What is 720P, 1080P, and 4K?

Buying a new portable monitor for your laptop can be quite an adventure, and you need to select the right brand according to your budget. Sometimes you may have heard terms like HDR, QLED, OLED, Full HD, and 4K Ultra HD. So, what are these terms?

The latter two terms are resolutions, and the others are features and panel types. You can forget about the latter for now. Because in this article, we will talk about resolutions. So, by the end of this article, you will get a good idea about 720P, 1080P Full HD, and 4K Ultra HD resolutions.

Before understanding these three resolutions, there are a few topics that we need to clear up.

What Are Pixels?

Pixels are the building blocks of modern display devices, and we measure quality based on pixels. Have you ever wondered what P stands for in 720P and 1080P?

P stands for Pixels. So, what are pixels?

A pixel is the smallest perceivable element in an image; this image can be a screen or paper. Each pixel is a part of the original image, and it can contain a few thousand pixels or several billion pixels. With a higher number of pixels, you will get high-quality photos. Usually, a certain number of pixels are measured with PPI, which means pixels per inch.

What Is PPI?

As mentioned above, PPI means pixels per inch, which is the ultimate measure of a display. The higher the PPI value, the sharper images you will get. For example, let's consider a 6-inch HD+ panel smartphone with a 20:9 aspect ratio, it will have a PPI value of 292.

What Is Aspect Ratio?

Most people might be familiar with the term aspect ratio, and you may have heard of this term in relation to your smartphone or TV. 16:9 or 20:9. So, what does this mean?

The 16:9 aspect ratio means that a certain screen has 9 pixels along the vertical axis compared to 16 pixels along the horizontal axis.

Understanding Resolutions

Resolution is the number of pixels in a given image or screen. For example, let's talk about the 720P. It represents the height of the pixel in a 16:9 aspect ratio. So, the resolution will be 1280 × 720. In other words, a 720P 16:9 TV will have 921600 pixels.

With a higher resolution, you will get high-quality images. Because as the resolution increases, the number of pixels also increases. We hope you have understood the resolutions. Always remember, before talking about 720p, 1080p, and 4K Ultra HD resolutions, you need to understand the basic concept behind resolution, otherwise, you might get confused.

Difference Between 720P, 1080P, and 4K

Now you can talk about 720P, 1080P, and 4K resolutions. So, here we will talk about each resolution.

What is 720P?

720P is also known as 1280 × 720. This type of resolution had a 16:9 aspect ratio, and it is known as the original HD standard. A 720P display usually has 921600 pixels. Compared to 1080P or 4K, 720P is considered the primary HD in the modern world, and these are the primary display levels for most TVs and smartphones. Even though 720P is not as advanced as 1080P or 4K, many countries use this display mode to broadcast HDTV.

What is 1080P?

They are also known as FHD or Full HD, which has almost double the resolution compared to 720P. We can write it as 1920 × 1080. For the 16:9 aspect ratio, this resolution includes 2073600 pixels. Compared to 720P, this is an increase of more than double. So, a 1080P portable monitor is, without a doubt, twice as good as a 720P monitor. 1080P Full HD is the standard for mainstream broadcasts, and most people use this 1080P Full HD to broadcast television and games.

What is 4K?

Before talking about 4K, you need to know the letter K. You have probably heard of 2K, 4K, and 8K. So, what is this 4K?

If a resolution is labeled with a K, this term is different from 720P or 1080P. If your TV is labeled as 4K, it means it has 4000 pixels.

4K displays are also referred to as Ultra HD or UHD. It has a 16:9 display panel with a resolution of 3840 × 2160; most people call it 2160P. So it has 8294400 pixels. Compared to 720P, 4K has nine times as many pixels on a given display.

Since its introduction in 2021 by LG, the popularity of 4K resolution displays has been increasing every year. If you are a pro gamer, you should own a 4K portable monitor, and these Ultra HD displays can take your gaming experience to the next level.

Apart from gaming, 4K resolution is popular in streaming platforms, billboards, and movies. Without a doubt, the popularity of 4K displays will increase even more in the coming years.

Benefits of 4K Portable Monitors

Whether you are buying a TV or a monitor, getting a 4K display has many benefits. Here are some of the benefits of buying a 4K portable monitor.

4K Gaming

Buying a 4K monitor can be very useful for your gaming. Typically, 4K images are twice as sharp as 1080P images. On the other hand, more and more game developers are using 4K for their games. So, buying a 4K monitor is an excellent future investment.

4K Application

If you are using an application like Excel, a 4K display will come in handy. If you use Photoshop with a 4K monitor, you can edit and view higher-resolution images. And you can view these images in full detail.

4K Monitors for Businesses

Modern businesses are utilizing technology to improve their companies. If you have a 4K monitor, you don't have to assemble multiple monitors in your workplace for an employee, as a 4K portable monitor is more than capable of handling multiple tasks at once. Hence, eliminating the need for multiple monitors.

Conclusion

We sincerely hope that you can clear all your doubts regarding 720P, 1080P, and 4K Ultra HD resolutions. Although 4K is undoubtedly the future of TVs, smartphones, and monitors, we cannot rule out the 720p and 1080p displays. So, make your decision wisely before buying.