What is 1080p resolution?

1080p refers to a display or video frame that is 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels tall (1,920 x 1,080 = 2,073,600 total pixels), progressive scan, at a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. The "p" stands for progressive, meaning every line is drawn in each frame rather than interlaced (which would be 1080i).

What bitrate should I use for 1080p?

Bitrate depends on codec, frame rate, content and destination. For SDR uploads, YouTube recommends 8 Mbps at 24–30 fps and 12 Mbps at 48–60 fps. Live-stream encoder guidance is different, so use the requirements of the platform receiving the stream.

How much storage does one hour of 1080p video take?

At 8 Mbps the math is: 8 Mbps x 3600 s / 8 = 3.6 GB/hour. At 12 Mbps (YouTube 1080p60) it is roughly 5.4 GB/hour. Lossless or uncompressed 1080p footage can range from 100 GB to over 300 GB/hour depending on bit depth and codec.

Is 1080p considered 2K or 4K?

1080p Full HD is 1920×1080. The DCI 2K container is 2048×1080, while 4K UHD is 3840×2160. Some consumer listings loosely call 2560×1440 “2K,” but QHD or 1440p is the clearer name.

What is the PPI of a 1080p screen?

PPI depends on the physical screen size. A 27-inch 1080p monitor has about 82 PPI, while a 5-inch 1080p phone screen has roughly 441 PPI. Use the calculator on this page to compute the exact PPI for any diagonal size.

How does 1080p compare to 4K in file size?

4K (3840 x 2160) has exactly 4x more pixels than 1080p (8,294,400 vs 2,073,600), so at the same quality level 4K files are roughly 3–4x larger. With efficient codecs like H.265 or AV1, the ratio narrows somewhat but 4K still demands significantly more storage and bandwidth.

What is the difference between 1080p and 1080i?

1080p (progressive) draws all 1080 lines in each frame, producing a sharper and smoother image, especially for fast motion. 1080i (interlaced) alternates between odd and even lines, which was common in broadcast TV but can cause combing artifacts during motion.

1080P Resolution Reference

Quick-reference specs for 1080p Full HD plus PPI and 20/20 acuity distance, official YouTube upload bitrates, file-size estimates, and resolution comparisons.

Resolution

1920 x 1080

pixels (W x H)

Total Pixels

2,073,600

per frame

Aspect Ratio

16:9

widescreen

Standard Name

Full HD

1080p progressive

Pixel Density Calculator

Enter the diagonal screen size to find the PPI of a 1080p display.

inches

Recommended Bitrates

Official YouTube SDR upload targets plus general examples. These are video bitrates; audio and container overhead are additional.

Use Case	Bitrate
Low-bandwidth streaming	3 – 5 Mbps
Standard streaming (H.264)	6 – 10 Mbps
YouTube SDR upload, 24–30 fps	8 Mbps
YouTube SDR upload, 48–60 fps	12 Mbps
Example efficient HEVC encode	4 – 6 Mbps

File Size Estimates — 1080p

Decimal estimates from bitrate × duration ÷ 8. Audio tracks, subtitles and container overhead are not included.

Bitrate	1 min	10 min	1 hour
4 Mbps	~30 MB	~300 MB	~1.8 GB
8 Mbps (YouTube 30 fps)	~60 MB	~600 MB	~3.6 GB
12 Mbps (YouTube 60 fps)	~90 MB	~900 MB	~5.4 GB
20 Mbps (production proxy)	~150 MB	~1.5 GB	~9 GB

Resolution Comparison

How 1080p stacks up against other common standards.

Standard	Width	Height	Total Pixels	vs 1080p	Label
480p (SD)	854	480	409,920	0.20x	SD
720p (HD)	1280	720	921,600	0.44x	HD Ready
1080p (FHD)	1920	1080	2,073,600	1x	Full HD
2K (DCI container)	2048	1080	2,211,840	1.07x	DCI 2K
1440p (QHD)	2560	1440	3,686,400	1.78x	Quad HD
4K (UHD)	3840	2160	8,294,400	4x	Ultra HD

Quick Facts

Scan type: Progressive (p)
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Common frame rates: 24, 25, 30, 50, 60 fps
Bit depth (standard SDR): 8-bit
Bit depth (HDR): 10-bit (HDR10 / HLG)
Color space (broadcast): Rec. 709
Color space (HDR): Rec. 2020 (BT.2020)
Uncompressed data rate (8-bit RGB, 60 fps): ~3 Gbps
Widely adopted: ~2006 (Blu-ray launch)
Display label: Full HD / FHD

Sources, calculation scope and privacy

PPI uses √(1920² + 1080²) ÷ diagonal inches. The viewing-distance estimate uses a one-arcminute 20/20 visual-acuity threshold; it is a geometric reference, not a guarantee that all viewers or content will look identical.

References: YouTube recommended upload settings and DCI Digital Cinema System Specification. The calculator runs locally in your browser; the screen size is not uploaded or stored.

Summary