Curious to know what is UHD? We got you!
All of the screens we use in our homes, from our monitors to televisions, have different technologies embedded in them to provide you with the best viewing experience possible.
With increasing technological developments, these screens started to have a standard-setting starting with HD technology.
Only recently, in the last decade or so, a better version of HD, known as UHD, came into play.
It gives you a more realistic view, and that is why we will talk about UHD screens and explain what UHD is.
What Is UHD?
UHD, also known as ultra-high-definition or Ultra HD, is a developed version of the HD technology we see on televisions, monitors, and mobile phones.
So UHD or Ultra HD is a new screen type with higher resolution, pixel, and aspect ratio that allows you to have a bigger screen in front of you while keeping the quality of the movies you are watching or even increasing that quality from HD.
UHD televisions or monitors have at least a 16:9 ratio and 3840×2160 resolution to be considered UHD.
Many UHD screens are more qualified to show sharper and smoother images than HD monitors.
UHD also presents a more realistic view than its predecessor, HD screens.
But it is worth remembering that if a video is not recorded in UHD settings, you can’t watch that video in UHD even if you have a UHD TV.
Read: What Is Android TV Box?
UHD Resolution
When we are talking about UHD screens, they have to have a minimum resolution and a number of pixels to be considered a UHD resolution, different from HD.
The reason UHD has a minimum resolution for consideration is that Samsung built this technology to provide a more realistic view with higher pixels, and you can’t have that on smaller screens like HD screens.
That is why a UHD monitor has to be at least 3840×2160, way wider and bigger than the HD monitors, which are generally 1920×1080.
This also includes increased pixel amount and a sturdier aspect ratio of 16:9.
UHD vs. HD
HD is one of the first technologies to bring quality pictures to our monitors and show a more realistic view, but with the technology developing, we started to see UHD after HD, and there are some considerable differences.
For example, an HD monitor has mostly a resolution of 1920×1080, whereas a UHD screen has to have a minimum resolution of 3840×2160.
Along with increased resolution, it also has 16 times more pixels than HD. UHD’s pixel count sits around 33 million pixels (about 33 megapixels).
It also has an improved sound quality that produces 24 different channels of audio.
In the end, in simpler terms, UHD is bigger and more realistic screen technology, whereas HD is smaller and less quality technology that is a predecessor of UHD.
4K Vs. 8K
UHD Vs. 4K
To a casual viewer, UHD and 4K may look similar, but there is a difference between the two. So as we mentioned earlier, UHD offers a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160.
Whereas 4K offers a resolution that is four times more than its previous 1080 standard. 4K technology was initially introduced for projection in movie theaters or for digital cinema, with a pixel range of 4,096 x 2,160.
And now, with the advent of 8K resolution, you get to see 4K in many top-class models of tv. In reality, both UHD and 4K are good and may even appear similar to a casual viewer.
4K UHD Vs. 1080p
Other Screen Resolutions
- Full HD: This type of resolution has a pixel of 1920 x 1080. This type of resolution is usually found in Blu-ray discs.
- 8K: This resolution features a pixel of 7680 x 4320. This is the recent and updated resolution type and only a few products in the market feature 8K resolution.
- HD-ready: This type of resolution features a pixel range of 1280 x 720, but TVs having HD-ready resolution have almost disappeared now.
Is Resolution Everything?
Until now, the resolution was considered one of the main factors that influenced the decision while buying a tv.
However, now, the focus has not started to shift toward color and contrast.
People have started to make their purchase decision based on the “super light” or “super dark” color and contrast feature, which is a good way of determining the viewing quality.
The Verdict
To conclude, UHD technology is a fairly new technology that is developing right after HD, one of the first technologies to bring us a quality screen technology.
UHD, also known as Ultra HD, has a higher pixel rate and resolution than its predecessor, HD.
A UHD screen has to be a minimum of 3840×2160 with around 33 million pixels, whereas an HD is around 1920×1080 with 16 times less pixel amount.
FAQ’s
Which one is better HD or UHD?
Full HD is most commonly referred to as 1080p or 1080i these days.
But, UHD or ultra UHD is increasing in popularity and can be seen in many TVs these days.
The UHD has a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which is four times more than the resolution offered by HD tv and is thus considered better.
Is UHD and 4K the same thing?
UHD means 3840×2160 for the display market and is interchangeably used for 4K resolution.
However, in the cinema market, 4K means 4096×2160, which is 256 pixels more as compared to UHD.
So there is a slight difference between the two, but a casual viewer might not be able to tell the difference at all.
Does UHD offer good quality?
UHD definitely offers better image and quality when compared to HD TVs.
However, you will obviously have to pay more for UHD TVs as they are more expensive than HD tv.
Amit Gupta is the founder of National Planning Cycles, a company that helps startups, individuals, and small businesses with their financial planning. He has a vast amount of experience in the finance sector, having managed Google Play accounts for some of the world’s most successful unicorns. Amit is an expert in his field, and he uses his knowledge to help others achieve their individual goals.