Facebook Video Quality Explained: SD, HD and Higher Resolutions

It is important to understand,

However, that video quality is decided by multiple factors. Upload quality, website's compression standard, codec used for compression and the version of the video made available are some of the factors that may impact the overall video quality.

Depending on a user's bandwidth and device, Facebook may play a video of lower or higher quality than what was initially uploaded. In a 2019 report, The Verge quoted Facebook (now Meta) stating that, its video system, “...can render a video at multiple resolutions such as 360p, 480p, 720p and 1080p and stream the video using adaptive bitrate.”

 When using FBB DOWNLOADER, the best rule of thumb is to choose the highest resolution video that is available.

Understanding Video Resolution

Resolution of a video refers to the number of pixels in each frame of the video.

Some standard widescreen resolutions are:

 640 x 360, often used with older standard definition (SD) video

 1280 x 720 (720p)

 1920 x 1080 (1080p)

 2560 x 1440 (1440p or 2K)

 3840 x 2160 (2K or 4K UHD)

 Resolution describes how many pixels are in a video, but there are other factors that impact the overall quality. Video encoders can change the final video quality even if it is of a higher resolution.

 A good example is the two 1080p videos. One may have been recorded by a high quality video camera, while the other was video recorded by a low quality video camera. The video recorded by the low quality video camera may also have been compressed.

Standard Definition (SD ) videos are of a lower resolution compared to High Definition (HD) videos. SD videos can be found at resolutions of 360p and 480p.

SD videos can be of acceptable quality. This is especially the case when the SD video is played on a mobile phone, which typically has a smaller display. Also, SD videos are smaller in file size.

A higher pixel count can be helpful for larger displays. However, the effectiveness of shooting in HD depends on the original source. A video shot in HD can still be compressed and look bad.

What is 720p?

720p refers to a resolution of 1280 x 720.

It is considered HD and is a good compromise between image quality and file size.

When a source has a relatively low frame size and you want a good quality video without a large file size, 720p would be a good choice.

When a Facebook video is only available at 720p, it doesn't mean the video quality is poor. It is possibly the best quality the video's content can be.

What is 1080p?

1080p means a resolution of 1920 x 1080.

It is considered "real" or "true" HD.

A 1080p video looks better than 720p when more pixel density is required. However, a 720p video can look just as good if the source is of a good quality and isn't heavily compressed.

Resolution should always be evaluated in addition to other aspects of video quality.

What's Beyond 1080p?

It's possible to capture video at a resolution higher than 1080p.

UHD or 4K content is recorded at 3840 × 2160. Other resolutions may also be metered at 2K or 1440p.

Not all, or maybe even a majority, of the videos on Facebook will be encoded at resolutions above 1080p.

Higher resolutions generally require more bandwidth, and although Facebook probably uses resolutions higher than 1080p, you can't assume a particular video will be above 1080p based on a lack of evidence to the contrary.

Different Resolutions for Different Videos

Different Facebook videos may have different resolutions.

Several different factors can impact the resolution of the video a user sees. The equipment used to capture and edit the video may vary. Depending on the equipment and skills of the user, the video may be recorded at a high resolution, or be compressed to a lower resolution.

Facebook may also process a video to alter the resolution, or re-encode the video to change the compression and/or the codec. All of this impacts the final quality of the video the user sees.

Because of the processing Facebook does on uploaded videos, two videos that are uploaded within a short time of each other may be encoded at differing qualities.

Facebook can only post a video with a resolution equal to or lower than the resolution of the video file being uploaded.

A video originally recorded in 1080p has more details than a 720p video. However, before sending the video to the user, Facebook may further process the video and decrease the quality.

Both examples show, for different reasons, that there are impacts to video quality from processing.

One benefit of processing a video is a reduction in file size. A video file can contain lots of data. If a video is not processed, transmitting the video can require a large amount of bandwidth. For a video to be posted on Facebook, the video file has to be processed. Meta published a report describing how it uses encoding, compression, codecs and adaptive bitrate streaming to process videos.

While processing a video can benefit a video file by decreasing its file size, visual quality may be lost. This may result in a lack of detail, blocks in an image, and loss of color gradient. Other factors may impact how much visual quality is lost. Missing Detail

This is an important difference.

If the highest resolution video available is 480p, a video downloader can change the resolution to 720p or 1080p, for example. However, increasing the resolution will not add detail that was not in the video in the first place.

To be clear, just because a video has an increased resolution, that doesn’t mean detail has been added to the video.

A similar situation happens with increasing the frame rate of a video. You can’t take a low frame rate video and change it to have a high frame rate just by increasing the frame rate of the video.

The same idea is used with FBB Load. Upscaling a video does not change the overall quality of the video.

Resolution and Bitrate

Generally, a higher resolution video contains more detail than a lower resolution video. Increasing resolution does not necessarily increase detail.

Bitrate can also impact detail. A video with a low bitrate can contain artifacts that negatively impact the quality of the video. A higher bitrate can allow for better detail.

When comparing downloads of a video, it is important to look at resolution. However, resolution is not the only factor that should be considered.

