You would consider it a waste of money when you pay for a service or a product, but in the end, you get a version that is less than what you settled for.
The same way you feel when you get a TV that should display in 4k resolution and instead gives you 1080p.
In most cases, it is abnormal, and there has to be a reason behind it, so why is your television displaying in 1080p instead of 4k?
A TV that should display videos in 4k is in 1080p because either the input is not in 4k resolution or you used an unsupportive HDMI. So to fix this problem, you either change the HDMI cable or reset the input to 4k.
In this article, you will find out if it is normal for your TV to display in 1080p instead of 4k.
We will also provide you with various reasons why your TV displays in 1080p instead of 4k, alongside various possible fixes; please stick with us!
Why Is My 4k TV Saying 1080p?
A common reason your 4k TV display in 1080p is using the wrong HDMI cable that doesn’t support 4k resolution.
In typical situations, 4k TVs are always supposed to display in 4k resolution, but sometimes a few issues can lead to your TV displaying fewer resolutions.
Although it is possible for a higher TV to display with a lower resolution, it is never possible for a lower resolution to upgrade to a higher one.
For instance, you cannot have your 4k TV displaying in 8k, and you can also not have your 1080p TV displaying in 4k.
There are several reasons why your TV displays in lower resolutions than it should, some common reasons why this happens include:
#1. Wrong Input
The most common cause your TV displays in a lower resolution is wrong input.
So even if you get a 4k resolution with the incorrect input, you would get an upscaled 4k image to fit your screen, but the signal still cannot be converted to 4k.
So, in summary, if the DVD or whatever form of input that would be going into the TV is not in 4k resolution, it cannot display in 4k resolution.
In most cases of wrong input, you should likely see black border lines around the TV display, but you wouldn’t find these black borders due to upscaling. An excellent instance of this reason is YouTube.
Although YouTube is automatically set to display in 4k, if you watch a video from 2002, the video quality might be 1080p due to the age of the video.
#2. Speed Of the Internet
It is usual for several streaming platforms to reduce the quality of videos whenever the network is not good enough.
You can only avoid this issue when you already have the video downloaded, and the internet speed cannot affect your video quality.
The internet issues mainly apply to many streaming sites like YouTube and Netflix. You can use a 4k device to stream, but poor internet quality can degrade the video quality.
#3. Video Quality Plans
Some platforms where you can stream movies and videos allow you to choose video quality options.
So if you go for a lower level, like 1080p, even if your device uses a high resolution, like 4k, the video quality would still be lower.
If you use Netflix to stream your movies, you will notice that they have three streaming options; basic, standard, and premium. Only the premium choice provides you with that option.
The basic option allows you to view it in standard definition. In contrast, the standard plan will enable you to view it in HD.
#4. HDMI Cable
This option may sound weird, but the cable you use to send input to your TV can also be why your video display quality is poor on a 4k TV.
There are several cables for several video qualities because not all calls can handle very high video qualities.
For instance, the HDMI 1 X cables are unable to take 4k, and for that reason, they degrade the video quality.
Differences Between the 4K Resolution and 1080p Resolution
Below is a difference between the 4k and 1080p TV resolutions;
| 4k Resolution | 1080p Resolution |
|---|---|
| The 4k has four times more resolution than the 1080p | 1080p has four times less resolution than the 4k |
| 4k resolution has more content than 1080p | The contents in 1080p are less |
| 4k resolutions are more available | It is harder to find 1080p TV resolutions now |
| 4k TVs are expensive | 1080p TVs are cost-effective |
| 4k TVs provide you with a more dynamic cool |
How Do I Change My TV From 1080p to 4k?
If your TV is set to a resolution already, you cannot upgrade the Resolution of the TV as a user.
For instance, if you watch a movie with 1080p video quality on a TV with a 4k resolution, the firmware picks the movie quality or input. It shows it to you as 1080p quality resolution and vice versa.
The only way you can change the Resolution of your TV is when you have a high-resolution TV, and for some reason, possibly the ones mentioned above, it degrades.
So if you have a TV with an original 4k resolution, but it displays in 1080p, you can change the resolution.
Many would expect every video you watch to be 4k resolution when your TV comes with a 4k resolution. It is usually only that way if you use an ultra-HD Blu-ray player.
If you’re watching videos on YouTube or Netflix, the 4k Resolution of your TV would be useless because it would have zero effect on the video you’re watching.
The only exception is if the video has a clear enough resolution from the source.
To successfully carry this out, I strongly recommend the VideoProc Converter because it has a unique motion-adaptive pixel scaling algorithm.
Follow these four steps below, and you can improve your viewing quality to 4k with the converter;
- The first step is downloading the video-proc converter on your PC or computer.
- Launch the app, move to the video processing interface, and then import the videos whose quality you want to improve.
- Move to the toolbox and select 4k as your desired output device.
- Afterward, move back to your primary interface and select “run” to generate your videos in 4k.
Apart from the method stated above, you can upgrade from 1080p to 4k using the correct cable.
The suitable cable you should use is HDMI 1.4, which supports videos in 4k Resolution with a richer color palette. So even without the HDR, you would need a high-speed HDMI cable.
What Is the Best Resolution For 4k TVs?
The best Resolution for your 4k TVs is the ultra-high definition, which is about 3840×2160 pixels, a total of 8,294 400 pixels.
The ultra-resolution is four times the quality of the regular full HD screen, i.e., the number of pixels is the image resolution sent to your television.
The ultra-high definition, also referred to as the 2160p, uses ultra-HD Blu-ray to offer you the best from your ultra-resolution for your 4k TVs.
The 4k high-definition resolution provides the best viewing experience, although a few other streaming platforms have restrictions.
When streaming on your TV with either Netflix, video, or even YouTube, you would not be able to view your television’s resolution. However, the video quality can still look pretty good.
Most times, the quality of the video you’re watching on your ultra-resolution TV depends on the quality of the camera used in shooting the videos that creators upload on YouTube.
In summary, the quality of the video you’re watching on your 4k TV resolution solely depends on the quality of the camera used in shooting the video.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, some common reasons why your 4k TV displays in 1080p are;
- How fast your internet is.
- Your internet plans.
- Incorrect HDMI cables.
- Wrong input.
Don’t get worked up over not getting the 4k TV resolution; you have to consider certain factors like your distance from the screen, how good your eyes are, and how big your screen is; sometimes, the standard HD might do the trick.