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SD vs HD vs UHD

The Resolution Questions

I had questions from my one reader about the following "How worried about UHD should a person be in general? Or is 8k so close it will get skipped? Thoughts?" I will answer each question one at time as best I can. 

UHD?

Obviously, the higher the resolution you can get for the same price is always better. There are a few movies that go on sale for $5 in UHD which is always the best value for you money. Even if you do not have a 4K or 8K TV, the streaming services will show you the best resolution your device and your internet connection will allow. So when you buy UHD, you also own the HD and SD version of the movie. Some people don't realize that. Another thing to point out is that there are a large number of movies that are not in 4K/UHD yet. Indiana Jones was just released in 4K in 2021 is an example of this.

A majority of my collection has been built up through Disc to Digital conversion. In this instance, the process will only do SD or HD. UHD is not an option. See my page Disc to Digital for more information. I know there are more questions about format so I have attempted to provide visual answers below. Keeping in mind, it is hard to hit the exact same frame 3x in a row. The following images show part of a scene (comment if you know the movie) in all three resolutions. The pictures were taken with an iPhone 11 with the movie on a 4K Samsung 49" smart TV. To see the real difference between SD, HD, and UHD, I recommend you look at the strap over the character's left shoulder (on the right of the image) to see the detail differences.

UHD

HD

SD

8K?

At this time, there is no 8K disc or digital format. Based on Google, UHD requires 25 Mbps to stream. HD requires 5 Mbps. SD requires 3 Mbps. While we currently have home internet speeds at 100 Mbps, I would estimate 8K streaming could require between 50-125 Mbps for one stream. Regardless of this, TVs and streaming devices do have a way of simulating up conversion of lower resolution movies. The trick is to have the same quality TV and streaming device. So if you do get an 8K TV, make sure it is a smart TV as I do not know of any 8K streaming devices at this time.

What do I mean? Smart TVs already have a resolution that matches the TV. So if you have a 4K smart TV, you already have a built in 4K streaming device. If you do not have a smart TV or the smart TV does not offer the streaming service you want, then make sure you get a streaming device of the same resolution. For example, a 4K TV should be connected to a 4K streaming device. My personal recommendation is for Roku as they offer the most options including Airplay for iOS now.

But do you need 8K or 4K quality? 8K is currently out of my price range but who knows what the future will bring. My research shows that you can get 4K on a TV as small as 32". This is great for a computer screen but will you really see the difference when watching a movie? I don't think so. The question is more of how big of a screen do you want. I you are going for a 75" Samsung smart TV, then definitely go for 4K or 8K if possible. I can even enjoy 4K on my 49" TV.

My personal theater (see Personal Theater On A Budget article) has recently had a screen upgrade but my projector and Roku are still limited to HD. HD and SD resolution are noticeable on a 8' screen. FYI, I am not getting compensation for mentioning Samsung, Roku, or iPhone in this blog. These are merely the brands I like.

Final Thoughts

When looking at digital, I recommend it be what you can afford. When possible, get the best resolution for you money. Technology is constantly evolving so higher resolutions will come eventually. I hope my visual aids help those wondering which resolution to go with. I am glad some retailers are simplifying purchasing by showing all resolutions are included when they purchase a digital movie. Let me know your comments and if you can identify the movie images.


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