SD, HD, Full HD, 4K and HDR: what do the quality labels mean?

Resolution, frame rate, HDR and bitrate in plain language: what makes a TV picture sharp, and what you need to actually watch IPTV in 4K.

Updated: 15 October 20262 min read

In short

Resolution is the number of pixels: SD 720 × 576, HD 1280 × 720, Full HD 1920 × 1080, 4K UHD 3840 × 2160.
Besides resolution, picture quality is determined by bitrate, codec, frame rate and HDR.
Real 4K needs 4K content, a compatible TV or player, a suitable HDMI connection and enough bandwidth.

Resolutions

Label	Pixels	Note
SD	720 × 576	Traditional European TV quality
HD (720p)	1280 × 720	Good quality on smaller screens
Full HD (1080p/1080i)	1920 × 1080	Most HD channels broadcast in this
4K UHD (2160p)	3840 × 2160	Four times as many pixels as Full HD

It is not just about resolution

Bitrate: The same resolution can look blocky and blurred at a low bitrate and clean at a higher one. Fast-moving sport is particularly demanding.
Codec: A more modern codec (HEVC, AV1) gives a better picture from the same amount of data than the older H.264.
Frame rate: In Europe, 50 frames per second (or 50 fields) is standard; sport looks smoother at 50 fps.
Interlaced (i) and progressive (p): 1080i is interlaced, 1080p is progressive; the latter is cleaner in motion.

HDR and colour

HDR (High Dynamic Range) means a wider range of brightness and colour: bright areas shine more, and dark areas show more detail. Common formats:

HDR10: The most widespread, open HDR format.
HLG: An HDR format developed for broadcasting, well suited to live programmes.
Dolby Vision: A premium HDR format optimised scene by scene; the TV must support it too.

What do you need for real 4K?

4K content and packageThe channel or programme must be produced in 4K, and your subscription must include it.
A 4K-capable deviceThe TV or media player must support 4K and HEVC, and on Android typically the Widevine L1 security level.
Suitable HDMIFor an external player, an HDMI 2.0 or newer input with HDCP 2.2 support and a high-speed cable.
Enough internet15–25 Mbit/s per stream. See: bandwidth table.

When can you see the difference?

The benefit of 4K really shows on larger screens and from closer viewing distances. On a smaller TV viewed from a few metres, the difference between Full HD and 4K is less noticeable, while the effect of HDR is visible even on a small screen.

Frequently asked questions

Why isn't the picture 4K when I have a 4K TV?

A TV only shows real 4K if the content is 4K, your package includes it, and every element of the playback chain (app, HDMI, internet) supports it. Otherwise the TV upscales a lower-resolution picture.

Is Full HD better than HD?

Yes, Full HD (1920 × 1080) has more than twice as many pixels as 720p HD, which gives a sharper picture on larger screens.

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