# Netflix Resolutions **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [October 2, 2014, 9:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738 "2014-10-02T09:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 9:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/1 "2014-10-02T09:42:04Z")
Alright, I was just chatting with a Netflix support guy and even he couldn’t answer this. Maybe some of you AV guys ( @theblue ) know more? When you’re streaming Netflix you can bring up a display that shows what resolution is playing. This is what I’ve seen: 480p 720p 1080p 1080 Super HD 2160 2160 SD Now those are in order from what I _think_ is lowest to highest. There may be a 2160 HD above 2160 SD, however I haven’t seen it yet. The support guy told me that the SD in “2160 SD” stands for “standard definition” … but that doesn’t make much sense because 2160 is certainly higher than HD. Can anyone clear this up? ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 9:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/2 "2014-10-02T09:50:50Z")
2160 is mostly likely Ultra High Definition, which is 3840 x 2160 at 16:9 aspect ratio (this is basically broadcast 4K). The “SD” is probably the same 2160pixel height but with a shorter width to make it fit within the “SD” Aspect Ratio of 4:3. ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 9:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/3 "2014-10-02T09:53:08Z")
OK, but when it’s in 2160 SD it’s in 16:9 not 4:3… at least from what I can tell? ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 9:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/4 "2014-10-02T09:54:58Z")
> [@Onyx Z32](#): > > OK, but when it’s in 2160 SD it’s in 16:9 not 4:3… at least from what I can tell? So both 2160 signals are running at 16:9? that’s strange? Do they behave differently at all? ie, do they have any bars at the top and bottom to mess with the aspect ratio or anything? ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 10:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/5 "2014-10-02T10:08:04Z")
I would assume that netflix is simply saying SD and HD in the 4k category for different compression/bitrates because the average consumer doesn’t know compression but does understand resolution because that’s what marketing has been selling for ages. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 11:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/6 "2014-10-02T11:09:18Z")
4k is the new line of resolutions with 4,000 pixel widths. The format 3840x2160 (16:9) is the true resolution with the aspect ration but the “standard definition” in the industry or SD you see is 4096x2160 (19:10) which technically is the native resolution of a 4k TV ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 11:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/7 "2014-10-02T11:17:52Z")
4K has become the common name for ultra high definition television (UHDTV), although its resolution is only **3840 x 2160** (at a 16:9, or 1.78:1 aspect ratio), which is lower than the 4K industry standard of **4096 x 2160** (at a 19:10 or 1.9:1 aspect ratio). > **[4K resolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution)** > > 4K resolution, also called 4K, refers to a horizontal screen display resolution in the order of 4,000 pixels. There are several different 4K resolutions in the fields of digital television and digital cinematography. In television and consumer media, 4K UHD or UHD-1 is the dominant 4K standard. In the movie projection industry, Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI 4K) is the dominant 4K standard. In 2015, the 4K television market share increased as prices fell dramatically during 2014 and 2015. By 202... but going back to my preivous response, I doubt they giving you a different res between the two 4k options. ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/8 "2014-10-02T11:33:17Z")
> [@boardjnky4](#): > > So both 2160 signals are running at 16:9? that’s strange? Do they behave differently at all? ie, do they have any bars at the top and bottom to mess with the aspect ratio or anything? Yeah the aspect ratio doesn’t change. No black bars anywhere. > [@theblue](#): > > I would assume that netflix is simply saying SD and HD in the 4k category for different compression/bitrates because the average consumer doesn’t know compression but does understand resolution because that’s what marketing has been selling for ages. So maybe 2160 SD is maybe just a lower compression 2160? > [@boxxa](#): > > 4k is the new line of resolutions with 4,000 pixel widths. The format 3840x2160 (16:9) is the true resolution with the aspect ration but the “standard definition” in the industry or SD you see is 4096x2160 (19:10) which technically is the native resolution of a 4k TV So when it says “2160” then the resolution is at 3840x2160 And when it says “2160 SD” then the resolution is at 4096x2160 I guess my brain is stuck associating “SD” as being a lower resolution than anything. Am I right? I couldn’t find this info anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 11:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/9 "2014-10-02T11:37:17Z")
I don’t think there is any consumer content at 4096x2160 since only movie theaters are using that and no TVs come at that res. Maybe they’re interpolating it up, but why? ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/10 "2014-10-02T11:52:00Z")
Alright, so: “4K” = “Ultra HD 4K” = “2160 SD” = 3840x2160 Is this correct? - - - Updated - - - And I’ve been looking for the differences in 1080p too. Apparently “1080 Super HD” \> 1080p: ![http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Netflix-HD-348x196.png](http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Netflix-HD-348x196.png) What exactly makes it better I can’t find. “Beautiful & smooth” might just be a compression difference like mentioned earlier. - - - Updated - - - … And anyone know how to get Netflix to display the bitrate and resolution in detail like in this image below? ![http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/b7de33fb076fa1f60078e5a82a318309/01netflix-4k-bitratecrop.jpg](http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/b7de33fb076fa1f60078e5a82a318309/01netflix-4k-bitratecrop.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/11 "2014-10-02T12:02:13Z")
> [@Onyx Z32](#): > > Yeah the aspect ratio doesn’t change. No black bars anywhere. > > So maybe 2160 SD is maybe just a lower compression 2160? > > So when it says “2160” then the resolution is at 3840x2160 > And when it says “2160 SD” then the resolution is at 4096x2160 > > I guess my brain is stuck associating “SD” as being a lower resolution than anything. Am I right? > > I couldn’t find this info anywhere. Think of your TV in a sense of pixels. With every dot turned on, the standard resolution is 4096 x 2160 (ratio 19:10) for a true 4k image. This is referred to as standard definition and native resolution which YouTube and Netflix support. If you stream a 1080p video that is the 1080p stretched to 2160p which is only the 3840x2160 (ration 16:9) which will be black bared. Only streaming services really support the standard definition. This happened when 1080P came out. Watch like a Batman movie or one that was on Bluray or even in a theatre. You will see some scenes go full screen and ratio and some will be black barred. Standard Definition is actually sending you a true 4k image so don’t let standard definition throw you off. ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/12 "2014-10-02T12:20:25Z")
I’m unable to find what resolution netflix 4k is… The goal as a geek is to receive 1:1 pixel content vs the TV / monitor so that no interpolation takes place. what I can find is that 15.6Mbps is what you need to sustain before quality loss. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/13 "2014-10-02T12:23:51Z")
> [@theblue](#): > > I’m unable to find what resolution netflix 4k is… The goal as a geek is to receive 1:1 pixel content vs the TV / monitor so that no interpolation takes place. This is “Standard Definition”. Netflix sends the 1:1 ratio to a true 4k tv. The video needs to be recorded in it so usually only a few shows they make will support true 1:1 4k. A IMAX movie has a high resolution and may have more pixels than your TV but they may only stream a 16:9 cropped version. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 12:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/14 "2014-10-02T12:31:51Z")
OK, boxxa, I have to ask because I thought I was having the same issue. Do you have a Mac/Apple device that is auto-correcting ratio to ration? Because I kept having “ration” come up earlier every time I typed what I thought was “ratio”, and I couldn’t figure out if it was auto-correcting or if I was typing it that way. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/netflix-resolutions/270738/15 "2014-10-02T13:35:30Z")
I am on a Windows PC in Chrome. Not sure if its just me being stupid and not knowing how to spell ratio or some reason I wanted to type ration subliminally.