Why is HD 1080p? | Nostalgia Nerd
Support the channel at https://www.patreon.com/nostalgianerd / Grab my book (affiliate) https://nnerd.me/GadgetsGizmos ~ Screen resolutions have changed a lot over the years. We started out with a set number of horiztonal lines with early television, before jumping to digital and onto HD, but why oh why is HD 1080p? Why is that the resolution we settled for on both TV and computer?
⌚Timings⌚
00:00-00:24 Introduction
00:24-00:48 Nerd Stuff
00:48-04:45 Early TV resolutions
04:45-08:25 Early Computer resolutions
08:25-16:58 HDTV
16:58-18:22 HDTV meets Computer
18:22-20:32 The 1080p Proposal
20:32-20:58 Credits
🔗Video Links🔗
Sony CRT: youtube.com/watch?v=SCVa-Vu1C5g
CCIR Recommendations 1982: https://search.itu.int/history/HistoryDigitalCollectionDocLibrary/4.281.43.en.1013.pdf
XVIth CCIR Plenary Assembly: https://search.itu.int/history/HistoryDigitalCollectionDocLibrary/4.282.57.en.100.pdf
Study Group 11 Conclusions: https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/opb/hdb/R-HDB-11-1989-PDF-E.pdf
BT.709-6 HDTV Standards: https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/bt/R-REC-BT.709-6-201506-I!!PDF-E.pdf
SMPTE Standard: http://car.france3.mars.free.fr/HD/INA-%2026%20jan%2006/SMPTE%20normes%20et%20confs/s240m.pdf
CCIR Recommendations 1992: https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/bt/R-REC-BT.601-3-199209-S!!PDF-E.pdf
HDTV Development Europe: https://tech.ebu.ch/docs/techreview/trev_311-wood_hdtv.pdf
Rec 601 Peter Rainger Interview: https://tech.ebu.ch/docs/techreview/trev_304-rec601_rainger.pdf
Rec 601 Chris Clarke BBC: https://tech.ebu.ch/docs/techreview/trev_304-rec601_bbc.pdf
EU “Route map to HD”: https://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3298.pdf
HDTV Overview: https://www.itu.int/net/ITU-R/information/docs/flyers/hdtv-25th-anniversary-en.pdf
CCIR 1978 Recommendations: https://search.itu.int/history/HistoryDigitalCollectionDocLibrary/4.280.43.en.1011.pdf
Origins of 4:2:2 DTV Standard: https://tech.ebu.ch/docs/techreview/trev_304-rec601_wood.pdf
“Present State of HD TV”: https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/opb/rep/R-REP-BT.801-4-1990-PDF-E.pdf
HDTV Harmonization: https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/opb/rep/R-REP-BT.2003-1994-PDF-E.pdf
King’s Quest: https://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2015/10/advantages-of-160×200-16-color.html
Jill of the Jungle: https://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2013/10/320×200-resolution-of-choice-for-ibm-pc.html
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@GreenBlueWalkthrough
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
To be fair HD is 720P, FHD is 1080p, 4k is UHD and then we kinda gave up as 8k and 16k have no names that I've heard.
@erikhoeffner
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
That was informative, but didn't really answer the simple question in my opinion. Why is it HD, what is the main benefit? What does the term actually refer to?
@polocatfan
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
The real answer is YouTube was told to stop serving HD video during the pandemic in order to conserve bandwidth, so they redefined HD as 1080p instead of 720p and somehow nobody caught on?
@KingLarbear
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
21:10 is the best aspect ratio
@yeh4665
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Captions are completely wrong 👍
@Pete4000uk
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
I wonder what technology is being developed now (2025) that we will get in the 2050s
@lomein2186
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
FHD is 1080p, HD is 720p! title is incorrect
@JamesColley1990
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
To be onest I don't see much of a improvement in 8k 16k I mean really the next jump is when U get to 3d and virtual reality which U can't exsperiance at the moment on TV screens whith Ur own eyes U have to weather special eye were so I don't see the 16 k having much gain the picture is exceptional so what next
@therealpbristow
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Shame on you for starting with NTSC, not even mentioning that the UK started out with 405 line (roughly 360 visible) well before NTSC got going. =:o}
@Amanda-f3i1b
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
FHD is still the best!
@pitpunk7649
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
You didn't mention who Invented color tv.
