Types of Screen Resolutions (4K, 2K, Full HD, HD, SD) Explained

Last Updated on October 24, 2021 by Tech Queries Team

While watching online videos on YouTube or other platforms, you might have noticed there is an option to change the quality of the video to 360p, 720p, 1080p, etc. These are screen resolutions. The term Resolution defines the detail in a picture or video. Let’s learn What is Screen Resolution and discuss in detail different types of resolutions like 4K, 2K, 1080p, 720p, and more.

What is Screen Resolution?

A Screen Resolution indicates the quality of video by the number of pixels. We have already written an in-depth article on the topic What is Megapixel. If you read that, you will understand what a pixel is.

In short, the more pixels means the better quality. Pixels work differently on different devices. While capturing a photo, Pixels in your camera record information. On the other hand, the Pixels on your mobile screen display information. Moreover, the Pixels in a video or picture indicate its quality.

Example: Suppose the screen resolution of a video you are watching is 1280 x 720. It is called HD Video or 720p. Here 1280 x 720 indicates the number of pixels. 1080 are the pixels arranged Horizontally, and 720 is the number of pixels arranged vertically. Hence, the total pixels in the video are 1280×720 = 921600.

Types of Screen Resolutions:

There are different types of screen resolutions like SD, HD, Full HD, Ultra HD, 4K, and more. So, what does this mean? Let’s see.

SD (Standard Definition):

The Plasma TVs we used to watch had 640×480 pixels of resolution. Anything equal to or less than 640 x 480 is considered as SD Video. Other popular SD resolutions are 480 x 360 (360p), 320 x 240 (240p), and 256 x 144 (144p). You might also find videos with unique resolutions like 176 x 144 (which is also considered 144p), 352 x 240 (240p), 640 x 360 (360p), etc. 

HD (High Definition):

A Video with 1280 x 720 pixels is considered an HD video, and many people acknowledge it as 720p quality. It is the most preferred type of screen resolution for recording and watching videos.

Full HD (Full High Definition):

Full HD video has 1920 x 1080 pixels. That’s roughly 2 million pixels (2MP). 

2K (Also called QHD or QUAD HD or Ultra HD):

If the resolution of a video is 2560 x 1440, it is called 2K.

4K:

4K Videos have 4096 x 2160 pixels, which is roughly more than 8 million pixels. It is four times more than 2K. Note that a video resolution of 3820 pixels x 2160 pixels is also considered 4K. Because the number of horizontal pixels is nearly or more than 4000. You require at least a 12 MP camera to capture 4K videos. 

4K recording is not popular yet, as the size of the video would be enormous. Therefore, even on YouTube, you will find mostly Full HD Videos (1080p). However, a few 2K and 4K videos are also available on YouTube.

Compare Resolutions:

Here is a video that shows the comparison from 144p to 4K.

Other Important Factors:

You won’t see much difference between Full HD, 2K, and 4K videos if you are watching them on a Mobile Phone (Smaller Screen). Because there are also other important factors that should be considered.

PPI:

PPI is the abbreviation of Pixels per inch. So far we have discussed Video Recording and Playback Resolutions. However, your device screen is also filled with pixels. Therefore, you must also have better screen resolution to watch better quality videos or pictures. As the full form states, PPI is the number of pixels your device has per inch. 

Now, check any mobile specifications, and go to the display section. There you will find a value like (402 PPI density, 350 PPI, etc.). We would recommend you pick a phone with a PPI density of 320 or more. 

Check out the OnePlus 8T has 402 PPI

Screen Size:

When you watch a low-resolution video (360p) on a smaller screen like mobile phones, it looks fine. But, when you watch the same video on a 55″ OLED Television, it looks pixel-out. So, you can watch higher resolution (high quality) videos on a smaller screen, but cannot do vice versa.

As you see in the above picture, you cannot differentiate between 4K and 720p. However, you will find the difference if you zoom the image or watch it on a bigger screen.

Screen Display Technology:

Display Technology also plays a major role in picture quality. Watching 4K videos on QLED & OLED Screens will give the best quality compares to LCD. 

Read more on Display Technologies (QLED Vs OLED Vs LCD Vs LED Vs IPS).

Conclusion:

When you look at a device, what is the first thing you see? The Screen. A Screen is one of the important elements of a device like a TV, Monitor, or Smartphone. These days, the Screen covers more than 80% of the display. Therefore, it is essential to study and understand the types of Screen Resolutions. 

I hope you understood What is Screen Resolution and the Types of Screen Resolutions. At what resolution do you watch YouTube videos? Is it SD, HD, Full HD, 2K, or 4K? Comment below.