--- title: "What Is Video Resolution? Definition and Examples" description: "Video resolution is the number of pixels in each frame, such as 1920 × 1080. See the common resolutions, their names and what each needs to stream." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/video-resolution" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/video-resolution.md" category: "Streaming technology" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is video resolution? Video resolution is the number of pixels that make up each frame of a video, written as width by height, such as 1920 × 1080. More pixels can show finer detail, and require more data to store and deliver. ## Common resolutions The number before the p is the height in pixels for a standard 16:9 frame; the p stands for progressive scan. Vertical video swaps the dimensions, so Full HD vertical is 1080 × 1920. - 480p (SD): 854 × 480 - 720p (HD): 1280 × 720 - 1080p (Full HD): 1920 × 1080 - 1440p (QHD, often called 2K): 2560 × 1440 - 2160p (4K, UHD): 3840 × 2160 - 4320p (8K): 7680 × 4320 ## Resolution is not the same as quality Sharpness on screen depends on bitrate, codec and the source as much as on pixel count. A 1080p stream starved of bitrate looks worse than a well-encoded 720p one. Screen size and viewing distance matter too: on a phone, the difference between 1080p and 4K is essentially invisible. ## What each resolution costs Pixel count rises fast: 1080p has 2.25 times the pixels of 720p, and 4K has four times those of 1080p. Bitrate, storage and delivery volume rise with it, though not quite in proportion. Viewers need roughly 3 Mbps of connection for 720p, 5 Mbps for 1080p and 25 Mbps for 4K. ## Choosing a maximum resolution - Match the source: upscaling adds cost, not detail - Match the screens: a mobile-first audience gains little above 1080p - Match the content: film and sport benefit from 4K on televisions; talk and tutorials rarely do - Use it as a tier difference: HD on the standard plan, 4K on the premium one ## Video resolution on RentAnOTT RentAnOTT delivers up to 1080p on the Launch tier and up to 4K on Growth and Scale, with adaptive playback choosing the resolution for each viewer's connection. [See pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing). ## Related terms - [4K streaming](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/4k-streaming) — 4K streaming is delivering video at a resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels, also called Ultra HD or UHD, which is four times the pixel count of Full HD. It is usually offered together with HDR and reserved for a premium tier. - [Bitrate](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/bitrate) — Bitrate is the amount of data used to represent one second of video or audio, measured in kilobits or megabits per second (kbps or Mbps). A higher bitrate carries more detail and produces larger files and higher delivery costs. - [Bitrate ladder](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/bitrate-ladder) — A bitrate ladder, or encoding ladder, is the list of versions a video is encoded into for adaptive streaming. Each rung pairs a resolution with a bitrate, and the player moves up and down the rungs as the viewer's connection changes. - [Adaptive bitrate streaming](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/adaptive-bitrate-streaming) — Adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR) is a delivery method in which a video is encoded at several quality levels and the player switches between them during playback, choosing the highest quality the viewer's connection can sustain without stalling. - [Vertical video](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/vertical-video) — Vertical video is video framed in portrait orientation, taller than it is wide, most often at a 9:16 aspect ratio. It fills the screen of a phone held upright, so the viewer does not need to rotate the device. - [Codec](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/codec) — A codec is the algorithm used to compress video or audio for storage and delivery and to decompress it for playback. The name combines coder and decoder. The choice of codec determines how small a file is at a given quality and which devices can play it. - [Subscription tier](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/subscription-tier) — A subscription tier is one of the plans a streaming service offers at a given price. Tiers differ in what the subscriber gets, such as video quality, simultaneous streams, downloads, the catalog included or whether ads are shown. ## Further reading - [2K video resolution explained](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/2k-video-resolution) - [Video bitrate calculator](https://www.rentanott.com/tools/video-bitrate-calculator) - [Streaming bandwidth cost calculator](https://www.rentanott.com/tools/streaming-bandwidth-cost-calculator) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between 1080p and 4K? 4K has four times as many pixels: 3840 × 2160 against 1920 × 1080. The difference is visible on large televisions viewed up close, and much less so on small screens. ### Is 2K the same as 1440p? In consumer use, usually yes. Strictly, 2K is a cinema format 2048 pixels wide, while 1440p is 2560 × 1440. ### Does higher resolution use more data? Yes. An hour of 1080p at 5 Mbps is about 2.25 GB; an hour of 4K at 16 Mbps is about 7.2 GB. All 163 terms: [Streaming and OTT glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary). ## Book a demo Tell RentAnOTT what you are launching. The team walks through the platform and maps the path to go-live around your catalog, markets and revenue model. Book a demo: https://www.rentanott.com/contact ## More from RentAnOTT - [Home](https://www.rentanott.com/index.md) — What RentAnOTT is, what every plan includes, and how launch works - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features.md) — Every core feature and optional add-on - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing.md) — Platform tiers, apps, add-ons, usage rates and example bills in INR and USD - [Free tools](https://www.rentanott.com/tools.md) — OTT app builder and calculators for streaming revenue, bandwidth, bitrate and pricing - [Insights](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs.md) — All streaming business articles - [Glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary.md) — Definitions of streaming and OTT terms - [Book a demo](https://www.rentanott.com/contact.md) — Talk to RentAnOTT about your launch Full site in one file: https://www.rentanott.com/llms-full.txt