What is 720p resolution?

720p refers to a display or video frame that is 1280 pixels wide and 720 pixels tall (1,280 x 720 = 921,600 total pixels), progressive scan, at a 16:9 aspect ratio. The "p" stands for progressive, meaning every line is drawn in each frame rather than interlaced.

What bitrate should I use for 720p?

For streaming, 2.5–4 Mbps (H.264) is the common range. YouTube recommends 5 Mbps for 720p60. For archival H.265/HEVC encodes, 1.5–2.5 Mbps is usually sufficient for near-lossless quality at 720p.

How much storage does one hour of 720p video take?

At 2.5 Mbps the math is: 2.5 Mbps x 3600 s / 8 = ~1.1 GB/hour. At 5 Mbps (YouTube) it is roughly 2.25 GB/hour. Lossless or uncompressed footage is far larger — about 40–100 GB/hour depending on bit depth and codec.

Is 720p still considered HD?

Yes. 720p is officially classified as HD (High Definition) by broadcast standards. 1080p is Full HD and 2160p is 4K Ultra HD. While 720p is the minimum HD tier, it still looks sharp on screens up to about 40 inches at normal viewing distances.

What is the PPI of a 720p screen?

PPI depends on the physical screen size. A 32-inch 720p monitor has about 46 PPI, while a 5-inch 720p phone screen has roughly 294 PPI. Use the calculator on this page to compute it for any diagonal size.

How does 720p compare to 1080p in file size?

1080p has 2.25x more pixels than 720p (2,073,600 vs 921,600), so at the same quality level 1080p files are roughly 2–2.5x larger. With modern codecs like H.265 the gap narrows somewhat.

720P Resolution Reference

Name: 720P Resolution Reference
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Quick-reference specs for 720p HD resolution plus an interactive PPI calculator and comparison table against common resolutions.

Resolution

1280 x 720

pixels (W x H)

Total Pixels

921,600

per frame

Aspect Ratio

16:9

widescreen

Standard Name

HD Ready

720p progressive

Pixel Density Calculator

Enter the diagonal screen size to find the PPI of a 720p display.

inches

Recommended Bitrates

Common encoding targets for 720p at 30 fps.

Use Case	Bitrate
Low-bandwidth streaming	1.5 Mbps
Standard streaming (H.264)	2.5 – 4 Mbps
YouTube 720p30	5 Mbps
YouTube 720p60	7.5 Mbps
Archival (H.265/HEVC)	1.5 – 2.5 Mbps

File Size Estimates — 720p

Approximate storage for a 1-hour 720p30 video at various bitrates (H.264).

Bitrate	1 min	10 min	1 hour
1.5 Mbps	~11 MB	~113 MB	~675 MB
2.5 Mbps	~19 MB	~188 MB	~1.1 GB
5 Mbps (YouTube)	~38 MB	~375 MB	~2.25 GB
7.5 Mbps (YouTube 60 fps)	~56 MB	~563 MB	~3.4 GB

Resolution Comparison

How 720p stacks up against other common standards.

Standard	Width	Height	Total Pixels	vs 720p	Label
480p (SD)	854	480	409,920	0.44x	SD
720p (HD)	1280	720	921,600	1x	HD Ready
1080p (FHD)	1920	1080	2,073,600	2.25x	Full HD
4K (UHD)	3840	2160	8,294,400	9x	Ultra HD

Quick Facts

Scan type: Progressive (p)
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Common frame rates: 24, 25, 30, 50, 60 fps
Bit depth (standard): 8-bit (SDR)
Color space (broadcast): Rec. 709
Introduced: ~1998 (ATSC standard)
Uncompressed data rate (8-bit): ~1.33 Gbps @ 30 fps
Minimum display label: HD Ready (EU standard)

Summary

Quick-reference specs for 720p HD resolution plus an interactive PPI calculator and comparison table against common resolutions.

How it works

Read the spec card to get the key 720p numbers at a glance.
Enter your screen diagonal in inches to calculate the pixel density (PPI).
Use the comparison table to see how 720p stacks up against 480p, 1080p, and 4K.
Check the bitrate and file size tables for encoding guidance.

Use cases

Choosing an export resolution for YouTube or streaming platforms.
Verifying PPI for a monitor or TV before purchase.
Comparing file sizes and storage needs across HD resolutions.
Setting FFmpeg or Handbrake encoding parameters for 720p output.
Understanding why 720p is preferred for mobile streaming and low-bandwidth connections.
Teaching or explaining HD resolution concepts to students or clients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu