Resolution reference
3840 × 2160 resolution (4K UHD / 2160p)
Short answer
3840 × 2160 (4K, 4K UHD) is a 16:9 landscape resolution with 8,294,400 pixels (8.29 megapixels). Consumer 4K. Four times the pixels of 1080p, and four times the encoding cost.
Key takeaways
- 3840 × 2160 is 16:9, landscape, 8,294,400 pixels (8.29 MP).
- Consumer 4K. Four times the pixels of 1080p, and four times the encoding cost.
- For video, YouTube's 2160p (4K) tier applies: 35-45 Mbps at 24-30 fps, about 263-338 MB a minute.
- Printed at 300 DPI it is 12.8 × 7.2 inches.
3840 × 2160 specifications
| Width × height | 3,840 × 2,160 pixels |
|---|---|
| Also called | 3840x2160, 4K, 4K UHD, 2160p, UHD |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9, decimal 1.7778 |
| Orientation | landscape |
| Total pixels | 8,294,400 (8.29 megapixels) |
| Compared with 1080p | 4.00× the pixels of 1920 × 1080 |
| Diagonal | 4,406 pixels |
| Rotated | 2160 × 3840 (see that page) |
| Encoder safe | Yes: both sides are even, as H.264 and HEVC with 4:2:0 color require |
3840 × 2160 compared with common resolutions
| Resolution | Pixels | 3840 × 2160 has |
|---|---|---|
| 720p (1280 × 720) | 921,600 | 9.00× as many |
| 1080p (1920 × 1080) | 2,073,600 | 4.00× as many |
| 1440p (2560 × 1440) | 3,686,400 | 2.25× as many |
| 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) | 8,294,400 | 1.00× as many |
3840 × 2160 vs 2560 × 1440 and 3840 × 2160 vs 7680 × 4320
3840 × 2160 has 125% more pixels than 1440p (2560 × 1440). On a 32-inch screen that is 138 vs 92 pixels per inch, so text and fine detail look sharper at 3840 × 2160. A game or encoder has to process 2.25× as many pixels per frame, which costs frame rate on the same graphics card and, at equal quality, file size.
8K (7680 × 4320) has 300% more pixels than 3840 × 2160. On a 32-inch screen that is 138 vs 275 pixels per inch, so text and fine detail look softer at 3840 × 2160. A game or encoder processes only 25% as many pixels per frame, which helps frame rates and keeps files smaller.
| 3840 × 2160 | 1440p (2560 × 1440) | 8K (7680 × 4320) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixels | 8,294,400 | 3,686,400 | 33,177,600 |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| YouTube bitrate, 24-30 fps | 35-45 Mbps | 16 Mbps | 80-160 Mbps |
| Desktop space (vs 1080p) | 400% | 178% | 1600% |
Where 3840 × 2160 is used
ITU-R BT.2020 (2012) defined 3840 × 2160 as the first ultra-high-definition format, exactly twice 1080p in each direction. Marketing borrowed the cinema name "4K", although cinema 4K is 4096 × 2160.
- 4K televisions, streaming services and YouTube's 4K tier (35-45 Mbps recommended at 24-30 fps).
- Phones, mirrorless cameras and drones that record "4K".
- 27- and 32-inch high-resolution monitors.
- Masters for 1080p delivery: downscaling 4K to 1080p looks sharper than recording 1080p directly.
Pixel density (PPI) by screen size
Pixel density is the diagonal in pixels (4,406) divided by the screen diagonal in inches. The last column is the distance at which a person with normal vision stops seeing individual pixels (one arcminute of visual acuity).
| Screen diagonal | PPI | Pixels blend at about |
|---|---|---|
| 27 inches | 163 | 21 in (54 cm) |
| 32 inches | 138 | 25 in (63 cm) |
| 43 inches | 102 | 34 in (85 cm) |
| 55 inches | 80 | 3.6 ft (1.1 m) |
| 65 inches | 68 | 4.2 ft (1.3 m) |
| 75 inches | 59 | 4.9 ft (1.5 m) |
Print sizes for a 3840 × 2160 image
| Print resolution | Inches | Centimeters | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | 12.8 × 7.2 | 32.5 × 18.3 | Photo prints, magazines |
| 240 DPI | 16.0 × 9.0 | 40.6 × 22.9 | Inkjet photo prints |
| 150 DPI | 25.6 × 14.4 | 65.0 × 36.6 | Posters seen from a meter or more |
| 72 DPI | 53.3 × 30.0 | 135.5 × 76.2 | Screen only; too coarse for print |
Free tool:DPI and print size calculator
Video at 3840 × 2160: bitrate and file size
| Frame rate | Bitrate | Per minute | Per 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-30 fps | 35-45 Mbps | about 263-338 MB | about 2630-3380 MB |
| 48-60 fps | 53-68 Mbps | about 398-510 MB | about 3980-5100 MB |
Uncompressed, one 3840 × 2160 frame is 24.9 MB as 8-bit RGB, or 12.4 MB in the 8-bit 4:2:0 format video codecs work in. At 30 fps that is 2,986 Mbps of raw video, which is why every delivery format compresses it.