Using the download of the best quality is situation dependent.  For example, if the video is just being saved for later, the bitrate and resolution of the video does not matter as much. If the video is being edited, the bitrate and resolution matters more. If the video is being posted, both resolution and bitrate should be taken into account.

For Mobile Viewing

The resolution does not need to be very high, since the video will be played on a small screen.

A lower resolution file will also require less space and/or data.

Computer Viewing

The larger the screen, the more detail is appreciated.

A 1080p version might be a good choice when a lot of details, like faces or text, are present in the video.

Large Screen Viewing

A high quality version will always be better than a low quality one, and especially helpful when a lot of detail is expected.

A better quality version will also help with the issue of a large screen being a far away screen.

When a source is available in multiple resolutions, the highest quality will almost always be the largest.

A long and high quality video can take up less space than a short low quality one.

This means that, if you want to download multiple videos, the quality can greatly effect the total space used.

Choosing the highest quality for many videos can take a lot more space than choosing lower qualities.

Not choosing the highest quality for a single video can be good if space is very limited, like when a lot of videos are needed.

The question is, does the device you use to watch a video affect the quality of the actual file?

While different devices may change the way you perceive quality, they do not actually change the quality of the file.

For example, the video file quality of 1080p remains the same no matter what device you use to view it.

The experience of viewing the video file, however, can change a lot based on factors such as the display resolution of the device and the distance from the device you view it from.

For example, a 720p file may look really crisp on a small phone display, but when enlarged and viewed on a bigger, e.g. computer, display, it may look really poor and have a lot of compression artifacts.

In general, there are a lot of variables that can affect how you perceive video quality.

Why Does a Facebook Video Look Different at Different Times?

The main reason is that Facebook uses different video qualities based on your connection and other factors.

Facebook may use different qualities of the same video to make the playback smoother and avoid buffering.

This means, just because you see a low quality Facebook video, it doesn't mean that Facebook doesn't have a better copy of that video.

What Causes Playback Issues with Facebook Videos?

Facebook recommends that you try resetting your connection and using a more updated, better browser to rule out connection and browser issues respectively, before assuming that there is something wrong with Facebook's video infrastructure.

What is the Expected Quality of FBB DOWNLOADING?

The expected quality of FBB DOWNLOADING is the same as the quality of the Facebook videos you are processing with it. FBB DOWNLOADING cannot change Facebook video quality.

Video quality is determined by the highest resolution offered by the video host. If a host allows you to select a resolution up to 1080p, FBB Load will give you 1080p if that is the highest quality you want. If the highest resolution offered is 720p, then the maximum quality for that video will be 720p.

FBB DOWNLOADING is not obligated to produce a video at a higher resolution than is available. For example, if 1440p is not available, FBB Load is not required to produce that resolution.

So, the resolution offered by FBB Load is more important than an abstract statement about the maximum resolution a downloader is capable of producing.

Facebook processes videos in several steps. Think about these steps in this order when assessing Facebook video quality.

1. Quality of the original recording

How good was the camera or video capture device when it captured the video? Was it an HD video camera? Was it a low quality webcam?

2. Quality of the video processing by Facebook

This includes how well Facebook compressed the video, as well as the impact of other processing that Facebook may perform on videos.

3. Quality of the video in the processing stream

How well did Facebook deliver the video?

What qualities of the content can be specified?

4. Your Screen

How big is your display?

5. Your Requirements

Would a smaller file be convenient or would you want the biggest quality file if available?

Considering these points helps if the description of a file's quality sounds good but you don't fully understand it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 1080p better than 720p?

It depends on the recording. The video's file size, how it was compressed, and the display can affect the quality of the video.

Is 720p considered High Definition?

Yes, if the video is 1280 x 720 pixels, it is considered High Definition.

Can I get better quality by downloading in 1080p?

Not if the recording does not contain that quality to begin with.

What causes different levels of quality when dealing with 1080p video?

When looking at the quality of video, there are various factors at play, including the source, the bit rate, the codec, and compression, as well as the quality of the camera and the lighting conditions, to name a few. Therefore, videos with the same resolution (e.g. 1080p) can look very different from each other.

Are HDR and HD videos uploaded to Facebook in their original quality?

No. Facebook generates lower quality versions of videos. Sometimes, however, higher quality versions are not generated, and the best available quality for a video may still be quite low.

Should I always choose the highest available quality?

It depends on the situation. The best available quality for a video is often used when there is a need to save space on the device. However, for more casual viewing, a lower quality video may suffice.

In short,

Choosing video quality on Facebook can be misleading. Resolution is only one factor that defines video quality. There are several other factors including post-recording processing, compression, and display resolution.

When using the term "p" to define resolution on Facebook, 720p means the video has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, and 1080p videos are shown at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Beyond 1080p, there may be 1440p and 4K videos on Facebook; however, one should not assume that those higher resolutions will be available for all videos.

With FBB DOWNLOADING, the best thing to do is review the available choices for each video and select the resolution that meets your needs. You should not expect that all videos will provide the maximum resolution.

Keep in mind that the Facebook or other video source's quality is the best that the video will ever be. For example, converting a video that is of a lower quality to a 1080p or 4K resolution will not improve the quality and will not provide a true 1080p or 4K video.