4K Resolution VS 1080p: Everything You Should Know

When you watch a video, you will definitely confirm its resolution in advance. Even if you are not a relevant professional, you will know that the higher the ranking in the list, the clearer the screen. Among them, 1080p and 4K must be familiar to you, so which one do you usually choose? Is it purely about clarity, or are there other considerations? Is 4K better than 1080p, necessarily? Below, we will discuss the differences between these two types.

Part 1. What is 1080p

Full HD (full high definition), referred to as 1080p. It is a display resolution with a common size of 1920 by 1080 pixels. The more pixels a picture contains, the sharper it appears to be. And resolution describes how many pixels a display has in width x height format. Today's TVs, gaming laptops, and PC monitors are frequently 1080p-resolution devices. And this is the lowest resolution deemed suitable for games or a modern computing experience. 1440p resolutions need a strong graphics card and offer more realistic gaming experiences. That's why most mainstream gamers still prefer to play at 1080p resolution.

Part 2. What is 4K

A display with 8 million active pixels is considered 4K. To be clearer, QHD and 4K are not the same resolution, as the former only has half active pixels compared to the latter.

Part 3. 1080p vs. 4K: What are the Differences

As can be seen from the above, there is not only a difference in clarity between the two but also many distinctions among other small aspects. So, 4K resolution vs. 1080p, what are their noticeable differences? The chart below will give you a simple overview.

Resolution	1080p	4K
Horizontal Pixels	1920	3840
Vertical Pixels	1080	2160
Total Pixels	2,073,600	8,294,400
Marketing Names	FHD, Full HD	UHD, Ultra HD
Worth Watching	20” Displays from 3.8’ Away or More	20” Displays from 3.8’ Away or Less
HDMI	1.4 or above	2.0 or above

Part 4. Is 4K Better Than 1080p

The answer is definitely yes if you wonder whether 4K is superior to 1080. Today, 4K content is commonplace. TV manufacturers reserve their most cutting-edge technologies, like HDR and Dolby Atmos sound, for 4K TVs. Anyone purchasing a 1080p TV now is likely cost-conscious. Thus, enhancing them with features will only reduce their sales or profit margins. Many factors make 4K image quality higher than that of 1080p. The ability to distinguish extra-fine detail and perceive it while sitting closer to the screen is one of these aspects. See more details below.

Detail and Resolution

The finest details can be reproduced in 4K UHD, which has four times as many pixels as 1080p. This is regarded as the 4K video standard's major benefit.

For Closer Viewing

You may get a crisper picture while sitting closer to the big screen. It is thanks to 4K's higher resolution improvement over 1080p. The suggested viewing distance for a 4K TV can be half of a standard TV. It is because 4K feels best when watched up close; you might not always get the full effect from a distance.

Zoom Out

It is necessary to downscale recordings. As we all know, the higher the resolution and frame rate of a video, the more image information it contains and the larger the file size, so the need to compress 4K video is larger; you can downscale 4K content to 2K high resolution, for example. Tests revealed that the image was more detailed when compared to a 2K scaled-down version of a 4K movie. 4K is ideal for consumers who need and expect the highest level of cinematic picture quality.

Part 5. How to Upscale 1080p to 4K or Downscale 4K to 1080p

If you want to upscale your 1080p resolution to 4K, editing with a third-party program would be best. Through many tests and trials, here recommend Tipard Video Converter Ultimate as the best video editing tool for its easy-to-use and multifunctional. You can download it on any operating system, including Windows and Mac. With a straightforward interface and hardware acceleration, converting and upscaling videos is simple and fast.

To upscale 1080p to 4K and vice versa, follow the basic steps below.

Step 1Before the process, you first need to download the program you need. So, click the Download button below to easily access Tipard Video Converter Ultimate. Then, run the program when you are done in the process of installation. After that, the interface will appear.

Step 2After entering the program, you will see the Converter option on the upper part of the interface. Go to this section and click the Add Files button to insert your video file with a 1080p resolution. You can also directly drag it to the center area.

Step 3After the video is uploaded, go to the Output Format option, and the format list will appear. Select your desired output format and choose 4K Video from the quality options as your preferred resolution.

Step 4Suppose you want to improve the video. Then, you can click the Star button under the source video to edit it. This way, you can rotate, crop and even add filters to the video, like color adjustment. Inserting watermarks and subtitles is also possible. After that, click OK to save the changes.

Step 5To finally upscale your 1080p to 4K, click the Convert All button in the lower-right corner of the interface. After the conversion process, you can play your video with a 4K resolution.

Note: Follow the same procedure above to downscale 4K to 1080p.

Part 6. FAQs about 1080p vs. 4K

Conclusion

This review taught you everything you need about 1080p resolution vs. 4K. This way, you won’t get confused about their differences. In addition, you discovered the best procedure to upscale 1080p to 4K or downscale 4K to 1080p using Tipard Video Converter Ultimate. So, using the program is the best choice if you want to upscale more files easily and instantly.