Upscaling and Fullscreen: What's the Difference?

[Deus Gladiorum]

So, I'm curious. What is the difference between an upscaled image and fullscreen?

For example when a video natively at 1280x720 is put into fullscreen on a 1366x768 monitor, the image fits the entire screen. So in that sense, hasn't it been upscaled since it's now being displayed across every pixel?

I'm wondering because I read today that Infinity Ward confirmed that on Xbox One, CoD Ghosts will run natively at 720p and be upscaled to 1080p while it will run natively at 1080p on the PS4. So on the Xbox One, is its "upscaling" just another word for saying that the image will just be stretched to accommodate a screen with more pixels, and hence, is just another word for fullscreen?

 

[jepulisman]

Yes, upscaling is stretching for example 720p to 1080p. Native 1080p looks better than upscaled because it's accurate and not stretched unevenly.

 

[bystander]

So, I'm curious. What is the difference between an upscaled image and fullscreen?

For example when a video natively at 1280x720 is put into fullscreen on a 1366x768 monitor, the image fits the entire screen. So in that sense, hasn't it been upscaled since it's now being displayed across every pixel?

I'm wondering because I read today that Infinity Ward confirmed that on Xbox One, CoD Ghosts will run natively at 720p and be upscaled to 1080p while it will run natively at 1080p on the PS4. So on the Xbox One, is its "upscaling" just another word for saying that the image will just be stretched to accommodate a screen with more pixels, and hence, is just another word for fullscreen?

Fullscreen and upscaling are different things. Upscaling means it takes a smaller image and stretches it to fit the screen. Fullscreen simply means the whole screen is used and not in a window in the case of PC's. Being fullscreen does not mean the image was upscaled or not.

 

[Deus Gladiorum]

So, I'm curious. What is the difference between an upscaled image and fullscreen?

For example when a video natively at 1280x720 is put into fullscreen on a 1366x768 monitor, the image fits the entire screen. So in that sense, hasn't it been upscaled since it's now being displayed across every pixel?

I'm wondering because I read today that Infinity Ward confirmed that on Xbox One, CoD Ghosts will run natively at 720p and be upscaled to 1080p while it will run natively at 1080p on the PS4. So on the Xbox One, is its "upscaling" just another word for saying that the image will just be stretched to accommodate a screen with more pixels, and hence, is just another word for fullscreen?

Fullscreen and upscaling are different things. Upscaling means it takes a smaller image and stretches it to fit the screen. Fullscreen simply means the whole screen is used and not in a window in the case of PC's. Being fullscreen does not mean the image was upscaled or not.

Then I'm not sure I understand. If you're using fullscreen such as in the example I mentioned above going from native 1280x720 to fullscreen 1366x768, when it's full screen obviously the image is in fact taking up 1366x768 pixels, is it not? So how is that different from upscaling? If upscaling is distinct, then could you perhaps explain what upscaling is/does, because in the example you used it sounded like they were the same?

 

[bystander]

So, I'm curious. What is the difference between an upscaled image and fullscreen?

For example when a video natively at 1280x720 is put into fullscreen on a 1366x768 monitor, the image fits the entire screen. So in that sense, hasn't it been upscaled since it's now being displayed across every pixel?

I'm wondering because I read today that Infinity Ward confirmed that on Xbox One, CoD Ghosts will run natively at 720p and be upscaled to 1080p while it will run natively at 1080p on the PS4. So on the Xbox One, is its "upscaling" just another word for saying that the image will just be stretched to accommodate a screen with more pixels, and hence, is just another word for fullscreen?

Fullscreen and upscaling are different things. Upscaling means it takes a smaller image and stretches it to fit the screen. Fullscreen simply means the whole screen is used and not in a window in the case of PC's. Being fullscreen does not mean the image was upscaled or not.

Then I'm not sure I understand. If you're using fullscreen such as in the example I mentioned above going from native 1280x720 to fullscreen 1366x768, when it's full screen obviously the image is in fact taking up 1366x768 pixels, is it not? So how is that different from upscaling? If upscaling is distinct, then could you perhaps explain what upscaling is/does, because in the example you used it sounded like they were the same?

Upscaling to take up the whole screen will be fullscreen.

Fullscreen does not mean there is upscaling taking place. The video could natively fit the fullscreen without upscaling.

In your examples, the Xbox One and PS4 play at full screen on a 1080p display, but only the Xbox One upscales.

Note: Upscaling is lower quality than video that natively fits the full screen.

 

[Deus Gladiorum]

So, I'm curious. What is the difference between an upscaled image and fullscreen?

