HD Ready vs Full HD | Difference between them

When buying a device especially when it involves a decent amount of budget(hard-earned money), we research the products and its various specifications. After having general knowledge about the specs we satisfy with a particular product to invest in. 

The same goes for buying a TV. A television device is an important aspect for your home entertainment. If you live with your family and have old parents or young children at home. Your home can’t be without a TV. It has remained the first choice for entertainment for years.

Though with time we have shifted towards smartphones for entertainment. But still, our phone offers a small screen while TV offers a Big Screen. A TV gives a phenomenal experience when it comes to watching a movie, it can give a theatre-like experience.

To get this amazing experience from your television. It is necessary to know about the different screen resolutions and screen sizes a TV comes with.

You must have come across HD Ready and Full HD TV. You must have wondered what is meant by that. What’s the difference?

In this article, we will better understand the difference between HD ready and full HD displays, we will also compare hd vs full hd  

Understanding Resolution First

Whether a TV is HD ready or full HD or ultra HD(UHD), all are different resolution sizes.

A TV Resolution refers to the picture quality, sharpness, and clarity of an image or video displayed on the screen. It is the number of horizontal lines by vertical lines present in a display. Or the number of pixels present per inch of a display screen 

In simple terms, a resolution is the number of pixels present on the screen.

What is a pixel

A pixel is a point or dots on the screen which is associated with a color.

A TV screen is made of several pixels or dots combined to display an image.

pixels and resolution of a screen

For example, if a screen resolution is (100 x 100). The number of dots or pixels it has on the screen is 10,000. 

You can watch these small dots with your naked eyes. Just watch the tv display from very close, and if the resolution is low, and your eyes are good enough. The individual dots will be nearly visible.     

Picture Quality based on Pixel

The Picture quality produced by a TV depends on the pixel density of the screen.

The more the resolution, the more the number of pixels present on the screen, the better will be the video quality and sharpness.

If there is less number of pixels packed on your TV screen, the image will look pixelated and of poor quality

What is HD Ready

HD stands for High Definition

HD or HD Ready in a TV refers to the screen resolution of (1366 x 768p) which is 1366 horizontal lines by 768 vertical lines.

It has nearly 1 million pixels packed in a screen. 1366 x 768 = 1,049,088 pixels or dots.

It is the least resolution size you will find at present in any device display be it a mobile, TV, monitor, or laptop. With time we will see it becoming obsolete. 

What is Full HD

The next resolution is full HD or FHD. In this, the screen size is (1920 x 1080p) which is 1920 horizontal lines by 1080 vertical lines.

It has nearly 2 million pixels packed in a screen which is almost double the pixels present in HD screens. 1920 x 1080 = 2,073,600 pixels or dots.  

It is the standard resolution currently for Blu-Ray, television, and youtube videos.

HD vs Full HD (Comparison)

Until now we have better understood the HD and full HD displays. As the full HD screen packs more pixels which is almost 2 times the HD display offers. 

We can say that picture quality would be better and crisp on a full HD display in comparison to HD. 

FactorsHD ReadyFull HD
Resolution1366 x 7681920 x 1080
Total Pixels on the screenAlmost 1 millionAlmost 2 million
Picture QualityFine from a DistanceBetter
Degree of PixelationHigher from nearModerate from near
CostSlighly Greater than HD
Here 32 inch TV was assumed

What resolution TV should I Buy

Picture quality not only depends on the screen resolution but also on the screen size which is measured in diagonal inches.

display size

An HD(1366 x 768) resolution on a small screen like a phone may look fine, but the same resolution on a bigger screen, say a 32 inch TV will look bad and produce pixelated images.

So when choosing a TV, you have to decide the resolution based on the screen size in inches. But for a rule of thumb, having a higher resolution will be better.

Resolution for 24+ inch TV

HD Ready would be fine but having full HD is better.

Resolution for 32+ inch TV

HD Ready is available in this range.

To get a fine picture quality in HD Ready, you would have to sit at a good distance while viewing. You have to sit at least 1 meter away from the display otherwise the picture would seem pixelated.

A full HD display would be better to go for.

Resolution for 40+ inch TV

HD Ready is not recommended in this range. The picture will not be crisp and seem pixelated

Full HD would be fine in this range but having a UHD or 4K display would be better. 

Other Screen Resolutions

There are also other higher and better resolutions like 4K, 5K, 8K available in the market. These are expensive with 8k being the most expensive.

Different TVs come with different specs like resolution and size. They can be smart or non-smart or smart android tv. With better specs price also goes higher. So depending upon these factors and the budget you have, choose the right TV.

Also, Higher resolution TVs like FHD or 4K will require higher resolution input to it. So if you are using a set-top box with HD channels, then using a 4K(UHD) TV would make no difference in terms of picture quality. The picture would either appear small or pixelated

Final Verdict

This was all about the difference between HD and full HD displays. Next time when you go for purchase in the market or online, don’t get confused by the screen resolutions and size. 

Bookmark this article so that you can come back later to clear your doubts.

HD Ready is the least resolution present in the market, it would be better to pay the extra bucks for an FHD display for better television experience.

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