Wondering if the human eye can spot the difference between 720p and 1080p resolutions?

Its a good question, and an important one at that. There’s a bit of a price difference between HDTVs that display in 720p and ones that display in 1080p, so why should you fork over an extra wad of cash for something you might not be able to see? Sure, the price gap between 720 and 1080 has shrunk considerably in the past few years, but it’s still there, so it’s worth considering.

So lets get down to it: Can you tell the difference? Is the human eye capable of discerning a 720p display from a 1080p one?

Related: Digital Trends’ TV buying guide, the merits of 4K television, the difference between LCD and plasma.

For a deeper discussion on screen resolution, head over to our article “Does your living room need 4K?” or check out our TV buying guide for more HDTV tips.

The answer? It’s complicated. What you see depends on three factors: The size of your TV, the resolution of the screen, and the distance you sit from it. Your eyesight also plays a role, but we’re not optometrists here, so we’ll leave that part out of this discussion.