"Engineer Guillermo Gonzales Camarena"
But you got sure to say
Ay ay ay. 🤔
@Korn1holio
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Watching this video with subtitles on gives me schizophrenia, because subtitles sometimes say more, and sometime say less than the narrator.
@Andrew_dot_pls
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
I still have my Pioneer 50" plasma from 2008 and it's 720P HD ready.
It displays 1080P brilliantly as expected but what's weird is when it's fed with a decent 4K signal, the picture is noticeably better and I mean like 50%-60% or more better.
I have had numerous discussions with Grok about this and although it came up with good reasons why this is, I'm still blown away that it happens lol
Some of the Sony 4K demos are just amazing, with deep deep blacks and stunning well defined colours with a noticeable resolution improvement.
It's like I don't even need an HD TV let alone a 4K one 🙂
Is there a human out there that can explain this please?
@Trashingcanine
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Daddy, please broadcast me in 16 million pixels through your lcd screen
@ronald3836
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
8*40 = 320 (40 columns), 2*320 = 640 (80 columns), 3*640 = 1920 (finally decent room for my windows), 9/16*1920 = 1080 (widescreen TV).
@andycristea
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
but why do we still hava overscan and underscan? why isn't 1080p, 1080p?
@jmtradbr
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Fun fact: 1440p is four 720p screens. 4k is four 1080p screens.
@ladis123
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Awesome channel.
@aterikasedi
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Great and very informative documentary.
@macbuff81
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
I'm watching all of this on my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is capable of taking 8k video at 30hz 😉
@theodanielwollff
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
HD is any full frame. Interlaced (I) is SD. So 480P is "HD", but generally marketing says 720P because the first LCD TVs was 720P and they wanted something to market.
@tir560
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
I don't get where the .912 and 1.094 values for pixel aspect ratio are from…
@nolla-m4u
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
@@@_
@A_Candy_Sensei
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Bruh the captions are something😂
@davidhaslett9777
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
The BBC where 10 years prior to the American counterparts
@Typhon888
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
TBH 480p is HD IAH
@olivermead415
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
watching this in 1200×800
@freeboski
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
1680×1050 was always my fav resolution. I am actually typing this on a Samsung SyncMaster 206bw which is 1680×1050 from around circa 2007. I do a lot of purchasing of laptops for my company and all busines laptops we buy are now 16:10 which I feel is a great comeback of the aspect ratio.
@GhostAntagonist
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Thanks for the bloody history lesson.
@TEDodd
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
1080 was a step backwards for computers. I'd been using 1600×1200 for years.
sucks that monitors went the cheap route and followed TV resolutions.
@urnoob5528
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
hd is 720p not 1080p
@Artsificial
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
This explains a lot of common issues encountered back in the 00's. Man was it an adventure. I want to go back to analog.
@MaxxJagX
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
What's crazy is that even today, most broadcasts are still 720p or 1080i. Some outliers like 4k do exist for sports, but yea, it's sad.
Also, lots of content providers limit to 1080p due to "DRM" or worse, upsell.
@diogeneslaertius3365
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
You are doing exactly what many YouTubers are making fun of: "long historical introduction, wasting most of the time the video runs".
Next time start in the Stone Age and talk about art in general and how it leads to the invention of TV in the 20th century.
@hylsy4
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
1080p is not HD. 720p is HD
@Keegeth
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
No 1440 😢
@L2_Impart
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
I still remember when youtube used to have an "hd" on 720p. And when it didn't support 8k.
@Gamewizard13th
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
0:20 yay for history lesson
@supeskrim
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
Price comparison (1988), source: chatgpt
Sony HDM-2830 (28-inch CRT, 16:9, HDVS monitor) → $30,000–$40,000
Sony HDM-3830 (38-inch CRT, 16:9, HDVS monitor) → $50,000+
Sony HDD-1000 HDVS VTR (HD tape recorder) → $100,000
Brand-new Honda Accord → ~$11,000
Brand-new BMW 325i (E30) → ~$21,000
Brand-new Corvette C4 → ~$30,000
@jamieimbusch
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
I've still got an original HD tv from the early 2000s, it's 720p.
@Wallee580
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 am
As someone who's worked with old monitors and made videos I can say resolutions are weird. Just give me plain new 1920×1080 with 720p video and I'm happy.
I used to care less about FPS, often opting for 24-30 when possible, but now I like 60 when gaming.
The reason I like lower resolution and FPS for video is because unlike my monitors, my internet has gotten worse over time…
Comments are closed.