Change Video Resolution for Smooth Playback on Any Device

HD and 4K videos are everywhere in our daily life. But this doesn't always mean a better viewing experience. Some devices only support certain video resolutions, and if your resolution is outside the supported range, it is likely that it will not play properly. Therefore, it is necessary to change the video resolution. In addition, HD videos are usually large. By changing the resolution, the size can also be reduced for better storage and sharing. In the next part, let’s dive into how to change the resolution of a video.

Video resolution is typically shown as width x height in pixels. For example, "1280x720" means the width is 1280 pixels and the height is 720 pixels. The higher the resolution, the clearer the video will appear on a larger screen, but the larger the file size will be.

* Standard Definition (SD): The standard resolution of video is 640x360 or 720x480, which is also the DVD resolution.

* High Definition (HD): The most popular high-definition video currently refers to the video with a resolution of 1280x720 (720P) or 1920x1080 (1080P, also known as Full HD).

* Ultra-High-Definition (UHD): 4K UHD video is an emerging resolution standard of 3840x2160 (2160P). 8K UHD, which stands for 7680 x 4320 pixels (also known as 4320p), has also entered the public eye. 12K (12288 x 6480) also exists now, but it is still rare.

Upscaling video resolution, such as converting SD video to HD video, involves increasing the number of pixels in the video to match the HD format. However, the added pixels do not enhance its quality because the original video does not contain more detail. Instead, they merely fill in the gaps, often creating a blurry or pixelated image. Therefore, converting low-quality videos (e.g., 320p) to higher resolutions like HD or 4K will not improve the video quality and may result in poor outcomes.

Even with software like WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro, which has a smart picture enhancement technology, if the original resolution is too low, the quality of the upscaled video will not meet your expectations. On the other hand, converting videos from slightly lower resolutions to higher ones, such as from 360p to 480p, 360P to 720P, 480P to 720P, 720P to 1080P, or 1080p to 4K, may yield satisfactory results.

On the contrary, reducing the video resolution (also known as downscaling), such as reducing 4K to 2K, 1080P, 720P, 480P, etc., usually brings better quality output, that is, the downscaled 4K video will be clearer when viewed on a 2K, 1080P, 720P, etc. screen. It also requires less space.