Posting 3840 × 2160 to social platforms
How the frame lands in each common shape, either fitted whole with bars or scaled up to fill and cropped:
| Target frame | Fit with bars | Fill and crop |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 (TikTok, Reels, Shorts), 1080 × 1920 | 1080 × 608 picture, 68% of the frame is bars | Keeps 32% of the picture (crops the width) |
| 16:9 (YouTube), 1920 × 1080 | Fills exactly | No crop needed |
| 4:5 (feed portrait), 1080 × 1350 | 1080 × 608 picture, 55% of the frame is bars | Keeps 45% of the picture (crops the width) |
| 1:1 (square), 1080 × 1080 | 1080 × 608 picture, 44% of the frame is bars | Keeps 56% of the picture (crops the width) |
Free tools:Crop video to 9:16Crop video to 16:9Crop an image to 4:5
How to resize to 3840 × 2160
- In an editor, set the sequence or export frame size to 3840 × 2160; if the source has a different shape, choose scale to fill (crop) or scale to fit (bars) rather than stretch.
- With FFmpeg, exact size:
ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -vf scale=3840:2160 -c:a copy out.mp4 - With FFmpeg, keep the whole picture and add bars:
ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -vf "scale=3840:2160:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=3840:2160:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2" -c:a copy out.mp4 - Upscaling a smaller source to 3840 × 2160 makes the file bigger without adding detail; scale down from a larger master when you can.
| Scale | Size | Pixels |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | 960 × 540 | 518,400 |
| 50% | 1920 × 1080 | 2,073,600 |
| 75% | 2880 × 1620 | 4,665,600 |
| 150% | 5760 × 3240 | 18,662,400 |
| 200% | 7680 × 4320 | 33,177,600 |
Same 16:9 shape:1920 × 10801280 × 7202560 × 1440854 × 480640 × 360426 × 2407680 × 43201366 × 7681600 × 900
Check a file against 3840 × 2160
Extension and MIME type are labels, not proof of the container. Dimensions and duration come from this browser's media reader. The frame rate is measured by playing the first frames muted; a file faster than your screen's refresh rate reads low. This does not detect codecs, bitrate, corruption or platform upload compatibility. Files and measurements are not sent anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Is 3840×2160 4K?
Yes. 3840×2160 is 4K UHD, also called 2160p: the consumer 4K standard with 8,294,400 pixels. Cinema (DCI) 4K is slightly wider at 4096×2160.
What aspect ratio is 3840×2160?
16:9, a width-to-height ratio of 1.7778.
What bitrate should a 3840×2160 video use for YouTube?
YouTube recommends 35-45 Mbps at 24-30 fps and 53-68 Mbps at 48-60 fps for its 2160p (4K) tier (SDR). That is about 263-338 MB per minute at standard frame rates, before audio.
How does 3840×2160 compare with 1080p?
It has 4.00× the pixels of 1920×1080 (8,294,400 vs 2,073,600). Encoding time and file size at equal quality scale roughly with pixel count.
What is 3840×2160 resolution called?
3840 × 2160 is also called 4K, 4K UHD, 2160p, UHD. Consumer 4K. Four times the pixels of 1080p, and four times the encoding cost.
How many megapixels is 3840×2160?
8,294,400 pixels, which is 8.29 megapixels. A 12-megapixel phone photo (4032 × 3024) has 1.5× as many.
How big can I print a 3840×2160 image?
At 300 DPI, the usual photo-print target, 12.8 × 7.2 inches (32.5 × 18.3 cm). At 150 DPI, fine for posters viewed from a distance, twice that: 25.6 × 14.4 inches.
Sources and how we checked
- YouTube Help: Recommended upload encoding settings (checked 2026-10-05)
- ITU-R Recommendation BT.2020: Parameter values for ultra-high definition television (checked 2026-10-06)
Pixel counts, ratios, PPI, print sizes, data rates and platform fits are computed from the width and height. Device figures are the makers' own; bitrates are YouTube's recommendations. Reviewed October 6, 2026 by the Koldflux team.