If you bought a TV since roughly 2020, there’s a good chance it boasts “4K resolution.” A 4K TV has been the standard for a while now, but what does it actually mean? Are all 4K TVs created equally? What came before 4K? What the heck is 8K, and do you need it? The TV resolution landscape isn’t as complicated as it sounds.
What do the TV resolution numbers mean?
There’s some nuance here that requires some context for a complete answer, but here’s a basic chart to lay the groundwork:
| Name | Total Pixels | Horizontal Pixels | Vertical Pixels | Notes |
| 480p | 345,600 | 720 | 480 | This is the resolution for the lowest-data streaming from services such as Netflix (typically for streaming on phones over cellular data). Only second-hand TVs will have this resolution as their maximum. |
| 720p | 869,760 | 1280 | 720 | This is also known as “HD.” Some extremely cheap new TVs will have this resolution, but it’s very rare. |
| 1080p | Over 2 million | 1920 | 1080 | This is also known as “Full HD.” This is the lowest-resolution television that is easily found at retail. |
| 4K | Over 8 million | 3840 | 2160 | This is also known as “Ultra HD.” This is the highest resolution in which most media (Blu Ray, streaming) is available. |
| 8K | Over 33 million | 7680 | 4320 | Very few native 8K media sources are available, but 8K TVs have technology that improves the image of 4K sources. |
In simplest terms, TV resolution is the amount of discreet visual information a television signal or set can share or display. The higher the resolution—the more discreet pieces of visual information that can be placed adjacent to each other–the more detailed an image can become. Generally speaking, more is better in terms of resolution, at least to a point. These days, due to the way the technology for television screens (as well as monitors, tablets, phones, or anything else with a screen) works, these individual pieces of visual information are called pixels. A pixel can only have one color at any one moment, though the number of…
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