1080p and 720p stand for vertical screen resolution, or height, in pixels. The more pixels there are in an image, the clearer it will be. As such, a screen resolution of 1920x1080 (two million pixels when multiplied) should appear twice as sharp as a resolution of 1280x720 (fewer than one million pixels). Meanwhile, the “p” in 1080p and 720p stands for progressive scanning, which updates full frame images more quickly than traditionally interlaced content. There are times when it makes sense to invest in 1080p technology and times when 720p is enough. Why? Basically, because the human eye isn’t always capable of seeing what we want it to.