Because there are more pixels in 1080p, less anti-aliasing is required for a smooth visual experience. Screen resolution can be especially important in video gaming. Again, resolution is not all there is to picture quality, but for the average user, modern smartphones' video recording capabilities have the potential to be just as good for casual video-making as cheap camcorders. Modern smartphones, like the iPhone 5c/5s, the Samsung Galaxy S5, and the HTC One, tend to film at 1080p quality and at 30 frames per second, if not better. On YouTube and Vimeo, high quality videos often allow for 720p or even 1080p streaming. DirecTV displays a '1080pHD' logo on 1080p pay-per-view content, and all their latest DirecTV Cinema content is in 1080p. Apple TV allows users to choose between 720p and 1080p streaming. Netflix typically streams at 720p, but with the release and expansion of what it calls 'Super HD,' users are able to stream more and more content at 1080p quality with a high-speed internet connection. Moreover, there are still DVD players around that only carry support for up to 480p or 480i, meaning a viewer cannot get the full experience of any high-definition DVD they insert into the player. Regular DVD quality can vary considerably, with some displaying content at a resolution lower than 720p, such as 480p. HD DVDs contain 720p content and sometimes 1080p, while all Blu-ray discs contain 1080p content. New TVs may attempt to automatically change settings to whatever is most appropriate, but they may fail to do so in some cases. Those who want the best picture quality need to change their TV's settings to accommodate changing video feeds. When watching digital TV, video quality can vary wildly. Some video content is filmed or trimmed to a smaller vertical resolution than 1080 pixels-or it's interlaced, rather than progressively scanned-but it is still considered HD.

The FCC defines high-definition (HD) quality video as 720p, 1080p, and 1080i, and all modern TVs carry support for at least 720p resolution, with many supporting 1080p.

The video below offers a summary of the differences between 1080p and 720p in terms of picture quality. Image smoothness is affected by many other factors, including how big a TV is, how close one sits to it, what DVD player is in use, what a TV's refresh rate is or what its aspect ratio is set to, and even what the frame rate of the video or game content is. Not everything comes down to resolution, however. Comparing the visual quality of different resolutions and standards.

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