Amazon Prime is a membership program that provides fast delivery and access to Prime Video streaming, among other benefits, for an annual or monthly fee. When purchasing or renting digital content like movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime Video, shoppers can choose between different quality options such as high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD).
HD or high definition offers the best video quality with 1080p resolution. SD or standard definition is lower video quality, typically 480p resolution. SD videos are more compressed and have less sharp imagery. When buying or renting videos on Amazon Prime Video, HD titles cost more while SD costs less.
Customers choose between SD and HD based on factors like budget, screen size, and desire for enhanced visuals. Understanding the difference in video quality helps shoppers make the ideal purchase on Amazon Prime Video. This article explores SD quality, when to choose it, and how it compares to HD on Amazon Prime.
What Does SD Stand For?
SD stands for “Standard Definition.” It refers to video with lower resolution and quality compared to high definition (HD) video. The most common SD video resolutions are 640×480 (VGA), 720×480 (NTSC), and 720×576 (PAL).
SD used to be the default for television broadcasts, DVDs, camcorders, and online videos before HD became more widespread. Nowadays, SD is considered the minimum baseline quality, while HD or 4K is preferred for an optimal viewing experience.
Some key differences between SD and HD are resolution, screen aspect ratio, pixels per frame, and overall image clarity. SD has a more limited number of pixels, so the picture will appear more grainy or pixelated compared to smooth HD video. However, SD takes up less digital storage space and bandwidth compared to HD.
SD Video Quality
SD stands for “standard definition” and typically refers to video with resolutions at or below 480p. The resolution for SD video is usually 720 x 480 pixels (source). This means an SD video frame has a height of 480 pixels. The lower resolution results in a less detailed, grainier, and blurrier image compared to HD or 4K video.
SD video also has a lower bitrate, which is the amount of data used per second to store and play the video. A lower bitrate results in more compression and lower video quality. A typical SD video bitrate is 0.5 – 1.5 Mbps, while HD starts at 3 Mbps.
So in summary, the key attributes of SD video quality are:
- Resolution of 720 x 480 pixels (480p)
- Lower bitrate around 0.5 – 1.5 Mbps
- Less detailed and grainier image
- Blurrier resolution compared to HD and 4K
When is SD Used?
SD quality video is typically offered for older or less popular content where there is lower demand for HD quality. This includes:
- Older TV shows and movies, especially those originally filmed or broadcast in SD.
- Content with niche appeal or that targets budget-conscious viewers.
- Free or ad-supported content where maximizing video quality is not the top priority.
- Videos intended mainly for mobile or small screen viewing.
According to SD vs. HD Explainer – Tips for Choosing Video Resolution, SD is often used when streaming or distributing large libraries of catalog content. The lower bandwidth requirements make SD a pragmatic choice for this type of content.
Overall, SD persists for content where a high-quality viewing experience is not critical. However, as consumer demand for HD increases, there is pressure on platforms to upgrade their libraries to higher resolutions when possible.
SD on Amazon Prime
On Amazon Prime Video, SD stands for Standard Definition. When you choose to watch video content in SD quality, you are opting for a lower resolution format compared to HD (High Definition). According to Amazon’s help documentation, SD video on Prime requires a minimum download speed of just 1Mbps, whereas HD video requires 5Mbps (Issues with Live Streams on Prime Video).
Amazon Prime uses SD video as a cheaper option to provide access to older movies and TV shows in their video library. The picture quality of SD is noticeably lower than HD, with a maximum resolution of 480p. However, for older content that was not filmed or created in high definition originally, watching in SD may be acceptable to many Prime members looking to maximize their subscription savings. The lower bandwidth requirements also make SD video more accessible for those with slower internet speeds.
When browsing the Prime Video catalog, SD content can be identified by the “SD” label under the title thumbnail. Choosing this SD option allows Prime members to stream or download the video at a lower price point or smaller file size than selecting the HD version. However, some newer or more popular titles may only be available in high definition. Overall, SD serves as Amazon Prime’s budget offering for older or more cost-conscious subscribers.
Comparing SD and HD
SD, or standard definition, refers to lower quality video compared to HD, or high definition. When it comes to Amazon Prime, SD video has a resolution of 480p while HD is typically 1080p or 720p, resulting in a much sharper, clearer picture.
The main difference between SD and HD on Amazon Prime comes down to video quality and resolution. SD tops out at 480p and will have a grainier, less crisp appearance. HD offers a resolution of at least 720p and up to 1080p for excellent sharpness and detail. This makes HD the preferable choice for larger screens where the lower resolution of SD will be more noticeable.
