High Definition HD Video Solutions

HD Video Options

What's the deal with High Definition Formats?

There are a variety of factors to consider when choosing the right video solution for your system. With new video formats becoming commercially available each year, there are many advantages to adopting higher resolutions but potentially some drawbacks, especially if the format has only launched recently.

The average user sits roughly nine feet away from a television. With that said, the chart below will assist in giving a better idea of which resolution will provide the most benefit in your environment. If you were to sit 9 feet away, the full benefit of available detail for 480p kicks in with a 32 inch display, for 720p you'll need a mid to high 40" display. Sticking to 9 feet, a 70" display is needed for 1080p while 4K video demands a much, much larger screen for maximum benefit from the increased resolution.

While that might be a little confusing to understand at first glance, or maybe you're thinking, "I thought a better resolution would give me better picture?" Well, it would, but will you even notice?

A user with 20/20 vision can resolve 60 pixels per degree and when viewing a 55" 4K Display at 9 feet, you will have a hard time determining a difference compared to an equal 1080p display at the same distance. For a 55" 4K display to give you all its got, you really need to be sitting at 3.5 feet or closer to see the extra definition 4K has to offer.

Below you will find more information about top HD video solutions:

4K Ultra HD Video

4K displays and 4K content are maintaining growth, and soon, most new, consumer level displays will have moved to the "better" resolutions. True 4K is 2160p, or 4096 x 2160 pixels. This shouldn't be taken as 4K is far superior and replacement of lesser displays is recommended immediately. This simply means, like we experienced with 480p to 720p and 720p to 1080p, the market will offer these displays more and more as time moves forward and will become the display standard. While 4K does offer a much higher resolution, you have to have the proper size screen for the environment. 4K resolutions are visually more apparent when viewing at close distances, such as a tablet sized display within your hands or a desktop monitor a few feet or less in front of you. If you are thinking big screen, a 145" display at 9 feet will get you the 4K benefit you're looking for. However, with a display any smaller at that distance, the added resolution is almost unnoticeable. Save money now and look at other options if the 4K home theater fits your desires. Soon enough you wont have to choose as manufactures will make 4K the standard and prices on such displays will normalize for the median consumer. Learn More.

1080p HD Video

1080p Resolutions remain the "fits all" standard. While you are receiving half the Pixels Per Inch (PPI) of costly 4K resolutions, most applications would not produce an arguable benefit, thus 1080p stays the cost-friendly, application agnostic approach. One reason 1080p still holds the top spot is that most over-the-air broadcasts and other content providers only push 720p at 60 Frames Per Second (FPS) or 1080i(Interlaced) at 60 FPS due to the demand of bandwidth the higher resolutions crave. Blu-ray, Internet and Gaming content is now broadly available in 1080p and more and more users are utilizing the proper technologies to achieve a true 1080p experience. When looking at which resolution is right for your needs, 1080p would be an ideal fit, as anything higher may not provide a reasonable benefit, or worse, no realistic benefit at all. Learn More.

720p HD Video

720p, considered more or less a legacy resolution compared to the higher, denser 1080p and 4K resolutions, still has a place in today's market. Often, a 720p display is selected over all others because within its intended application, there is not a need for high end picture quality and sharpness to achevie the desired result or accomplish the tasks at hand. When using a display for simple monitoring or text applications, you can save on cost by utilizing a 720p display as well as equivelent resolution equipment. It may be nice to have the best available picture on the market, but when determining the ideal costs and expected business needs, one should approach all options as possibilities, including 720p. Learn More.