Resolution Reference
A searchable reference of standard video resolutions with their pixel counts, aspect ratios and how they relate to one another.
By name or by either dimension, for example 1080 or 3840.
| Name | Pixels | Ratio | vs 1080p |
|---|---|---|---|
| SD 480pWidescreen standard definition. | 854 x 4800.41 MP | 427:240 | 0.20x |
| SD 576pThe widescreen PAL-era equivalent of 480p. | 1024 x 5760.59 MP | 16:9 | 0.28x |
| HD 720pThe first widely used high definition size. | 1280 x 7200.92 MP | 16:9 | 0.44x |
| Full HD 1080pStill the most common delivery size. | 1920 x 10802.07 MP | 16:9 | 1.00x |
| QHD 1440pOften called 2K on monitors, though that name is loose. | 2560 x 14403.69 MP | 16:9 | 1.78x |
| 4K UHD 2160pFour times the pixels of 1080p. | 3840 x 21608.29 MP | 16:9 | 4.00x |
| 8K UHD 4320pSixteen times the pixels of 1080p. | 7680 x 432033.18 MP | 16:9 | 16.00x |
| DCI 2KThe cinema 2K standard, slightly wider than 1080p. | 2048 x 10802.21 MP | 256:135 | 1.07x |
| DCI 4KThe cinema 4K standard, wider than 4K UHD. | 4096 x 21608.85 MP | 256:135 | 4.27x |
| Vertical 1080x1920Full HD turned on its side, for phone-first video. | 1080 x 19202.07 MP | 9:16 | 1.00x |
| Vertical 720x1280720p turned on its side. | 720 x 12800.92 MP | 9:16 | 0.44x |
| Square 1080x1080A 1:1 frame. | 1080 x 10801.17 MP | 1:1 | 0.56x |
| Portrait 1080x1350A 4:5 frame, taller than square. | 1080 x 13501.46 MP | 4:5 | 0.70x |
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What the numbers mean
A resolution is a count of pixels: how many across, how many down. The shorthand names refer to the vertical count, which is why 1080p means 1,080 rows. The p stands for progressive, meaning every row is drawn in order, as opposed to the interlaced broadcast formats that drew every other row in alternating passes.
The 4K names break that pattern by counting horizontally instead, which is where a lot of confusion comes from. 4K UHD is 3,840 across; DCI 4K, the cinema standard, is 4,096 across and slightly wider in shape.
Pixels grow faster than the name suggests
Going from 1080p to 4K does not double the work, it quadruples it: twice the width and twice the height. The last column above shows this directly. It is why a jump in resolution costs so much more in file size and encoding time than the names imply, and why an unchanged bitrate looks so much worse at the larger size.
Bigger is not always better
Resolution only helps up to the point where a viewer can resolve the difference, which depends on screen size and viewing distance. On a phone held at arm's length, the gap between 1080p and 4K is close to invisible for most people. The bits spent getting there would often do more good as a higher bitrate at the smaller size.
2K is a loose term
In cinema, 2K means 2048 x 1080. On monitors it is commonly used for 2560 x 1440, which the industry more precisely calls QHD or 1440p. Both usages are common enough that the word on its own is ambiguous, so it is worth stating the pixel dimensions whenever precision matters.