In Photography and video content industry, having higher resolution is the most important factor. If the resolution is high, the image or the content will be clearer, will look cleaner, and have an overall better audience appeal. Lower resolution images look smudgy and the whole image loses its appeal. Hence, having the best equipment for a project is of utmost importance.
1080p vs 720p
The main difference between 1080p and 720p is that the pixel count on the devices using 1080p and 720 p is different. The numbers 1080 and 720 define the vertical screen resolution of the screen. This is the vertical height in pixels and is the most important factor when defining resolution.
1080p denotes that there are 1080 individual pixels displayed vertically across the screen. This means that in all there are 1920X1080p on the screen. This arrangement of pixels is usually found on high-resolution screens this is marketed as Full HD screens or FHD screens. More pixels mean a higher definition of the image.
720p on the other hand denotes that there are 720 individual lines in the vertical of the screen. This arrangement is usually used in widescreen HDTV broadcasting, where the general aspect ratio of the screen is 16:9. The 720 horizontals scan lines denote that there are 720 pixels in the vertical resolution of the screen.
Comparison Table Between 1080p and 720p
| Parameter | 1080p | 720p |
| Pixel count | 1080 pixels on the vertical resolution of the screen | 720 pixels on the vertical resolution of the screen |
| Total pixels | This type of screen has a total of 1920X1080 pixels in general | This type of screen has lesser pixels than 1080p screens. There is a total of 12080X720 pixels. |
| Image quality | As there are a higher number of pixels on the screen, the image quality is very high | The image quality is comparatively lower, as there are lesser pixels on the screen. |
| Screen size | Usually, 1080p screens are wider and longer compared to other types of screens, as there are more pixels. | These screens are comparatively smaller in size as there is a fewer number of pixels. |
| Application | This arrangement of pixels is used in Full High Definition screens or FHD screens and 4k UHD screens. | This arrangement is commonly seen on HD screens, which have lower resolution than 1080p FHD screens. |
What is 1080p?
1080p screens are an improvement over the previous types of screens, as there are more pixels on the screen. The number 1080 denotes the number of pixels on the vertical resolution of the screen.
The letter “P” stands for Progressive scan. This factor of both the horizontal and vertical sets of pixels denotes the total number of pixels that are displayed by the screen, as an image or video is being played. In 1080p screens, there are a total of 1920X1080 pixels.
This means that as the screen is operating, a total of 1920 pixels are displayed across the screen horizontally and 1080 pixels are displayed down vertically on the screen.
This arrangement of pixels is usually used in the case of high resolution, wide screens as there are more pixels present on the horizontal and vertical sections, as compared to previous versions of screens, namely 720p and 480p.
The typical aspect ratio of such screens is 16:9, although lately smaller screens have also been designed with the 1080p arrangement. As there are more pixels on the screen, more areas of an image can be covered. This results in a crisp, clean, and crystal clear display of the image. Hence these screens are marketed as Full HD screens, to emphasize the higher definition clarity of the screens.
What is 720p?
720p screens have an arrangement of 1280X720 pixels and are generally smaller than 1080p screens. “720” denotes that there are 720 horizontal scan lines on the screen, which measures the horizontal resolution of the screen.
This arrangement was designed for the widescreen application, with higher resolution than the previous 480p screens. Hence the screens that employ this arrangement are called widescreen HDTV.
As there are more pixels than the previous 480p screens, the resolution of this screen is higher than 480p. This means the definition of the image or picture being displayed on the screen would be higher as compared to 480p screens.
These screens are widely used in camcorders and digital video cameras because of the wider size of the screens.
The horizontal scan lines denote the number of pixels for vertical resolution, as the image is progressively scanned and each line consists of individual pixels arranged in an array.
720p format is used widely by HDTV broadcasting companies as the basic format for broadcasting high-definition video content. The frame rate while broadcasting is maintained at 50, which is compatible with other types of screens, namely 1080p, as well. 720p screens are comparatively more affordable than 1080p screens, as they have lesser pixels and hence an overall lower image resolution on the screen.
Main Differences Between 1080p and 720p
- 1080p screens have more pixels on the vertical resolution than 720p screens. There are 1080 pixels on the vertical resolution of 1080p screens, and only 720 pixels on the 720p screens.
- As there are more vertical resolution pixels, 1080p screens have more over all pixels on the screen. There are 1920X1080 pixels in total, whereas 720p screens have only 1280X720 pixels in total.
- 1080p screens are usually longer and wider than 720p screens, as there are more pixels than 720p screens.
- The image quality and definition is higher when being displayed on a 1080p screen. As there are more pixels, a larger area of the image can be covered and hence a highly defined image can be displayed.
- 1080p screens are more expensive than 720p screens and hence these screens are only used in high definition picture quality applications.
Conclusion
Picture quality depends upon the resolution of the screen. Higher-resolution screens can display a highly defined picture. The overall clarity and crispness of the image are also enhanced when displayed on a high pixel screen.
1080p screens are the highest definition screens available commercially. These screens have the highest pixel count, 1920X1080, and hence these screens can produce high-definition images.
720p screens were an improvement over the previous 480p screens. These screens have a pixel count of 1280X720 and these were the first HD widescreens available commercially.
1080p screens have higher resolution than 720p screens and hence they are also more expensive than 720p screens, although both screens are widely used today.
References
- https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.111.995&rep=rep1&type=pdf
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6737724/
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8803523/
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3210424.3210434