For example when a video natively at 1280x720 is put into fullscreen on a 1366x768 monitor, the image fits the entire screen. So in that sense, hasn't it been upscaled since it's now being displayed across every pixel?

I'm wondering because I read today that Infinity Ward confirmed that on Xbox One, CoD Ghosts will run natively at 720p and be upscaled to 1080p while it will run natively at 1080p on the PS4. So on the Xbox One, is its "upscaling" just another word for saying that the image will just be stretched to accommodate a screen with more pixels, and hence, is just another word for fullscreen?

Fullscreen and upscaling are different things. Upscaling means it takes a smaller image and stretches it to fit the screen. Fullscreen simply means the whole screen is used and not in a window in the case of PC's. Being fullscreen does not mean the image was upscaled or not.

Then I'm not sure I understand. If you're using fullscreen such as in the example I mentioned above going from native 1280x720 to fullscreen 1366x768, when it's full screen obviously the image is in fact taking up 1366x768 pixels, is it not? So how is that different from upscaling? If upscaling is distinct, then could you perhaps explain what upscaling is/does, because in the example you used it sounded like they were the same?

Upscaling to take up the whole screen will be fullscreen.

Fullscreen does not mean there is upscaling taking place. The video could natively fit the fullscreen without upscaling.

In your examples, the Xbox One and PS4 play at full screen on a 1080p display, but only the Xbox One upscales.

Note: Upscaling is lower quality than video that natively fits the full screen.

If fullscreen and upscaling are distinct, then you're still not explaining clearly what upscaling is then. Obviously if an image's native resolution is 1920x1080, and the monitor's native resolution is 1920x1080, then of course that image would already be in fullscreen because the image would be occupying the maximum number of pixels as the monitor could allow. So in that case, of course it's fullscreen but there's no upscaling or stretching occurring.

What I'm trying to ask here is in the case of an image which has a lower native resolution than that of the monitor's native resolution. So going back to the example of the 1280x720 video being displayed on a 1366x768 screen, when that 1280x720 video is put into fullscreen, isn't it then being upscaled to 1366x768? So in that instance, are fullscreen and upscaling not the same thing?

 

[bystander]

If fullscreen and upscaling are distinct, then you're still not explaining clearly what upscaling is then. Obviously if an image's native resolution is 1920x1080, and the monitor's native resolution is 1920x1080, then of course that image would already be in fullscreen because the image would be occupying the maximum number of pixels as the monitor could allow. So in that case, of course it's fullscreen but there's no upscaling or stretching occurring.

What I'm trying to ask here is in the case of an image which has a lower native resolution than that of the monitor's native resolution. So going back to the example of the 1280x720 video being displayed on a 1366x768 screen, when that 1280x720 video is put into fullscreen, isn't it then being upscaled to 1366x768? So in that instance, are fullscreen and upscaling not the same thing?

Fullscreen simply means an image takes up the whole screen.

Upscaling means it is being made bigger than its original format.

How can it be made any more clear than that?

 

[Deus Gladiorum]

If fullscreen and upscaling are distinct, then you're still not explaining clearly what upscaling is then. Obviously if an image's native resolution is 1920x1080, and the monitor's native resolution is 1920x1080, then of course that image would already be in fullscreen because the image would be occupying the maximum number of pixels as the monitor could allow. So in that case, of course it's fullscreen but there's no upscaling or stretching occurring.

What I'm trying to ask here is in the case of an image which has a lower native resolution than that of the monitor's native resolution. So going back to the example of the 1280x720 video being displayed on a 1366x768 screen, when that 1280x720 video is put into fullscreen, isn't it then being upscaled to 1366x768? So in that instance, are fullscreen and upscaling not the same thing?

Fullscreen simply means an image takes up the whole screen.

Upscaling means it is being made bigger than its original format.

How can it be made any more clear than that?

Fine, I got that, so can you please answer the question then? In the instance of a smaller image (smaller than the screen's native resolution) being upscaled to fit a screen's native resolution (thus filling the whole screen, hence fullscreen) aren't upscaling and fullscreen the exact same thing in that instance?

 

[bystander]

If fullscreen and upscaling are distinct, then you're still not explaining clearly what upscaling is then. Obviously if an image's native resolution is 1920x1080, and the monitor's native resolution is 1920x1080, then of course that image would already be in fullscreen because the image would be occupying the maximum number of pixels as the monitor could allow. So in that case, of course it's fullscreen but there's no upscaling or stretching occurring.

What I'm trying to ask here is in the case of an image which has a lower native resolution than that of the monitor's native resolution. So going back to the example of the 1280x720 video being displayed on a 1366x768 screen, when that 1280x720 video is put into fullscreen, isn't it then being upscaled to 1366x768? So in that instance, are fullscreen and upscaling not the same thing?

