720P VS 1080P Comparison: Ultimate Face-Off Video Resolution

Video is a compilation of still images taken in a series of actions that tell a story and is associated with sounds. Functioning as a means to share information, record happening in life, to entertain and more, it has to be always in its pristine condition or at least viewable quality for it to be watchable. As such, there are various video resolution qualities a user may use for their video viewing, and generally, the higher the video resolution, the better. But what are you going to do if your device only supports displaying video resolution quality of 720P and 1080P? Fret not, as this article will help you in understanding what a video resolution means, what the difference is between 720P and 1080P, give you an idea of what resolution to use through a list of use cases, and provide you with a tool that improves your video quality from 720P up to 1080P.
Contents:
Part 1. What Does TV Resolution Mean?
A TV resolution pertains to the number of pixels that represent the totality of the whole image or video frame presented on a device screen. The more pixels an image or video contains, the sharper and more detailed it appears to our eyes. Otherwise, lower pixels mean less detailed and a blurrier looking it is to our eyes.
Part 2. What do 720P and 1080P Mean?
720P Video Resolution
Pros
- It is easy and a lot faster to load up, perfect for playing videos when having a slower internet signal.
- It is a type of video resolution that is decent enough for viewing, but still manages to balance it out by making it more lightweight on storage space.
- This video resolution is available to all video streaming platforms and devices, from new to older.
Cons
- Inferior video resolution that has low video details and can make videos appear less crisp.
- Noticeable low quality when watching on a bigger screen.
- Predicted to be unusable in the following years.
1080P Video Resolution
Is the standard video resolution most commonly used by all streaming platforms and devices? The 1080P resolution is also known as Full HD (FHD) video resolution and is above the HD video resolution. It has a 1920 by 1080 pixels size and uses a 16:9 aspect ratio in displaying images/ video frames.
Pros
- Gives a more sharper video details and clearer video quality.
- It is available and the most used video resolution across different streaming platforms and devices.
Cons
- Not the type of video resolution to use when dealing with videos in higher-end creative projects.
- Inferior video resolution quality compared to 2K and 4K video resolution.
- It may require a stronger internet connection to load the video fully.
Part 3. 1080P VS 720P: What Are the Differences?
• 720P appears to be that solid balance between having a decent video quality when it is used, while at the same time loads up faster compared to 1080P, which offers a much higher resolution and better quality, but needs to have a more stable internet connection.
• 720P has a very low storage-friendly aspect as it usually takes in low file size format. Whereas 1080P requires much larger spaces for taking in sharper details and pixel size.

720p | 1080p | |
---|---|---|
Moderate in quality, just enough for casual and quick viewing. | Picture Quality | High in quality, perfect for taking in details and serious viewing. |
0.9 million | Pixel Count | 2 million |
Lower bandwidth usage | Data Usage | Higher bandwidth usage |
Playing videos on mobile devices or devices that have small screens. Watching videos on old devices or streaming using mobile data. Records video with a limited storage space. | Perfect For | Playing videos on larger-scale devices. Casual video streaming across various devices. Taking a video that takes ins more visual details and color. |
Part 4. Use Cases for 720P VS 1080P
Streaming
It is ideal for 720P video resolution to be use when only watching videos using only mobile devices and mobile data, as it makes it easy and a lot faster to load videos in that way. Whereas 1080P is ideally great for streaming videos on TVs or monitors, as a larger screen requires sharp details that 1080P has.
Professional Use
720P is an ideal function to be used as the video resolution for security cameras. This presents an opportunity for the security camera to store longer video duration while not taking too much storage space. The 1080P, on the other hand, is ideally used for presenting professional streaming, like presentations or sending important video files.
Part 5. Bonus: Best Video Upscaler to Convert 720P to 1080P
If you somehow managed to have a 720P video and are looking for a way to turn it into a 1080P or higher video resolution, then using a third-party tool like VidHex Video Upscaler is what you should do. VidHex is developed to help with video upscaling needs for users. What it does is that VidHex will let you upload your video on their platform, and from there, you will have access to their AI models to address the specific needs of your video purposefully.
Moreover, as a tool, it is lightweight on your Windows device, making it more usable and accessible as a free video upscaler tool; it cannot only improve video quality. Furthermore, to find out more about this tool’s capabilities, simply refer below to some of its key features.

Key Features
• It uses a powerful AI technology for a seamless video upscaler tool.
• It has a very intuitive user interface with a straightforward process.
• Users can batch process multiple videos in one go.
• It is capable of upscaling a video quality from 1080P up to 4K video resolution.
• Fast to enhance videos without losing video elements.
• Safe to use type of video enhancer tool.
• Free to use tool with no watermark on the result.
Steps in Using VidHex
Step 1. Download the VidHex Video Enhancer software to your Windows-powered computer.
Step 2. Install the VidHex software on your desktop device. Once done, open it and from its main interfaceload your video on the software through the Click or Drag & Drop section situated on the upper part of the tool.

Step 3. Next, continue to select the AI model located on the right side of the software interface according to your needs. There are many options for AI models. You need to evaluate them based on the content of the original video and the desired visual effect. Before exporting, you can also select the desired video quality effect of the exported video in Output Resolution.
Step 4. Once you have decided which AI model best fits your video, proceed to click on the Export button.

This upscaler is not just a normal video upscaler, but you can also take it as an anime upscaler. Try it Now!
Part 6. FAQs about 720P and 1080P
What are the difference between 720P and 1080P?
In simplest form, the difference between 720P and 1080P is that, aside from 720P having much lower yet accessible video quality, it is great for quick viewing and efficiency on large screens. Whereas, 1080P is more about visual clarity and video details.
Is 720P still good quality?
Yes, 720P or High Definition (HD) video is considered a good video quality. Perfect for seamless, casual viewing of videos, both for short-form and long-form ones. As long as users are not bothered by it having less clarity or details, the quality in 720P is considerable good for instant and quick watching of videos.
Why do some videos only stream in 720P?
Some streaming platforms or devices that support only 720P video streaming may be because the streaming platform wants the video to load fast or help them save storage space. Regarding devices only supporting 720P, it can be rooted to the device being old; thus, it only displays 720P video quality on the user's screen.
Conclusion
Ideally, choosing 1080P screen resolution as the standard video quality when watching videos is what everyone is going for. However, to be able to save storage space, use cellular data, and time in loading a video, it is important to know the difference between the 720P and 1080P video resolution. That's why this article has defined what both video resolutions are all about and their best used to allow readers to become more aware of the fact that 720P, despite being inferior to 1080P it still has its use and purpose.
Thus, when choosing between the two, be sure to assess your needs properly; if you need to view details in the video with clearer and sharp details, then you should go for 1080P; otherwise, if you lean towards saving storage space and faster loading video, then choosing 720P resolution is your go-to choice.