Thread: Question about Resolution.

So there's one thing I can't seem to wrap my head around when it comes to the resolution of a tv.

I have an HTPC connected via HDMI to my 42" LED TV. The resolution for the tv is set to 1280 x 720. The movies I download are all 720p encodes.

Now my question is, I recently started downloading 1080p encodes and full Blu-Ray discs, will changing the resolution to 1920 x 1080 make any difference in the picture quality?



I have a feeling it won't, because no matter what resolution I put my screen to, the size will still be 42". Or am I wrong in thinking this?

A huge difference as more detail will be shown when watching the movies, but keep in mind that larger encodes will give far more detail as less has been removed (I try and watch files that are not down-sampled)

Well as mustardtiger said it depends upon the specs of your TV. Being 42" LED TV it should be capable of playing FHD or UHD at it's best. So yes for you I would say changing the resolution to 1080p will make a huge difference in the output of the picture. Hope this helps :)

To reiterate what has already been said.

Yes there will be an increase in picture quality if you go from playing 720p content after setting your tv to 720p and then going up to 1080p content playing at 1080p.

The real question is whether you'll be able to notice the difference. Some people will say yes, others will say no. Being a 42" screen, it is of a decent size but I've read recently that the way that most of the western world watch TV (an average of 6 foot or more) from the TV, the differences a much less noticeable.

With regards to your TV's resolution, I'd leave it playing at 1080p all the time. When you play 720p (or less resolution) content on a 1080p screen the screens/tvs usually upscale them to 1080p. That doesn't mean it will make the content look better. It'll just increase adjust the input to match the output.

Thanks a bunch guys, helped me out a lot. :D