The Difference Between Full HD, 4K, and 8K Explained. Is The Human Eye Really Capable of Differentiating the Difference?

If you are thinking of buying a new TV, one of the first things to look at is its resolution.

The resolution on TV is measured in pixels and a higher resolution will result in a sharper, better-looking picture.

So, should you go for a Full HD or a 4K TV? And what about 8K resolution, is more always better?

Actually, there is no right answer to this question. It all depends on what you plan to use the TV for.

And here, I want to take a look at the key differences between Full HD, 4K, and 8K resolution, and explain them as simply as possible.

What is 1080p (Full HD)

So, let’s start with 1080p or Full HD because many of us still have TVs with this resolution at home. A traditional Full HD television is 1080p, which means it has 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 vertically.

Pixel is defined as a picture element and the number of pixels that are displayed on a screen determines the resolution of the displayed images.

On a 1080p television, you get over 2 million pixels.

What is 4K UHD

If you take a look at a 4K TV, then it has 3840 horizontal by 2160 vertical pixels, which gives us more than 8 million pixels.

That is 4 times as many pixels as with 1080p resolution.

This doesn’t mean that a 4K display needs to be bigger; it simply means that the pixels are smaller and with 4K content, you should get a more detailed picture.

However, when we are talking about 4K resolution, we should also mention the HDR which stands for high dynamic range and it means you get more details in the shadows and more levels of brightness. This also affects color, because with HDR you are getting brighter colors with more segmentation in the color scale.

What is 8K

Now that you know the basics about 4K, let’s take a closer look at 8K resolution. On an 8K TV, you get 7680 horizontal pixels and 4320 vertical pixels. What’s more, this resolution gives you more than 33 million pixels, which is 16 times as many as 1080p.

Now that we know the basic terms, let’s see if the human eye can recognize the differences.

Can Human Eye See The Difference Between 4K and 8K

Full HD vs 4K vs 8K

Yes, you can technically see the difference, but there will be a negligible difference at best.

Honestly, in the conditions in which most of us watch TV at home, the difference between 8K and 4K is nearly impossible to spot on most TVs.

This is because the human eye can’t see the amount of detail that’s in an 8K TV from a distance most people would sit away from it.

If you want to enjoy a 4K, or 8K content, you need to sit closer, get a bitter TV, or even both.

You should also understand, that without an 8K content, your 8K television is just an overpriced 4K TV. This is because of a feature called upscaling, which is designed to improve the look of 4K and 1080p images and videos on an 8K screen.

In other words, upscaling means taking lower resolution content and optimizing it for display with higher pixel density. It is typically used to increase the resolution of low-resolution media like videos, pictures, and video games that were originally designed for displays with lower pixel density.

So, is it better to get a 1080p or 4K TV?

Conclusion

Overall, the decision to upgrade to a 4K is up to you, your preferences, and your needs.

4K TVs offer a better viewing experience. The 4K resolution is four times greater than that of a standard HD TV, so you can see more detail and color. If you watch Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming services on your current TV, upgrading to a 4K TV will give you the best viewing experience possible, but it will also require a faster internet connection.

And you should also understand when you’re shopping for a TV, it’s likely you’re going to get a 4k model. This is because just about every TV above 50 inches today is 4K, so you should already accept this fact.

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