HD, Full HD, 2K, 4K and 8K are different screen resolutions, whether for televisions, monitors, among others.
They differ by the number of pixels that are displayed on the screen, that is, how many dots will form the image. The more pixels, the better the display quality.
- HD: 1280 x 720 pixels;
- Full HD: 1920 x 1080 pixels;
- 2K: 2048 x 1080 pixels;
- 4K or UltraHD: 3840 x 2160 pixels;
- 8K: 7680 x 4320 pixels;
- 10K: 10240 x 4320 pixels.
Size x Resolution
When we talk about screens, we need to take into account two measures: size and resolution.
While size refers to the physical dimensions of the screen, resolution is the amount of information displayed within those size limits.
Screen sizes are measured in inches, with each screen equaling 2.54 centimeters. That is, a smartphone with a 5-inch screen is 12.7 centimeters (5 x 2.54). As the screens are generally rectangular, the measurement is made considering the size of the diagonal.
Resolution tells us how many pixels fit on the screen. Pixels are the dots that make up the image, and are arranged in rows and columns. Thus, the resolution will define how many pixels there are in each row (width) and each column (height).
So, saying that a screen has a resolution of 1280 x 720 means that it displays 1280 pixels per row and 720 per column.
HD (High Definition)
HD resolution screens, or High Definition, are those with a proportion of 1280 x 720 pixels, that is, almost 1 million pixels. They are mainly used in screens of format widescreen (16:9).
Full HD
They have a better image quality than HD, with an aspect ratio of 1920 x 1080, which is equivalent to more than 2 million pixels. They are also suitable for 16:9 format screens.
2K
The 2K resolution, with proportions of 2048 x 1080 pixels, is an intermediate version between Full HD and Ultra HD and ends up not being much found on the market.
2K is primarily adopted by the DCI film industry (Digital Cinema Initiatives). It is generally used for screens with an aspect ratio of 19:10.
4K or Ultra HD
Although the 3840 x 2160 ratio is the main one of this model, the 4K resolution has some variations. One of them is adopted by Digital Cinema Initiatives, of proportion 4096 x 2160 .
Another variation found is the Ultra Wide HDTV, of 5120 x 2160 pixels.
8K
With four times as many pixels as 4K, these screens have a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels. It is also known as Full Ultra HD (FUHD) or 8K UHD. This resolution can be found in different aspect ratios, such as:
- 16:9
- 17:9
- 21:9
There is also a variation called 8K Fulldome, with a resolution of 8192 x 8192 pixels. This model is usually used in projection equipment.
10K
Currently, 10K is one of the highest resolutions found on the market. It has 10328 × 7760 pixels and is usually found on UltraWide aspect ratio screens, i.e. 21:9.
See also the difference between:
- HDTS, DVDRip, BDRip, HDTV and other video formats
- Gel film and glass film
