Netflix has four plans to choose from, three of which come without commercials. The difference between the plans is picture quality. You'll only get SD 1080 pixels on the Standard and the Standard with Ads plans, but only 720 pixels with the Basic plan. Premium comes with 4K + HDR.
Standard ($15.49/mo.) allows for both 720p and HD 1080p video resolution (depending on the content), and two simultaneous streams. This is the most popular Netflix plan. Premium ($19.99/mo.) can stream 720p, 1080p, and 4k video resolution, and allows for up to 4 simultaneous streams.
Picture Quality
For many, there will be little to no noticeable difference between 1080p — known as Full HD — and 720p — known as HD. However, those who pay more attention will definitely notice that 1080p results in a smoother, clearer image, and that 1080p is clearer than 1080i.
It actually depends on the size of the screen and where you are sitting. From a distance, it is virtually impossible for someone to tell the difference in quality between a 1080p and 4K screen. However, if you have a big enough screen, in a small enough room the difference is immediately apparent.
The main restrictions are down to the resolutions you can stream in and the number of simultaneous streams. Netflix Basic now offers streaming in high definition (HD), which is 720p. This applies across any device – your TV, phone and laptop.
Even if your TV does support 4K, you might find that it has an upscaling feature that makes HD Netflix content look good enough to not need the Premium package. If you only ever watch Netflix on your mobile, tablet, or small screen, you don't need the Premium tier. It's unlikely the device supports 4K anyway.
Well, if your show is available in UHD and your internet connection and device support the 4K streaming, yes it is worth going for the Premium plan. However, if you mainly use small screens like mobile or tablets, or if your device does not support Ultra HD streaming, the Netflix Standard plan would suffice.
Is it worth paying more for Netflix 4K Premium? Netflix 4K Premium will be worth it for those in a household where many people want to use Netflix, who have multiple devices that they want to download and watch movies or TV shows on, and/or value the high-quality of 4K, perhaps on a big-screen TV.
First of all, while the jump from 1080p to 4K is definitely noticeable, it won't be as apparent as it was going from SD (480p) to HD (720p). Moreover, to actually spot the difference between 4K and 1080p, you will need to watch the screen from a certain distance.
Ensure that your device is connected via an output method that supports HD video, such as HDMI or Component Video. You will also want to make sure that the video output settings on your device are configured for 720p or higher.
While 720p still isn't a “good” resolution, it is still HD, which is better than SD. The larger issue with Netflix's basic plan is that it's still being paired with SDR color and contrast rather than HDR. That means you're watching a very unsaturated version of your favorite shows.
Check your account settings
The Netflix Standard with ads, Standard, and Premium plans all support Full HD (1080p) streaming, but the Basic plan only allows for streaming in normal HD (720p).
A sweet and simple answer to you question. The basic plan of Netflix does not provide HD resolution. The HD resolution is only available for standard and premium packages. The resolution of Netflix basic plan is restricted to only 480p maximum.
Netflix's Premium plan already offers the highest quality viewing experience, with beautiful, crisp, 4K HDR video resolution without ads, the ability to watch and download series and films on four supported devices at a time, and more.
Sure they use more bandwidth, but with the amount of bandwidth they use, it is a drop in the bucket. The fee is a lot higher than the extra costs for it. It's just extra money so they can make sure the pay for their empl…. er executives can remain high.
The Netflix Basic Plan | Best for Frugal Individuals
You can't go wrong with the basic plan, mostly because it'll only cost you $9.99 per month. However, let's take a look at the minor restrictions you'll face. First, the video quality is pretty good, but the most you'll get is 480p resolution.
So yes, despite the rumors you may have heard floating around, the human eye is capable of seeing the difference between a 1080p screen and a 4K screen. The most important factors to remember are the quality of your eyesight, the size of your screen and the distance you sit from that screen when watching it.
It's more expensive than a standard HDTV. 4K TVs use more power than regular HD TVs.
The jump to 4K resolution is an effective quadrupling of 1080p. At 3840 pixels across and 2160 up and down, 4K jams four times as much information into the screen, with a whopping total of over 8 million pixels.
To find TV shows and movies available in Ultra HD, search Netflix for the terms "4K" or "UltraHD." If you're browsing Netflix, Ultra HD TV shows and movies show an Ultra HD logo next to their description.
Best streaming service overall
There's a reason why Netflix has become shorthand for streaming in general. The former movie rental service evolved into the top-tier streaming app that's a must-have in 2023.
The difference between the plans is picture quality. You'll only get SD 1080 pixels on the Standard and the Standard with Ads plans, but only 720 pixels with the Basic plan. Premium comes with 4K + HDR.
Full High Definition (FHD) is the resolution 1920x1080P. Ultra High Definition (UHD) is the resolution 3840x2160P. What this means is that there are more pixels per inch (PPI) in a UHD TV.