The number of pixels in each frame of a video, determining the level of visual detail and sharpness.
Video resolution is the number of pixels that make up each frame, expressed as width times height (like 1920x1080) or by the vertical pixel count with a scan type indicator (like 1080p). Higher resolution means more pixels, which means more visual detail — you can see finer textures, sharper text, and cleaner edges. It is like the difference between a standard-definition photograph and a high-resolution one: same scene, more detail.
Common resolutions follow a standard progression: 480p (SD), 720p (HD), 1080p (Full HD), 1440p (2K), and 2160p (4K or UHD). Each step roughly doubles the pixel count from the previous — 1080p has 2.25 times the pixels of 720p, and 4K has four times the pixels of 1080p.
More pixels require more data. A 4K video at the same bitrate as a 1080p video would look worse because the same amount of data is spread across four times as many pixels. This is why higher resolutions require higher bitrates, which means larger files and more bandwidth. A 4K stream might require 15-25 Mbps compared to 5-8 Mbps for 1080p.
For streaming, resolution works hand-in-hand with adaptive bitrate delivery. The hosting platform transcodes each video into multiple resolutions, and the player selects the highest resolution the viewer's bandwidth can support. A viewer on a fast connection sees 1080p or 4K; a viewer on cellular might see 480p. Both get smooth playback because the resolution matches their available bandwidth.
Resolution affects perceived quality, but more is not always better. Serving 4K to a viewer watching in a 400-pixel-wide embed on a blog post wastes bandwidth without any visible benefit. The right approach is to provide multiple resolutions and let the player choose — which is exactly what adaptive bitrate streaming does. For businesses, this means better viewer experience, lower bandwidth costs, and no need to manually manage quality settings.
host.video automatically transcodes every upload into multiple resolution levels for adaptive bitrate streaming. Whether the original is 720p or 4K, viewers always get the optimal resolution for their screen and connection.