4K vs. HD: Every TV Resolution Explained, From 720p to 8K and Beyond

https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/38dfa5aeabb203ca4219caa8a8ef0257993e9544/hub/2025/03/26/ea79dc7b-dec8-4e53-ae0e-2948eff2e365/qn900f-lifestyle-image-1.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=675&wi...

TV resolutions can be a confusing jumble of letters and numbers. There's very little consistency between the terms, and anyone who doesn't regularly surf spec lists could understandably be baffled by it all. Sure, 8K is more than 4K, but is it twice as sharp? Is 1080p more or less than 4K? What's UHD? While the best TVs are 4K, there are some (expensive) 8K TVs, and knowing the difference could save you some money.

First, some basics. This should cover a big percentage of what you see when you're shopping for a new TV:

  • 4K almost always means the TV has 3,840x2,160 pixels (pixels are the "building blocks" of a TV image).
  • UHD stands for Ultra High Definition, also known as UltraHD, which also means 4K.
  • Are most TVs 4K these days? At 50 inches and above, yes.
  • Does 8K mean the picture will be better than 4K? Not...

Copyright of this story solely belongs to cnet.com. To see the full text click HERE

Read more