Along with improved video quality, HD content also provides surround sound audio for a more immersive viewing experience compared to the stereo sound available with SD purchases. However, SD does have the advantage when it comes to pricing. SD purchases and rentals are typically a few dollars cheaper than the HD equivalent on Amazon Prime. So customers need to decide if the upgrade in quality is worth the slightly higher cost.
For example, the movie Spider Man: Homecoming is priced at $13.99 for HD purchase but only $9.99 for the SD purchase. The HD version offers a crisp 1080p picture while the SD tops out at 480p. So in this case, the $4 price difference may be worthwhile for customers wanting the best viewing experience on a nice TV. But budget-focused customers may find the SD quality acceptable for the lower price.
Maximizing Savings
When making SD purchases on Amazon Prime, there are a few ways to maximize your savings and get the cheapest pricing:
Pay for Prime annually instead of monthly – An annual Prime membership costs $139 per year, while monthly costs $14.99 per month. Paying annually saves you about $36 per year (source).
Share a Prime account to split costs – Prime allows two adults to share one membership. Splitting the annual fee with a friend or family member cuts the cost in half (source).
Sign up before Prime Day – New Prime members can get deals on the annual membership fee before Prime Day in July.
Look for other Prime membership discounts – Students, EBT, and Medicaid recipients can get discounts on Prime memberships.
Using these tips can help you maximize the savings on an Amazon Prime membership when purchasing SD video content.
Downsides of SD
Though SD quality uses less data and bandwidth, it comes with some tradeoffs in terms of video quality compared to higher definitions like HD. Some downsides of standard definition video include:
– Lower video resolution and detail. SD video maxes out at 480p resolution, which only has 480 lines of pixels vertically. This results in a noticeable lack of sharpness and detail compared to 720p or 1080p HD. Faces and text can appear blurry or pixelated in SD.
– Smaller frame size. A 480p SD video frame contains less than 0.35 megapixels, whereas a 1080p HD frame has over 2 megapixels. This smaller frame captures less visual information.
– Lower color depth. SD video is often encoded with 8-bit color, which means there are only 256 possible color values per RGB channel. 10-bit and 12-bit color in HD provides over 1 billion color combinations for richer, more accurate color.
– Susceptible to artifacts. The heavy compression used for SD can result in artifacts like macroblocking, banding, and noise that degrade video quality, especially in scenes with complex movement.
– Not optimized for widescreen. Since SD evolved in the era of 4:3 TVs, it does not take full advantage of the 16:9 aspect ratio of modern widescreen displays. Either the video is pillarboxed with black bars on the sides, or the image appears horizontally stretched.
So in summary, the lower resolution, color depth, and higher compression of SD can make for soft, noisy video with color banding and a lack of fine detail compared to HD. This is especially noticeable on modern high definition displays.
Upgrading from SD to HD
Once an SD video is purchased on Amazon Prime, there is unfortunately no way to upgrade to the HD version for free or at a discounted price. The HD and SD versions are considered separate purchases, even if it’s the same movie or show.
According to discussions on the Amazon Forum, if you want to watch a video you already purchased in SD quality in HD, you need to buy the HD version separately. As one user explained, “There is no discount if you already own it in SD. Those prices are set by the studios.”
This was confirmed by another discussion on the Amazon UK Forum. A user asked if there was a way to upgrade from SD to HD or pay the difference, but it was explained there is no way to do this currently. Feedback can be left for the Prime Video team about this feature request.
The rigid separation between SD and HD purchases also applies if a purchase was made by mistake. As seen on Reddit, there is no option to convert an already-bought SD movie to HD. Even calling Amazon customer service likely won’t override policies around SD and HD being distinct purchases.
Conclusion
To recap, SD stands for “standard definition,” referring to video quality that is lower than HD. On Amazon Prime Video, SD quality is usually 480p resolution. SD is typically used for older or less popular titles in Prime Video’s library. Purchasing or renting SD over HD can help maximize savings, since SD is offered at a lower price point. However, there are some downsides to choosing SD – you’ll get a less crisp, lower quality viewing experience. For newer releases or content you really want to enjoy in high resolution, it’s worth upgrading to HD quality on Prime Video when possible. But SD can be a good route when trying to save money or watch older catalog titles that may not benefit as much from HD. Overall, having the SD purchase option gives Prime Video customers more choice and ability to balance cost savings with video quality.