Screen Resolution: FHD vs UHD

When shopping for a TV, display, or home theater, you might have come across the terms FHD and UHD, often alongside numbers like 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Don't let your eyes glaze over because these definitions are important, affecting both the price and quality of a display. We reviewed both to help you make the best choice for your entertainment needs.

Overall Findings

By all measures, UHD delivers a higher-quality, higher-resolution image than FHD (1080p). The trade-off is that UHD costs more. If you're more concerned about your budget than resolution, FHD offers a perfectly fine viewing experience. UHD (4K) slightly elevates that experience, especially on larger screens.

A 1080p TV is an FHD TV. FHD stands for Full HD or Full High Definition and refers to 1080p video resolution, which is 1,920-pixel columns by 1,080-pixel rows. That equates to 2,073,600 total pixels or about 2 megapixels. The "p" in 1080p refers to progressive scanning, which means each row of pixels is scanned in sequential order. This differs from interlaced, as in 1080i, which scans pixel rows in an alternate order, which can cause motion blurring.

UHD stands for Ultra HD or Ultra High Definition. It is sometimes referred to as 4K, although UHD resolution is not necessarily 4K resolution. Two common types of UHD are 4K UHD and 8K UHD. Both are progressive-scan displays, but 4K UHD is more common and more affordable. 4K UHD resolution is 3,840 x 2160, which equates to 8,294,400 pixels, or about 8 megapixels. The resolution for 8K UHD is 7680 × 4320 pixels or about 33 megapixels.

UHD has four times the pixels (or twice the columns and rows) as FHD. That means four FHD images can fit into the space of one UHD image, doubling the overall resolution. 

UHD TVs primarily use LCD (including LED/LCD and QLED) or OLED technologies. Although UHD is based on resolution, TV makers have added some capabilities, such as HDR and wide color gamut, to deliver a bigger visual punch than improved resolution would on its own.

Content Availability: FHD vs. UHD

To view content in FHD, you need all the platforms and connections in the supply chain to support FHD. The same goes for UHD. That means the TV, the content, the HDMI cable, the connection speed, and the streaming device or media player all need to be UHD-compatible.

FHD vs. UHD: What Kind of Cables and Connections Can Be Used?

Whether wired or wireless, video signals require proper connections to deliver content in their natural format. Most displays have a host of other connectivity options.

Wired Connections

HDMI: HDMI is the standard wired connection for FHD and UHD source devices. There are four types of HDMI cables, but for FHD and UHD, you need one that's labeled as high-speed. High-speed HDMI cables carry both FHD and UHD content and work with Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray players, most media streamers, cable and satellite boxes, video game consoles, PCs, and laptops.

Composite Video: Analog source devices—such as a VCRs, DVD recorders, analog camcorders, and DVD players without HDMI outputs—can be connected to most FHD and UHD TVs using a composite video connection, but the signals reduce to standard definition (480i). Composite video connections cannot pass HD analog or digital video signals.

Component Video: This connection uses three RCA connectors with red, green, and blue ends. Component video connections were developed to transfer resolutions up to 1080p. Since 2011, however, they have been restricted to standard definition (SD).

USB: Many FHD and UHD TVs provide at least one USB port. Some TVs may include this only for service use. However, most allow playback of still images, video, and audio files via plug-in flash drives. 

Ethernet: Available on some FHD or UHD smart TVs, Ethernet (aka LAN) allows you to connect the TV to a network via a router. Once connected to the internet, the TV can install firmware updates, play digital media, and stream movies and TV shows.

Wireless Connections

Wi-Fi: Most Smart FHD and UHD TVs offer Wi-Fi connectivity. For streaming UHD content, the faster the service, the better. Connection speeds are more inconsistent with Wi-Fi than with Ethernet. So, unless there is a very speedy connection, UHD content may stream at lower resolutions. Especially slow connections can reduce FHD content as well.

Screen Mirroring/Casting: Screen mirroring devices like Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick cast screen content from a smartphone, tablet, or PC. Just like with other platforms, you will need the casting device and the streaming content to support your desired resolution. Because casting devices work over Wi-Fi, sufficient speeds are required to render high-resolution content.

FHD vs. UHD: The Bottom Line

UHD is the cream of the crop when it comes to image quality, and more and more content and technology will be standardized to UHD in the coming years. However, FHD is still a high-quality viewing experience, one that many people find exceptional. If you're deciding between the two, keep the following in mind:

• It's rare to find an FHD TV in a screen size larger than 49-inches or a UHD TV with a screen size smaller than 40-inches. Measure your TV to make sure the size you choose fits your viewing environment.
• Make sure you have access to content that is equipped for FHD or UHD viewing. That includes HDMI connections, cable or satellite packages, streaming services, Blu-ray standards, and internet speeds.
• Make sure that the FHD or UHD TV provides the connections you need for other devices you intend to connect, such as antennas, disc players, streaming devices, and video game consoles.
• FHD and UHD TVs come in a range of prices from a couple of hundred dollars to several thousand. The price scales with screen size but also display tech, resolution, and smart features.