Fullscreen simply means an image takes up the whole screen.

Upscaling means it is being made bigger than its original format.

How can it be made any more clear than that?

Fine, I got that, so can you please answer the question then? In the instance of a smaller image (smaller than the screen's native resolution) being upscaled to fit a screen's native resolution (thus filling the whole screen, hence fullscreen) aren't upscaling and fullscreen the exact same thing in that instance?

No, but in that instance, upscaling results in fullscreen, but that doesn't change the definition of fullscreen.

Just because a truck is an automobile, doesn't mean an automobile means truck, as an automobile could be a car.

 

[Deus Gladiorum]

No, but in that instance, upscaling results in fullscreen, but that doesn't change the definition of fullscreen.

Just because a truck is an automobile, doesn't mean an automobile means truck, as an automobile could be a car.

FINALLY. All I was trying to establish from the start is if in that instance (and in fact practically every instance) they were the same thing in principle. Doing one accomplishes the other assuming it's not already fullscreen, and assuming the goal is to upscale to the monitor's resolution anyway. That's all I wanted to know. Thanks.

 

[bystander]

No, but in that instance, upscaling results in fullscreen, but that doesn't change the definition of fullscreen.

Just because a truck is an automobile, doesn't mean an automobile means truck, as an automobile could be a car.

FINALLY. All I was trying to establish from the start is if in that instance (and in fact practically every instance) they were the same thing in principle. Doing one accomplishes the other assuming it's not already fullscreen, and assuming the goal is to upscale to the monitor's resolution anyway. That's all I wanted to know. Thanks.

They are still not the same thing in principle. I don't know why you want to group them up like this any way. It'll confuse you in the future when you try to lump upscaling to mean fullscreen.

I upscale video all the time, without going to fullscreen, simply by enlarging the window on a youtube video. I play at fullscreen on my PS3, which is upscaled from 720p in some cases, but not in others. I have played games that are downscaled from a higher resolution than my screen, and still play in fullscreen.

Recognize they are not the same. Just realize in that particular instance, upscaling will result in fullscreen, as the console doesn't allow you to not go to fullscreen.

 

[jaguarskx]

Look at it this way. When watching a video on whatever resolution monitor you are using three different things can happen:

1. Playback at native resolution.
2. Up scaled video.
3. Down scaled video.

-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------

1. Playback at native resolution applies when the video's resolution is either the same resolution as the monitor's resolution or lower. If the video is the same resolution as the monitor, then it will be played in full screen. It will actually be just under "full screen" because you will see the media player's boarders. You will need to enter "full screen" mode for the boarders to disappear so that you can actually see the movie at it's full resolution. When watching a movie in lower resolution at the monitor's native resolution the video will be played back in a window.

2. You can stretch a video that is lower resolution to fill the entire screen by entering "full screen" mode. stretching the video decreases video quality, the more it is stretched, the worse it will look because the images you see will not be as sharp. This is known as up scaling. Watching a 1280x720 in full screen mode on a 1366x768 resolution monitor will not look very bad. When viewing the video at native resolution on one 1366x768 resolution and comparing it in full screen mode on another 1366x768 resolution monitor, there should not be a very big difference in quality since the video is only being stretched a little. But if you examine both videos you will note that when playing at native resolution (in a window), it will look at bit sharper. The difference in image quality is more pronounced when stretching a 1280x720 resolution video onto a 1920x1080 resolution monitor. There is a serious drop in image quality because the image is stretched a lot. This can be easily observed when playing back a DVD movie on a 1920x1080 HDTV. While the image is bigger, it looks worse compared to when the DVD movie is played back on a standard definition TV... You know those square-ish TVs that existed before widescreen TVs hit the market.

3. Down scaling happens when you attempt to watch a higher resolution video on a lower resolution screen. A simple example is when you watch a Blu-Ray movie on a 1366x768 resolution screen. A Blue-Ray movie would simply be shrunk down to fit the screen. This is some loss in video quality, but not nearly as much compared to up scaling. Most people will simply say down scaled Blu-Ray movies looks just as good as they would on a 1920x1080 resolution monitor, only smaller.

 

[silvex3000]

.

a little visual explanation

http://i.imgur.com/iFLuWTg.jpg

- the program that plays the video go to full-screen mode or windows mode (in this case, 1366x768 monitor)

- while in full-screen mode, the program can play the video in native mode (1280x720) or upscaled mode (upscale basically is stretch the video by increasing its width and/or height to whatever values you want). you can downscale the video too!

.