Video Resolutions Explained
720p, 1080p, 4K what they actually mean, when they matter, and what they cost.
| Resolution | Pixels | File size (8s MP4) | Best for | Credits (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720p | 1280 × 720 | ~20–40MB | Draft, preview, social | ~75 |
| 1080p | 1920 × 1080 | ~50–100MB | Most social, YouTube, ads | ~150 |
| 4K | 3840 × 2160 | ~200–500MB | Print, broadcast, large displays | ~300 |
Do you actually need 4K?
For social media (TikTok, Reels, YouTube shorts), 1080p is effectively the maximum useful resolution. Most phones display at 1080p or below, and platform compression strips out the 4K advantage anyway.
4K genuinely matters for: broadcast TV, large-format displays, cinema, print production, and content you expect to reuse at higher quality in the future ("future-proofing" your archive).
Our recommendation: generate at 1080p for iteration and social, upgrade to 4K for final hero assets.