Resolution is the number everyone quotes and few explain. It matters, but not always in the way the marketing suggests, and the right choice depends as much on the size of the screen and where you sit as on the number itself. Here is what TV resolution means, the three you will see, and how to pick the one that is right for you.
What resolution actually means
Resolution is simply how many tiny dots, called pixels, make up the picture. More pixels means finer detail, in the same way a photo printed large looks sharper the more information it holds. A television quotes its resolution as the number of pixels across and down the screen. The thing to hold on to is that more pixels only help if the screen is big enough, and you are close enough, to see them. Past that point the extra detail is there but your eyes cannot pick it out.
The three you will see
Nearly every television falls into one of three bands. HD Ready is the entry level, fine for smaller screens and second sets where the viewing is casual. Full HD, sometimes called 1080p, is the long-standing standard and looks crisp on mid-sized screens at normal viewing distances. 4K, also called Ultra HD, packs in four times the pixels of Full HD and comes into its own on larger screens, where the extra detail has room to show. Each has its place; the trick is matching it to the set you are buying.
Does more resolution always help?
Not on its own. Whether you can see the benefit of 4K over Full HD depends on the size of the screen and how far away you sit. On a small screen, or from across a large room, the eye cannot resolve the extra pixels, so a Full HD picture and a 4K one look much the same. On a big screen viewed from a sofa a few metres away, the difference is clear. Buying 4K for a small kitchen set gains you little; buying it for a large living-room screen is where it earns its place.
Match resolution to size and room
A simple way to choose is to start with the screen size and the room, then let those point to the resolution. Smaller sets in kitchens, bedrooms and spare rooms are well served by HD Ready or Full HD, and the picture will look sharp at the distance you watch. Larger screens in a main room, where you sit back and the picture fills more of your view, are where 4K makes sense. Rather than chase the highest number, size the set to the room first, and the sensible resolution tends to follow.
What matters just as much
Resolution is one part of a good picture, not the whole of it. The quality of the panel, how the set handles motion and contrast, the sound, and the smart platform all shape how good a television is to live with. A well-made Full HD set can be a nicer watch than a cheap 4K one. Our televisions are designed and built in Britain with that whole picture in mind, and you can see the range, across Full HD and 4K, in our smart TV collection, including 4K Ultra HD models where the size suits them.
The short version
Resolution counts, but only alongside screen size and how far you sit. HD Ready and Full HD are the sensible choice for smaller and second sets; 4K comes into its own on a large main screen viewed from the sofa. Size the set to the room first, then pick the resolution that fits, and do not overlook the panel, sound and smart features that decide how good it really is.