1,920×1,200 | Ultra-extended widescreen graphics array | Screens and projectors |
| 1080p | 1,920×1,080 | Full HD, Full HD, HD, High Definition | TVs, monitors and projectors |
| 720p | 1,280×720 | HD, high definition | TVs |
8K and 4K (Ultra HD)
When it comes to TVs, 4K and Ultra HD (or UHD) refer to the same resolution. Those televisions, along with Ultra HD Blu-ray And almost all UHD streaming content from Netflix, Amazon, and others has a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160.
One potential source of confusion is that 4K means something different whether you’re talking about a TV in your home or… Projector in the theater. Technically, “4K” means a horizontal resolution of 4096 pixels. This is the decision he made Digital cinema initiatives. Because movies differ in… Aspect ratiowhich indicates the exact rectangular shape of the image, no vertical resolution is specified.
Read more: 8K TV explained, and why you definitely don’t need to buy one
Ultra HD TVs aren’t technically “4K” according to the DCI spec, but common parlance has usurped that term, so “4K” TVs are 4K TVs even though their resolution is 3840 x 2160. When talking about resolution, most companies combine the two terms: Ultra HD 4K.
This shows the relative number of pixels in each of the major resolution formats. no actual measuring; This is a chart and not a visual representation (although it can be resized if you click on it).
From largest to smallest: 8K (Tangerine), 4K Cinema 1.78:1 (Black); Ultra HD (white); Cinema 2K 1.78:1 (green); Full HD 1080p (red); 720p (blue).
8K follows the same logic. If you’re talking about TVs, it’s twice the horizontal and vertical resolution of 4K TVs: 7,680 x 4,320. There are a bunch of 8K TVs On the market, but it will be many years before this decision becomes popular, and perhaps even then. There’s very little 8K content out there, and not much on the horizon. This means that 8K is a long Way of becoming a widespread format or feature.
To get the most out of your 4K TV, you need 4K content. Fortunately, there is 4K content everywhere. Almost all major streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon, Max, and Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), are available in 4K. There too Ultra HD Blu-ray players And gaming consoles, such as PS5 and Xbox Series. If you have a PC, most graphics cards from the past few years can display games at 4K, with varying degrees of success. With some streaming services, you may need to pay for the premium tier to get the 4K version. Also, not every show or movie on the service will be in 4K. Older content may be in HD resolution or lower.
The QN900F 8K TV will cost 98 inches
2K
Before “4K” became popular, you never saw “2K”. It was pretty much just cinema resolution, which is why you’ll sometimes see 2K used to refer to “Main formatSome digital cinema projectors used in theaters have a resolution of 2K. They are 2048 pixels wide, and again, no vertical resolution is specified by DCI.
1080p or Full HD
Remember how I talked about digital cinema resolution, specifying only the horizontal resolution? Well, TVs, on the other hand, have historically only used portrait mode to describe resolution (back in the glass tube days). So 1080p is the vertical resolution. Almost all HDTVs have an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (16:9, also known as widescreen), which means a horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels (1920 x 1080).
This is another source of confusion, as TV discussions for decades have talked about vertical resolution, and then suddenly we’re talking about “4K TVs,” which refers to horizontal resolution. Don’t blame me, it wasn’t my idea.
This is why 1080p is not “1K”. If anything, as stated above, it’s “2K” with the same logic that 4K UHD TVs use. However, most people don’t connect with 1080p 2K; They call it 1080p or Full HD.
By the way, 1080i is the same resolution as 1080pbut there is no modern 1080i TV. However, most HD TV broadcasts, including broadcasts from CBS and NBC, are still 1080i.
720p
Nearly half the pixel count of 1080p. Other than smaller models, it’s rare to find a new 720p TV. but, everyone ABC, Fox, ESPN and their affiliate/sister channels broadcast in 720p. This goes back to the initial high-resolution transmission at the turn of the century. (And if you’re wondering why your TV doesn’t show “720p” on those channels, Check this out.) This is also why this resolution is referred to as HD, while 1080p is Full HD, or FHD for short. Sometimes, specific programming from these outlets is available in higher definition, but perhaps not on their flagship cable, satellite or over-the-air channels.
Computer Screen Resolution: WUXGA, WXGA, WXXXGA, WXCBGBSA, WXLADYGAGA
In the computer world, they use a mixture of incomprehensible and user-inconvenient letters to describe accuracy. Well, not “shockingly” since these are computers.
Look, I’m a computer guy who’s been building my own PCs since the early 90’s, even I I can’t tell you what half of these letters mean. I can understand that it was initially implemented to make things easier, but we have so many workarounds and combinations that it is now annoying.
Basically, for simple office monitors, you’ll mainly see FHD (1,920×1,080) and WUXGA (1,920×1,200) resolutions, but you may also see FHD Plus resolution, which is typically 2,220×1,080 pixels. But as the price and size go up, you’ll find more differences in accuracy. It’s best not to get too hung up on marketing terms and just focus on the numbers and whether the accuracy is high enough to meet your needs. For more details, you can dive in and print the file yourself Cheat sheet of this.
Alienware QD-OLED 3440 x 1440 “WQHD” display.
Read more: Best 8K TVs of 2025: Why we don’t recommend any 8K TVs
Bottom line
In general, older and smaller TVs are FHD (1080p) while almost all new TVs are 4K Ultra HD (2160p), which is four times the number of pixels as 1080p. One day you might have 8K or even 10K TVbut this is too far away.
Here I remind you that more pixels does not necessarily mean a better picture. There are other aspects of image quality, such as contrast and color far More important than the decision.
In the future, the decision may become irrelevant. Technologies such as Small valve Separate size and resolution, so a 50-inch bedroom TV in the future may have a radically different resolution than a 100-inch living room TV, unlike the current situation, where both will be 4K with different sized pixels. But thanks to advances in video processing, that won’t matter. They will all look sharp and detailed.
Note: This story was first published in 2016, but is updated regularly with new links and other information.
As well as covering audio and display technology, Jeff makes the photo tours From museums and amazing sites around the world, including Nuclear submarines, Aircraft carriers, Medieval castles,epic A 10,000 mile road trip And more.
Also, check out Budget travel for dummieshis book, and his Best-selling science fiction novel About submarines the size of a city. You can follow it Instagram and YouTube.
