What is the Resolution?
What is the resolution, and why does it matter? Is this something you need to consider when buying a new TV? Or is it simply a technical specification of the TV that doesn't warrant any further thought? We set out to answer all of these questions, and to try and demystify a few technical terms.
What is it?
Simply put, the resolution is the number of pixels used to make up an image. Higher resolution displays allow you to see more fine details in your favorite games, movies, and TV shows.
While the resolution isn't the only aspect of picture quality, it is important, and most people will easily notice and appreciate the difference between a high-resolution TV and a low-resolution one.
The resolution of the media itself is also important to consider. Although modern upscaling technology has significantly improved, your TV will only look its best when displaying content that has the same resolution.
Why does it matter?
(learn more about this here)
Upgrading your TV's resolution isn't always necessary. Depending on the size of your TV and the distance you sit from it, upgrading to a 4k TV might not make a difference in detail.
An average person with 20/20 vision (6/6 in Europe) can only distinguish detail 1/60 of a degree apart. Because of this, sitting closer to a TV makes it easier to see imperfections in the resolution.
Size is also a factor. A 65" TV and a 32" can both share the same resolution, but because of their size difference, the pixels are larger on the larger TV, since the same image is stretched over a larger surface.
Using this data, it means that you need to sit closer than 7ft from a 55 inch TV to notice the individual pixels. This also means that if you sit anywhere further than 7ft, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between a 4k TV and a 1080p one (more info on UHD vs 1080p).
This is even more of an issue with new 8k TVs. You need to sit within 4ft of a 65" TV in order to tell the difference between it and a 4k TV. This is much closer than most people are comfortable sitting.
What is the most common native resolution for a television?
The majority of TVs on the market today have a native 4k resolution. Ranging from cheap, basic, budget TVs to the largest, most advanced 100" TVs, LED, OLED, or QLED. Find out the best 4k TVs here.
1080p displays, which used to be the most popular, are now very rare, and are usually found on smaller, more budget oriented models. To get anything above 43", you'll have to go for 4k.
There are still a few 720p TVs on the market too, but these are now quite difficult to find. Only very small TVs, usually 32 inches or smaller, can be found with this resolution. Usually, they're very cheap TVs, and often aren't very good.
There are also a few 8k TVs starting to hit the market now. These TVs are currently extremely expensive, and as there is currently very little 8k content available, it isn't worth investing in at the moment.
What content is available in which resolution?
| Name | Alt. Names | Width in pixels | Height in pixels | Common Media |
| 480p | Standard | 720 | 480 | DVD Standard Channels |
| 720p | HD HD Ready |
1280 | 720 | HD channels (some are 1080i) |
| 1080p | Full HD FHD |
1920 | 1080 | Blu-ray Game consoles |
| 4k | 2160p Ultra HD UHD |
3840 | 2160 |
Streaming |
| 8k |
8k UHD UHD-2 |
7680 | 4320 | None |
Higher resolution screens allow you to see more fine details in your favorite content, but they can only display what information they are given, so they are only as good as the content. Even though higher resolution screens have become much more popular in recent years, it's taken a few years for content to catch up. Streaming services, like Netflix, were the first to upgrade to 4k, but in recent years, Blu-ray players and game consoles have caught up as well.
Broadcast HD TV channels are still far behind, though. While there are a few full-time 4k channels available now, the cost of upgrading the infrastructure is prohibitive and slows down development. It isn't unlikely that a movement towards 4k HDR TV broadcasts is coming in the near future though.
While a lot more content is now found in 4k, most of the stuff from recent years is still only 1080p. We have compiled a list of some of the more common sources of 4k UHD content, which you can find here.
Conclusion
The TV's resolution is one of the most important aspects that defines its picture quality, but it is highly dependent on the quality of the content you are watching as well as the position you are watching it from. If you sit further away from your TV, the difference can become impossible to notice. The same thing applies to the content itself; using a brand new 4k TV to watch VHS tapes won't make much of a difference.
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