eli5 if my monitor is 1080p why does 4k look better than 1080p videos?

Question

shouldn’t 1080p and 4k have no difference if my monitor is only capable of displaying 1080p

In: 422

Answer 1

It can depend on the content. Most 4k content simply has more detail than content originally shot in 1080p. Those details will still come through to an extent even when downscaled. This effect is especially noticeable on streaming services where most 1080p content is compressed coming in. 4k content on the same service will also be compressed, but because it was larger to begin with, it’s larger and less compressed comparatively.